Champaign, IL Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Champaign Code § 30-1001
- Licensing official
- Planning and Development Director
- Fee basis
- Set in Chapter 19
- Cure period
- 7 days after revocation notice
- Abandonment trigger
- 28 days uncured
- Related scheme
- Balcony licenses, §§30-1020-1024
Summary
Champaign doesn't let a building or other permanent structure project into a City right-of-way on the strength of a building permit alone. Section 30-1001 requires a separate encroachment license from the City before anyone builds, uses or maintains a structure that projects on or above the right-of-way, layered on top of Section 30-300's general ban on unauthorized encroachments.
(a)License Required. No person shall construct, use or maintain any building, other permanent structure or portion thereof, which encroaches on or above any City right-of-way except with expressed permission from the City through a license in accordance with the requirements of this Article. The person granted such a license shall hereinafter be referred to as the "licensee."(b)Mandatory Requirements. Any license issued pursuant to this Article must comply with the provisions set forth in this Division, unless specifically exempted.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
Article X, Division 1 of Chapter 30 sets up a standalone licensing track for permanent encroachments, distinct from the general prohibition in Section 30-300 and from the temporary-use permits in Articles IV and V. ' Section 30-1002 routes the license application and fee, set in Chapter 19, through the Planning and Development Director before any construction approvals issue. Section 30-1003 requires design drawings and specifications showing the encroaching portion's location, dimensions and materials, proof that any Chapter 9 building permits are already approved, and evidence of the insurance required under Section 30-407(a)(1).
Under Section 30-1006, the license only grants a revocable privilege to use the right-of-way for the stated purpose; it creates no property right, and the licensee must still comply with every other applicable law. Section 30-1009 lets the City revoke or suspend the license for fraud, non-compliance, an imminent safety threat, or failure to build as approved, giving the licensee seven days to cure or remove the encroachment before the City can act; uncured encroachments are deemed abandoned City property after 28 days. A parallel Division 2 (Sections 30-1020 to 30-1024) applies a more detailed version of this same licensing scheme specifically to encroaching balconies in the Central Business District.
Violations & Fines
Building or maintaining a permanent right-of-way encroachment without the Section 30-1001 license violates the Code outright and can trigger fines under Sections 1-21, 1-24 and 19-14. The City can revoke or suspend the license for non-compliance or safety threats under Section 30-1009, giving the licensee 7 days to cure or remove the encroachment; if it isn't removed within 28 days, the encroachment is deemed abandoned and becomes City property, with removal costs charged to the responsible party.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a building permit let my structure encroach into the right-of-way?
What can the City do if my encroachment license is revoked?
Is an encroachment license the same as owning that part of the right-of-way?
Sources & Official References
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