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

The Escambia County Land Development Code treats work inside a county right-of-way as its own compliance-review category, separate from the building permit for whatever project sits behind the curb. Section 2-3.4, "Construction in county right-of-way," requires a county right-of-way work permit before disturbing the paved portion of a county right-of-way or any area beneath the pavement, before installing underground facilities in a right-of-way, and before any work other than maintenance on a driveway connection within a right-of-way. That permit is not required if a residential driveway permit or other county approval already authorizes the work, and it is not required for work included in an approved subdivision infrastructure construction plan or site development plan, or for exempt activities identified by the county's road-cut procedure.

A closely related permit under § 2-3.5 covers new residential driveways specifically: any driveway connection from a single-family or two-family lot to a county street, paved or unpaved, needs a residential driveway permit before construction, unless the connection goes to a curb-and-gutter street and is built during the valid period of the dwelling's own building permit. Reworking an existing residential driveway connection to a county street, beyond ordinary maintenance, also needs a new driveway permit. Both applications go to the county's planning officials for compliance review before work in the right-of-way can start.