Adair County, IA Parking Rules: Driveway Rules (2026)

This page covers entrances onto county secondary roads in the unincorporated area of Adair County. It does not cover driveways onto city streets in Greenfield, Stuart, Fontanelle or any other incorporated city. The rule comes from the Adair County Entrance Policy, adopted by the Board of Supervisors on August 17, 2015 and revised from a May 6, 2009 version. The County Engineer is named the permit officer.

The permit is required for each new or widened entrance, and the $50.00 fee is due when the application is filed. The policy states that no application without the fee will be processed. The county's Entrance Application form repeats the $50.00 payment and states that the entrance must conform to the Entrance Policy, that the completed entrance is subject to Engineer approval, and that all payments are made before work starts. By signing it, the landowner or authorized tenant grants the county permission to enter the land for maintenance under the policy.

Location is the owner's choice if the Engineer approves the sight distance and related factors. The policy sets 350 feet minimum on a gravel road and 600 feet minimum on a paved road. Only one entrance is allowed for each contiguous parcel, with a residence drive allowed in addition to the field access.

Design limits: slope from the edge of the entrance to the ditch flow line is 6:1 on a paved road and 3:1 on a gravel road. Private entrances must be at least 20 feet and no more than 50 feet wide, and the application form prints a 20 foot minimum top width. The county designates the minimum pipe length and diameter, and no entrance pipe can be less than 15 inches in diameter. Midway between the right-of-way line (fence line) and the road edge, the entrance must sit at least six inches lower than the road edge.

Culverts must be new, either annular corrugated riveted pipe or reinforced concrete pipe. Spiral rolled and plastic pipe is not acceptable. The owner hires a private contractor or uses personal equipment, all subject to Engineer approval, and pays for it. Adair County assumes maintenance of the entrance after installation, but it does not provide or restore surfacing. Granular surfacing or pavement is the adjacent landowner's job.

During work, barricades and signs under the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices must stay in place, and the applicant furnishes the dirt. Once the applicant or installer gives notice, the Engineer certifies the work. The Engineer's decisions on pipe size and length, sight distance and other safety factors are final. Other decisions can be appealed to the Board of Supervisors in writing at any time or orally at a regular Board meeting.