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

City Code Sec. 52-65, in Article III, Chapter 52 ("Crossing Sidewalk or Curb Where No Driveway Exists"), flatly bars operating any vehicle on or over a sidewalk or curb within the city except at places where a driveway already exists, unless the operator first obtains a permit from the building official and a separate right-of-way use permit from the city engineer. This two-permit structure means a property owner or contractor cannot simply cut across a curb to reach a job site, parking area, or temporary construction access without city sign-off on both the building side and the right-of-way side.

Sec. 52-66 sets the application requirements: the applicant must specify to the building official the exact place involved, the duration of time the crossing is needed, and the kind of vehicles that will use it, so the city can evaluate impacts on that specific stretch of sidewalk or curb before authorizing anything. Sec. 52-67 then caps how long any permit issued under Sec. 52-65 can run: no permit is valid for longer than 60 days, so a longer-term or permanent crossing needs a proper driveway approved through the city's normal permitting process rather than repeated curb-crossing permits.

This article traces back to the 1980 and 1984 city codes and was last carried forward by Ord. No. 2002-34 in 2002, showing the permit-and-time-limit structure has stayed intact through the current recodification.