Bulloch County, GA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)

§ 32-1-1), covers every publicly maintained road, street, sidewalk, curb, gutter, drainage inlet, manhole, water valve and survey benchmark in the unincorporated county, aside from state highways and private roads. Sec. 5-30(a)(3) makes it unlawful for anyone, without a county-issued permit, to purposely excavate or alter the surface, shoulders or sides of a public road, street, sidewalk or other public passage. Sec. 5-30(a)(5) separately targets driveways: building a private road or driveway for ingress and egress within a public right-of-way, without first getting a permit from the county manager's office and paying the fees needed to install the concrete pipe required to keep drainage flowing, is unlawful, though the county engineer or transportation director can waive the pipe requirement if it isn't needed for drainage.

To get either permit, Sec. 5-32 requires the applicant to file a written application with the county engineer describing the nature, extent, location and timing of the proposed work, pay a nonrefundable application fee set by the county's schedule of fees and charges, and, at the county engineer's discretion, post a bond or letter of credit sized to the estimated repair cost, good for one year after the work is finished. Work must also follow Georgia DOT traffic-control and roadbed standards under Sec. 5-31, and anyone caught working outside the area their permit actually covers can be hit with a stop-work order or a citation from a code enforcement officer or the Sheriff's Office, returnable to Magistrate Court.