Access Guide
NCDOT Driveway Access Basics for a North Carolina Apron
A driveway that ties into a state-maintained road is an NCDOT question. The official policy, in plain language, and a free estimate for the apron on your lot.
The apron is the part of the driveway that meets the public road. If that road is on the state highway system, the rules that matter are NCDOT's. Call for a free estimate and we can look at how your driveway meets the road.
The document to read
NCDOT publishes the Policy on Street and Driveway Access to North Carolina Highways. That is the policy the street-and-driveway permit application cites. Read it here: Policy on Street and Driveway Access (NCDOT).
A single residence is treated differently
The policy says permits will normally not be required for a single residence. It also says the property owner is encouraged to contact the District Engineer to identify safety and design issues, to coordinate with construction projects that could affect the driveway, and to arrange for driveway pipe. 'Normally not required' is not the same as 'build whatever you want in the right-of-way.' The pipe, the slope, and the sight line at the road are why that call exists.
A new connection or a change in use is a permit case
The same policy says that when someone other than NCDOT builds a new connection, or alters an existing connection, on the state highway system, the permit has to be secured before the work. It also has to be secured before a change in property use. Failing to get a required permit can lead to the connection being removed at the owner's expense. A commercial entrance, a subdivision street, or a driveway whose use is changing is not the single-residence case above. Which one a property is, is a question for the District Engineer, not a guess from a photo.
City streets are a different owner
Not every road in Thomasville, Lexington, or High Point is a state highway. A city-maintained street is the city's apron. On the estimate we look at the grade, the gutter or ditch, and what the driveway has to meet. If the road is on the state system, NCDOT's Policy on Street and Driveway Access is the document. If it is a municipal street, the city that maintains it is the one to ask. Call for a free estimate.
Good to Know
Common questions
Do I need an NCDOT driveway permit for a house?
The NCDOT policy says a permit will normally not be required for a single residence. The owner is still encouraged to contact the District Engineer about safety, design, projects, and driveway pipe. Confirm that with the District Engineer for the specific road.
Who is responsible for the apron?
The policy puts construction of a permitted connection on the applicant, to NCDOT standards. For a single residence, ask the District Engineer before building in the right-of-way.
What if the driveway's use is changing?
A new connection or a change in how the property uses the highway is a permit case under NCDOT's policy. The permit has to be secured before that work. Which case a property is belongs with the District Engineer. Call for a free estimate and we can look at the apron on your lot.
What if the road is inside a city?
Then it may be a city street rather than a state highway. The on-site visit is where we see the road, and the official question goes to whoever maintains it. Request a free estimate.