Frequently Asked Questions

To pull a ROW Permit, submit a City ROW application form and a site plan sketch with dimensions. If pavers or other non-standard materials are proposed within the right-of-way area, include a picture or image. Email the completed form and site plan to Public Works Permits, fax to 904-209-4286, or hand deliver to City Hall:
75 King Street
Lobby B Elevator, 4th Floor, Public Works Department
St. Augustine, FL 32084

Once the application is received at Public Works, please allow up to 3 business days for the application to be reviewed and processed. You will receive an autogenerated email notification once the permit has been approved and fees are due.

Over-The-Counter (OTC) Permits may be approved on a case-by-case basis under the following conditions:

• Maximum one lane closure, with ample space left for emergency vehicles to pass by. Full road closures require a regular permit with a longer review time.
• Sidewalk closures must allow access to adjoining businesses and/or residences at all times.
• The work duration must be maximum 8 hours during in a single working day.

Right-of-Way Permits are good for up to 6 months. If an extension is needed, the application and orange placard must be brought into Public Works to request an extension for up to 6 additional months.

Permits are assigned date and time restrictions by City staff based on the location and nature of the work. Work is generally not permitted during Saturdays, Sundays and City observed Holidays. Weekend, holidays, and night work may be approved or required, on a case-by-case basis. The City’s focus is first and foremost public safety, and second, minimizing impacts to neighboring properties and maintaining public use of the right-of-way to the best extent possible.

The driveway apron in the right-of-way must match standard City details. The maximum width of a residential driveway is 20 feet. There is no minimum driveway width or maximum driveway length. See “Where can I find the City’s driveway details?".

For a single-family home, the Public Works Director will review applications for double driveway connections. The ROW Permit form and a to-scale site plan with dimensions will be required for review. The Director may approve or reject these applications on a case-by-case basis, taking into account public safety, location, spacing between adjoining driveways, etc.

Commercial driveways are handled through a separate permitting process. View Commercial Development and Site Construction for more information.

Although City Code does not have specific distance requirements between roadway connections, it is the City Engineer’s responsibility to apply best management practices on a case-by-case basis in accordance with various industry standard traffic control handbooks. Driveways in close proximity to other driveways and/or intersections create a situation where the driver must negotiate multiple conflicts. This situation can lead to poor safety and operational conditions. Proper driveway design can help minimize these concerns.

Driveway Design

Objectives of best practices for driveway design are:

• Minimize the difference in speed between turning vehicles and through traffic.
• Minimize the drainage impacts to the curb and gutter system.
• Minimize encroachment of turning vehicles on adjacent lanes.
• Provide adequate sight distance for drivers using the driveway (entering, exiting and approaching traffic). Sight distance considerations may include other roadway connections, on-street parking, landscaping and vegetation, physical features such as retaining walls and signage.
• Provide sufficient operational area for traffic entering the site to prevent a “spillback” queue onto the public street.
• To provide a clear and safe environment for all road users (vehicles of all kinds, cyclists, pedestrians, etc.).

You will need to plan enough space between the driveway and side lot line for proper grading on your property to ensure that drainage will not affect the adjoining property. Stormwater must not run off onto other properties. In addition to this, plan for enough room so that the driveway apron in the right-of-way will not affect neighboring driveways or other features such as fire hydrants, drainage inlets, etc.

View the Paving and Drainage Details document (PDF) 

AutoCAD drawing files (ZIP) of the Paving and Drainage Details can be downloaded here.

The property owner (or the property developer, or their contractor) is responsible for applying for the Tree Removal Permit (at the City Planning and Building Department). Following City approval of that permit, the customer’s tree company must apply for a separate Right-of-Way Permit at Public Works in order to perform the tree removal work in the City’s right-of-way. The property owner (or the property developer, or their contractor) is responsible for removing the tree at their cost. The City is not responsible for permitting or costs to remove the tree.

Per City Code, Section 22-33, the property owner has the authority and responsibility to repair the sidewalk fronting their property, by securing a licensed and insured contractor and obtaining a City Right-of-Way Permit prior to commencing the work. This is not to say that the City does not replace sidewalks; the City replaces sidewalks in those areas of high priority and where funds have been budgeted for specific streets.

In many cases, contractors hire MOT companies (such as Bob's Barricades, ACME, etc.) to create the MOT Plan. The City does not (and will not) supply examples or guide applicants through MOT design, to limit inadvertent exposure to liability and risk. The applicant submits the MOT plan and the City reviews the plan for compliance with codes, policies, rules and regulations.