Building, paving, or modifying a driveway that connects to a Nevada County road requires an Encroachment Permit from Public Works, and the driveway must meet County design standards for width, paving, grade, and clearance under the Nevada County Code.
Driveways in unincorporated Nevada County are regulated where they meet the public road. An Encroachment Permit is required any time work is performed in the County right-of-way that can obstruct the free use of the roadway by the public, including excavation, construction, or placing any structure or object in, under, or over the County roadway, or any activity that may cause water to back onto the road. Driveway design must conform to the Nevada County Department of Public Works Standard Drawings and the County's access standards: at least the first thirty (30) feet of the driveway encroachment from the edge of pavement of the primary roadway must be paved; the driveway must be built to within fifty (50) feet of the nearest point of each dwelling unit; surface width must be ten (10) feet minimum with one-foot shoulders and fourteen (14) feet of unobstructed horizontal clearance for grades up to sixteen percent (16%); and curve radius must be fifty (50) feet minimum from centerline. Bridge and culvert portions of driveways must support a 40,000-pound legally loaded vehicle (Nevada County Code Section 16.10.040). Encroachment permits carry insurance requirements (typically $1,000,000 General Liability / $2,000,000 aggregate, naming the County as additional insured). Blocking a public driveway is also prohibited under California Vehicle Code Section 22500(e).
Performing driveway or right-of-way work without an Encroachment Permit, or building a non-conforming access, is a code violation that can require correction, removal, or permit-after-the-fact; blocking a driveway is cited under CVC 22500(e).
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