Pawtucket, RI Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)

Section 351-14, "Obstructing sidewalks with signs and merchandise; sandwich boards," was added in 1982 (Ch. No. 1811) and rebuilt through amendments in 1999 and again on July 12, 2001 (Ch. No. 2613, effective October 1, 2001). Subsection A bars placing any sign, advertisement or merchandise on a public sidewalk, footwalk or utility pole without one of three permits: a sandwich-board permit, a one-day sidewalk-sale permit, or an outdoor-display permit, and requires the permit be posted where the public can see it. A sandwich-board sign costs $20 a year, must be commercial-property-only, capped at 30 inches wide and 48 inches tall, built to Chapter 31 of the Rhode Island State Building Code, placed at the sidewalk's property edge rather than the curb, limited to one sign per 50 feet of street frontage up to three signs, kept off the sidewalk outside business hours, and set back at least 36 inches from the curb for pedestrian clearance.

A one-day sidewalk sale carries no fee, is allowed in every zoning district, and must leave a four-foot walkway measured from the curb face. An outdoor display permit costs $25 a year, is allowed in every zoning district except the Commercial Downtown district, and likewise requires a four-foot walkway and removal of merchandise when the business is closed. Every applicant must also give the City a certificate of liability insurance naming the City as loss payee.