Lexington County, SC Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)

Sec. 13, Driveway Location, rewritten as part of Ord. No. 23-17 on June 25, 2024, generally limits development parcels to one driveway per road frontage and requires driveways and access points to also comply with the Lexington County Subdivision Ordinance and Land Development Manual. Item b of that section makes driveway installation conditional on a favorable encroachment permit application to whichever agency maintains the accessed road: the South Carolina Department of Transportation for state-maintained roads, or Lexington County Public Works for county-maintained roads. For developments expected to generate high average daily traffic, item c lets the reviewing agency require a more detailed access plan addressing improvements such as deceleration or acceleration lanes, traffic control devices, and turn lanes; a developer can commission a traffic impact study meeting Institute of Transportation Engineers criteria and prepared by a qualified engineer to support that access plan, and must document that any required improvements are installed and approved before the new or expanding land use begins.

Item d allows additional driveways beyond the one-per-frontage default if the Lexington County Department of Emergency Services or another public safety agency recommends extra access points for emergency ingress and egress. Residential developments of 200 or more dwelling units must provide two street access points, with a restricted right-in/right-out access considered where a full secondary access is not feasible under SCDOT or County Public Works standards. Continuous access along a road frontage, rather than through defined driveways, is not permitted.