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

5-1 folds its right-of-way drainage encroachment rule into the same section that governs driveway connections: subsection (d) makes it unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to obstruct an existing ditch, swale or drain in the county without first obtaining a driveway permit from the county engineer. Because county road drainage runs through the right-of-way fronting most parcels, any private culvert, fill, or connection that crosses or blocks that ditch, swale or drain triggers the same permitting process used for a new driveway: the county engineer sets the dimensions, conditions and requirements for the crossing, and the applicant must notify the engineer once work is done so the as-built installation can be approved.

There is no fee for the permit itself under subsection (e), but subsection (f) places continuing, running responsibility on both the original applicant and any successor in title for keeping the culvert pipe and the ditches, swales and drains free of obstructions going forward. That means a buyer who inherits a blocked or undersized culvert from a prior owner inherits the compliance duty along with the property. The ordinance does not create a general right-of-way use fee or lease; it is strictly a drainage-obstruction control tied to the driveway-permit process administered by the county engineer's office.