Snohomish County, WA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Core rule
- Permit required for any non-transportation ROW use
- Review criteria
- 10 factors under SCC 13.10.030
- Fence/landscaping permit
- Type C3 under SCC 13.50.055
- Removal cost
- Charged to permittee if noncompliant
Summary
Anyone using unincorporated Snohomish County right-of-way for anything besides transportation, from a fence to a sales stand, needs a right-of-way use permit first. Unpermitted use of a county road, shoulder or sidewalk is unlawful under SCC 13.10.010.
It is unlawful for anyone to make any use of any right-of-way for other than transportation and uses incidental thereto or as otherwise provided by this chapter without a right-of-way use permit as provided in this title and a franchise, if required by SCC 13.80.010.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through legislation passed August 12, 2026).
Full Breakdown
055) to newspaper stands, temporary sales carts, and data collection devices. 030 for every application: length of time of the use, disturbance of the right-of-way surface, public health and safety requirements, disruption of usual public use, risk of damage to the right-of-way, cost to the county for services, effect on private property, county use of the right-of-way, risk of spills and debris, and the condition of the existing road. 100, and lets the engineer order modification or removal of anything that later interferes with drainage, blocks sight distance, or conflicts with right-of-way improvement plans, at the permittee's expense if they do not comply after notice. 020 until they expire.
Violations & Fines
Using the right-of-way without the required permit is unlawful under SCC 13.10.010. SCC 13.50.055(3) lets the county engineer order a permittee to modify or remove a noncompliant encroachment, such as a fence blocking sight distance, and if the permittee fails to comply after notice, the county may remove the encroachment itself and charge the permittee for the cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to put a fence or landscaping in the county right-of-way?
What happens if my fence in the right-of-way blocks visibility at a corner?
Are any right-of-way uses exempt from needing a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Snohomish County
Compare Snohomish County to another location·View the Washington sidewalk & pedestrian rules overview
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