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

UDC § 6.04.02(A) requires any utility, contractor or other person to obtain a Road Use Permit before installing, constructing, maintaining, renewing, removing or relocating pipes, mains, conduits, cables, sewage systems, wires, poles, towers or other equipment within the rights-of-way of county roads outside the municipal limits of Ringgold and Fort Oglethorpe. Two narrow exceptions apply under § 6.04.02(B): breakaway-design U.S. Postal Service mailboxes need no permit (though the owner remains responsible for repairing any right-of-way damage caused by mail delivery traffic), and a bona fide emergency repair is exempt only for the duration of the emergency, after which a permit application must still be filed as soon as practicable.

Applicants submit a written application to the Public Works Department describing the nature, extent and location of the work; utility providers must additionally supply the property location, start and end dates, supervisory contact information and the identity of any independent contractors involved (§ 6.04.02(C)). Permits are issued free of charge once the required information and surety bond are on file (§ 6.04.02(D)(1)), but the county will never issue a right-of-way permit for signage, advertisements or notices, and unauthorized signs placed in the right-of-way are treated as litter that the county can remove and destroy.

Anyone who damages the road system while working under a permit must reimburse the county for the repair, and the Public Works Department can require a bond for damages before issuing the permit (§ 6.04.02(E)). Violating the permit requirement is a misdemeanor enforced under Article IX's general penalties, and the county can also pursue civil remedies, including damages and injunctive relief, against a violator under § 6.04.02(F).