Any new driveway or expanded driveway that ties into an NCDOT-maintained road in unincorporated Wake County requires an NCDOT Driveway Permit under 19A NCAC 02B .0610 and the NCDOT Policy on Street and Driveway Access to North Carolina Highways. Wake County itself does not issue separate driveway permits in the unincorporated areas because the county does not maintain a public street system.
Residential driveways on NCDOT secondary (state-route) roads must meet minimum sight-distance, paved-radius, and shoulder-protection requirements set in the Driveway Manual. Most residential driveways in subdivisions use the developer's NCDOT-approved access plan and do not need an individual permit. Commercial driveways and any driveway on a primary route always require an individual NCDOT permit and may require a Traffic Impact Analysis. Inside Raleigh, Cary, Wake Forest and other Wake municipalities, a separate municipal driveway permit is also required and is reviewed against the local UDO's parking, vision-triangle, and impervious-surface standards. In Wake Forest, residential driveways must be at least 2 feet from the side property line.
Working in NCDOT right-of-way without a permit can result in stop-work orders and removal of the unauthorized improvement at the owner's expense under 19A NCAC 02B .0610. Municipal permit violations carry per-day civil penalties under each town's UDO.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Wake County, NC
Wake County Code §92.05(H), (I), and (L) target industrial and commercial noise: construction over 1,000 ft from residences, loading/unloading noise at night...
Wake County, NC
Wake County Code §92.05(B), (C), (F) prohibits vehicle exhaust noise from out-of-repair or modified vehicles, gong/siren on non-emergency vehicles, and any i...
Wake County, NC
Wake County treats cats the same as dogs under Ch. 91 — owners must vaccinate against rabies at 4 months and keep current tag displayed at all times per §91....
Wake County, NC
Wake County does NOT impose a numeric limit on pets in unincorporated areas. Cities vary: Raleigh allows up to 4 dogs/cats over 4 months per dwelling under §...
Wake County, NC
Wake County adopted the NC Fire Prevention Code (NCFC) under Code Ch. 72. Residential propane storage follows NCFC Chapter 61 and NFPA 58 — typical residenti...
Wake County, NC
Wake County Code §130.05 (adopted 11-9-2022, effective 12-9-2022) prohibits firearm discharge within 300 yards of any dwelling, school, church, warehouse, pl...
See how Wake County's driveway rules rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.