Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules in DeKalb County, GA (2026)
3 rules for unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia.
Verified from official government sources
Sidewalk Repair
In unincorporated DeKalb County, keeping the sidewalk clean and keeping it repaired are two different jobs. Code § 18-38(d) makes owners and tenants of abutting property responsible for keeping the street, sidewalk, lane, or parking area free of garbage and trash, while expressly preserving the county's own maintenance responsibility for public rights-of-way.
DeKalb County Sidewalk Cleanliness Duty
Light RestrictionsDeKalb County Code § 18-38(d)
Owners and tenants of property or structures abutting a street, sidewalk, lane or parking area on which the property or structure abuts shall maintain the property or structure clean and free of garbage and trash; however, county maintenance responsibility for public rights-of-way shall not be diminished by this section.(e)Where parking in open areas is used jointly for the benefit of two (2) o...
Obstruction Rules
In unincorporated DeKalb County, § 17-6 makes it unlawful to obstruct the right-of-way of any public road, street, or easement with shrubbery, signs, fences, or anything else that interferes with a motorist's clear view or a pedestrian's free passage, and police can order removal within 10 days.
DeKalb County Right-of-Way Obstruction Ban
Some RestrictionsDeKalb County Code § 17-6(a)
It shall be unlawful for any person to obstruct the right-of-way of any public road, street or other easement in the unincorporated area of the county by placing or maintaining thereon any obstruction, whether it is in the nature of shrubbery, signs, fences or whatever, which interferes with the clear view of motorists or the free passage of pedestrians thereon.
Encroachment Permits
Before any driveway, sidewalk, curbing, or utility work touches a DeKalb County road right-of-way, DeKalb County Code § 23-87(a) requires an encroachment permit issued in advance by the director of public works. Doing the work without one is unlawful.
DeKalb County Right-of-Way Encroachment Permit
Significant RestrictionsDeKalb County Code § 23-87(a)
It shall be unlawful for any person to perform the work listed in subsections (1) and (2) below without the prior issuance of an encroachment permit by the director of public works:(1)Installation, construction, maintenance, renewal, removal, or relocation of pipes, mains, conduits, cables, wires, poles, towers, traffic and other signals, and other equipment, facilities, or appliances of any ut...
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