Clearwater, FL Parking Rules: Driveway Rules (2026)

Clearwater treats a driveway as public right-of-way construction, not a private landscaping choice. City Code Sec. 40 makes it unlawful to construct, reconstruct, repair, alter, pave or grade any driveway, curb cut, curb, sidewalk or parkway without first obtaining a permit from the building director. Under Sec. 42, the application must name the property owner and the party doing the work, pinpoint the work location, and attach plans and a cost estimate. 43 requires a construction and maintenance bond worth half the estimated project cost whenever that cost exceeds $250, plus an indemnity bond if the building director demands one; the work is guaranteed for six months.

44 adds a filing, engineering and inspection fee set in Appendix A. The building director may only issue the permit under Sec. 45 after the city engineer approves the plans, confirms the work follows the city's standard specifications, and finds it will not unreasonably interfere with traffic, parking demand or access to neighboring properties. Every permit is revocable at will under Sec. 46, and a revoked permit requires the owner to restore the property to the city manager's satisfaction at no cost to the city.

52 sets the dimensional rules for curb cuts: outside business zones, the city engineer decides driveway placement case by case, but in business zones a lot with at least 80 feet of frontage gets two 30-foot driveways, a narrower lot gets one, and no driveway may sit closer than five feet to the property line or ten feet to another driveway on the same lot. Corner lots must preserve a five-foot pedestrian island measured from the property corner. 51 requires any sidewalk crossed by a new driveway to be removed and rebuilt at least six inches thick with reinforcing mesh, plus drainage structures sized and placed as the city engineer directs.