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

Lake County Code § 18-3 requires a Right-of-Way Utilization Permit before any person places a structure, defined broadly to include fences, billboards, poles, pipelines, transmission and utility lines, cabling, fiber and telecommunications infrastructure, above, on or under a publicly dedicated right-of-way or easement. All right-of-way work must be reported to Sunshine State One-Call at least 72 hours before it starts. Applications go to the County Manager or designee and must include a scaled sketch or construction plan showing the structure's distance from the centerline and edge of pavement, the right-of-way and pavement widths, typical cross sections, minimum vertical clearance, and a location map keyed to Section, Township and Range, consistent with the county's Transportation Planning, Design, and Construction Standards.

S. DOT Federal Highway Administration standards. Once a permit issues, the permittee guarantees the work for one year from final inspection, must fix any failure within five days of notice, and remains liable for all repair or damage costs tied to the improvement, including damage to third parties or existing utilities. On ten days' written notice from the county, the permittee must remove or relocate the improvement at its own expense. Placing a surveillance device in a right-of-way carries added requirements, including a description of why it cannot go on private property and details of its recording and data-sharing capability, and needs Board of County Commissioners approval unless it is a resident association's security camera on an internal road.