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

Section 15.08.120(A) authorizes the city to grant a 'special privilege license or permit for use of public right-of-way for specified uses,' defining public right-of-way broadly to include 'the sidewalk, parkway and roadway surface, whether paved or unpaved, and areas within public easements.' Longer-term uses go through city council as a license; the permit official handles shorter permits and renewals (§ 15.08.120(A)(1)). Table 1-1 lists the encroachments that qualify, grouped as aerial (awnings, canopies, signs, pedestrian skywalks), surface (sidewalk cafés, street furniture, taxi stands, building encroachments), and subsurface (storage vaults, pipelines) uses, with terms ranging from a single non-renewable grant to fifteen years for a building encroachment that can't be removed without harming the public interest.

Every applicant must submit a location map, a scaled site plan, proof of ownership, and, for permanent structures, a sealed metes-and-bounds survey (§ 15.08.120(B)). Grantees must keep the encroachment 'in good repair and condition,' must not create 'a nuisance or safety hazard,' and must carry liability insurance naming the city as an additional insured, cancellable only on 30 days' written notice (§ 15.08.120(G)). Fees are non-refundable once processing begins, with any use not listed in Table 1-1 defaulting to an 'other special privileges' fee of at least $1,000 per year (§ 15.08.120(F)(3)).

The permit official can terminate a permit at any time 'in its judgment' if necessary for public service efficiency (§ 15.08.120(A)(7)(a)), and a denied applicant has ten calendar days to file a written appeal that goes first to the permit official and, for licenses, ultimately to city council (§ 15.08.120(C)(3), (D)(4)).