Okaloosa County, FL Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)

11 bars any firm, corporation, business entity, municipality, or other person from operating, moving, or using any vehicle or instrument, or constructing any improvement, on Okaloosa County's public roads or rights-of-way if that activity has the capability to damage, deface, or destroy them, unless a right-of-way permit has first been obtained from the Public Works Department. The applicant must apply to the County Engineer, who reviews the proposed work and estimates the potential damage. Before the permit is issued, the applicant must post a cash bond equal to double the county engineer's estimate of anticipated damages, security intended to guarantee that any road or right-of-way disturbed by the work gets repaired or restored to its original condition.

If the road or right-of-way is not repaired or restored within the time the permit specifies, the cash bond is forfeited to the county rather than returned to the applicant. 13. The permit requirement functions as the county's general encroachment-control mechanism: it applies broadly to any activity capable of damaging county rights-of-way, not just a defined list of uses, which is why it captures everything from utility installation to construction equipment operating in or crossing a county road easement.