Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules in Fort Lauderdale, FL (2026)
3 verified sidewalk & pedestrian rules for Fort Lauderdale, Florida, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Sidewalk Repair
Fort Lauderdale places the burden of fixing a damaged public sidewalk on the abutting property owner once the city determines the owner's trees, landscaping, irrigation, parking, or drainage caused the damage. Sec. 25-56 requires the owner to notify public works of any damage and lets the city order repairs, with unpaid work billed as a lien on the property.
Fort Lauderdale Sidewalk Repair Duty
Some RestrictionsFort Lauderdale, FL, Code of Ordinances ch. 25, sec. 25-56(a), (b)(1) (Ord. No. C-22-34, § 8, 9-22-22)
(a)Property owner shall promptly notify the city when a sidewalk or sidewalks adjacent to his or her property is damaged or in need of repair, for any reason. Upon being notified of sidewalk damage, the public works department will inspect the site and prepare a sidewalk assessment report to document the sidewalk conditions and cause of damage to determine the party responsible for the repairs....
Obstruction Rules
Fort Lauderdale bans building, depositing or placing any structure or obstruction in a street or sidewalk without a right-of-way permit or the city commission's express consent, under Sec. 25-7(a). The city manager can also close a street, alley or sidewalk under city jurisdiction for up to 72 hours, so long as vital services and traffic safety are maintained.
Fort Lauderdale Street and Sidewalk Obstruction Ban
Significant RestrictionsFort Lauderdale Code of Ordinances ch. 25, art. I, sec. 25-7(a)-(b) (Ord. No. C-83-123, § 1, 12-6-83; Ord. No. C-98-29, § 1, 5-19-98; Ord. No. C-05-14, § 1, 6-21-05)
(a)Except as authorized by a permit issued pursuant to Article III of this chapter, it shall be unlawful for any person to erect, build, construct, deposit or place upon or in any street or any place where the public has the right of passage any building, structure or obstruction of any kind whatsoever or to enclose any street, park or other public property without the express consent and permi...
Encroachment Permits
Anyone wanting to build in a Fort Lauderdale street, alley or other public right-of-way needs a permit from the city engineer first. Sec. 25-100 sets the rules: a permit only covers the exact stretch of right-of-way, dates and facilities it describes, and converting a landscaped median into parking or a travel lane needs city commission approval after public notice.
Fort Lauderdale Right-of-Way Encroachment Permits
Significant RestrictionsFort Lauderdale Code of Ordinances ch. 25, art. III, sec. 25-100(a)-(c) (Ord. No. C-00-81, § 1, 12-19-00; Ord. No. C-04-62, § 1, 1-18-05; Ord. No. C-07-73, § 6, 9-5-07)
(a)Except as otherwise provided in the code, no person may construct in any rights-of-way without first having obtained a permit from the office of the city engineer....(b)A permit will allow the holder to construct in that part of the rights-of-way described in such permit and to hinder free and open passage over the specified portion of the rights-of-way by placing facilities described therei...
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County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Fort Lauderdale city rules.
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