Whitfield County, GA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)

Section 13-26 of the Whitfield County Code requires any third party wanting to encroach on a county right-of-way, for a purpose other than the right-of-way's intended use, to file an encroachment permit application with the Whitfield County Road Department before doing the work. The application must include a site plan meeting the department's standards and specifications, and the department can also require a landscaping plan and a cross-section plan depending on the project. route numbers involved, the DOT milepost and posted speed limit, existing and proposed drainage features, and any existing trees, shrubs or vegetation located on the county right-of-way.

Where the department requests a cross-section plan, § 13-26(b) calls for cross-sections at 50-foot intervals with slopes within the right-of-way no steeper than 4:1, and a landscaping plan under § 13-26(c) must keep plants taller than 30 inches or with a trunk over four inches in diameter at least 30 feet from the pavement edge, or eight feet from the back of curb where the speed limit is 35 mph or less. This permit process runs separately from the driveway permit process in § 13-22 through § 13-25, which governs new or altered driveways onto county roads.