Escambia County, FL Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)

County Code § 86-91 makes it unlawful to erect or maintain a privately constructed sign in, on or upon any public right-of-way in the unincorporated county unless the county has specifically permitted it. County code enforcement officers, acting under chapter 30, article III, physically remove any unpermitted sign found in the right-of-way and dispose of it.

Enforcement follows a graduated civil penalty schedule written directly into the ordinance: a first citation is a warning with no fine, a second citation carries a $25.00 penalty, a third is $50.00, and every citation after that is $50.00. Beginning with the third citation, a court appearance is mandatory: the cited person cannot simply pay the fine instead of appearing, and the citation itself must expressly say so, with records kept of those third-and-later cases. A person cited for a first or second violation may instead pay the civil penalty within ten days of receiving the citation, which counts as an admission of the violation and a waiver of the right to a trial; missing that ten-day window adds a $25.00 late fee and triggers a notice to appear from the clerk of the circuit court. If the person then ignores the notice or the penalty, the court can issue an order to show cause, and failing to answer that order is contempt of court. Refusing to sign or accept the citation is itself a separate violation of § 86-91, punishable under § 30-65.