Tippecanoe County, IN Parking Rules: Driveway Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Before building any drive onto a county road
- Residential driveway fee
- $25 (§96.19)
- Major subdivision entrance fee
- $200 (§96.19)
- Minimum property-line setback
- 5 feet
- Maximum approach grade
- 15% unless approved otherwise
- Minimum width at ditch
- 12 feet
Summary
Building or paving a private driveway onto a county highway in unincorporated Tippecanoe County requires a permit from the County Highway Department, per § 96.16(A). The permit sets construction and setback standards, and § 96.19 charges $25 for a standard residential driveway, up to $200 for a major subdivision entrance.
§ 96.16 PRIVATE DRIVE ACCESS STANDARDS.
(A) No private drive or other access way shall be made onto any county highway, without a specific permit being first duly obtained from the County Highway Department for that particular drive or access at that particular location.
(B) No entrance shall be closer than five feet to the adjacent property line...
(D) ...If it is proposed to construct any portion of an approach on a slope or grade greater than 15%...the approach shall not be constructed on a grade greater than 15%.
(Q) No driveway or other vehicle access road onto a public highway shall be less than 12 feet in width where it crosses the side ditch and the drainage pipe shall be exposed at least 12 inches at each side of the driveway or access road.
§ 96.19 PERMIT FEES. Driveways Residential driveway $25.00 Existing driveway $20.00 Commercial driveway $100.00 Major subdivision/rural estate $200.00
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-17: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 2025-25-CM, passed 8-1-25; and State legislation current through 2025 Acts, Pamphlet No. 3).
Full Breakdown
16 governs every private drive or access way onto a county highway. Under division (A), no entrance may be built without a permit issued for that specific drive and location. Division (B) bars an entrance from sitting closer than five feet to the adjacent property line unless both neighboring owners join the application. Division (D) caps the approach grade at 15% unless a steeper slope is specifically shown and approved on the application; if no grade is shown, the 15% cap applies by default. Division (Q) sets a hard floor of 12 feet of width where the driveway crosses the roadside ditch, with the drainage pipe exposed at least 12 inches on each side.
Elsewhere in the same section, the Highway Department can order an entrance removed or relocated for road work or safety, and any permit not completed within one year is automatically canceled. 19 prices a residential driveway permit at $25, an existing-driveway permit at $20, a farm field entrance at $25, a temporary driveway at $10, a commercial driveway or minor subdivision entrance at $100, and a major subdivision or rural estate entrance at $200. The permittee, not the county, is responsible for all future maintenance of the approach from the right-of-way line to the traveled roadway, including keeping loose aggregate off the highway pavement, and the Highway Department must approve the pipe or tile drainage structures used in construction.
Violations & Fines
Constructing, altering, or relocating a driveway or highway approach without the § 96.16 permit, or violating a construction standard set in that section, is punishable under § 96.99, which applies the county's general penalty in § 10.99: a fine of up to $2,500, with each day of the violation counted as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to build a driveway in unincorporated Tippecanoe County?
How much does a driveway permit cost?
How wide and how steep can my driveway be?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tippecanoe County
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