Dallas, TX Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)

To encroach on the right-of-way for a private or governmental utility use, the applicant submits a written application to the director along with plans or drawings of the area, a statement of purpose, and a nonrefundable application fee plus recording fees; no fee applies to encroachments already licensed or to a governmental utility operating under a mutual right-of-way contract with the city (Sec. 43-112(a)). The general application fee is $750 for any use not otherwise listed, such as a sidewalk cafe or a use covered by Sec.

1 (Sec. 43-112(b)). The city council may grant the license only if it finds the use is not inconsistent with, and does not unreasonably impair, public use of the right-of-way (Sec. 43-113). Once granted, annual fees for named uses include $50 per track for a railroad crossing and $1,000 for encroachment of a historically significant structure into the right-of-way (Sec. 43-115(a)(1), (2)). For any other private use, the annual fee is $1,000 or a formula, whichever is greater: surface use is area times market value times 85% times 12%; subsurface-only use is area times market value times 30% times 12%; air-rights use, including awnings and canopies bearing a sign, is area times market value times 85% times 85% times 12%; and commercial parking use is 50% of gross receipts (Sec.

43-115(b)). Market value is the per-square-foot appraised value set by the Dallas County Central Appraisal District, and the director reviews it annually, adjusting the fee up or down (Sec. 43-115(e), (f)). If a license does not state a term, a private license expires 10 years after passage and a governmental utility license expires when the underlying contract does (Sec. 43-114(b), (c)). While a license or abandonment application is pending before council, the director may issue a temporary month-to-month license to avoid substantial hardship (Sec. 43-116).