King County, WA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Before any private ROW use
- Limited permit term
- 1 year or less
- Extended permit term
- Over 1 year
- Applies in
- Unincorporated King County only
Summary
Private use or improvement of county road right-of-way in unincorporated King County requires a right-of-way use permit before work begins.
County road right-of-way shall not be privately improved or used for access or other purposes and no development approval shall be issued which requires use of privately maintained county right-of-way unless a permit therefor has been issued pursuant to this chapter, except for utility construction work authorized pursuant to K.C.C. Chapter 14.44. This section shall not apply to driveway connections from private property to county road rightofway.
B. GENERAL PROCEDURES.
1. Upon receipt of an application for right-of-way use permit, limited or extended, the division shall forward copies of the application to the division of real property, which shall determine whether the proposed activity is within countyowned right of way.
2. The division shall be the lead agency for the compliance with the State Environmental Policy Act. In addition, the development engineer shall review applications for compliance with applicable county plans, policies, regulations and standards. Prior to issuing a rightofway use permit, the division shall determine and secure an appropriate financial guarantee consistent with the provisions of Title 27A.
3. The division shall, when feasible, consolidate rightofway use permits with other development approvals to prevent duplication and increase efficiency. The fee for a consolidated approval shall be reduced to the extent separate fees would be duplicative. (Ord. 12020 § 43, 1995: Ord. 7990 § 12, 1987: Ord. 4895 § 2, 1980).
Full Breakdown
Unincorporated King County bars private parties from improving or using county road right-of-way without first getting a right-of-way use permit through the Department of Local Services permitting division. The permit comes in two forms: limited (one year or less, one one-year extension allowed) or extended (over one year, may require full road-standard construction and a recorded covenant). Seattle, Bellevue, Kent, Renton, and other incorporated cities issue their own right-of-way permits under their own municipal codes, not this chapter.
Violations & Fines
Permitting division reviews and can condition or deny permits; enforcement runs through the Department of Local Services under K.C.C. Title 23's penalty provisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this cover Seattle sidewalks?
What if my private use of the right-of-way will last more than a year?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in King County
Compare King County to another location·View the Washington sidewalk & pedestrian rules overview
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