Driveway Permits

Commercial projects will typically require at least one driveway entrance to a public street.  Driveways are reviewed within the commercial plan submittal and information related to driveways as indicated on the Gateway Review Checklist and CDOT Land Development Site Plan Checklist must be included on detailed plans. City Engineering and Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT) staff review City driveway permit applications, right-of-way verifications, and conflicts with imminent transportation projects.

INQUIRIES ABOUT RESIDENTIAL DRIVEWAYS including adding new driveways to existing City- or State-maintained streets or modifications to existing driveway aprons are handled by the Charlotte Development Center, and they can be reached at 704-336-6692.

New Subdivision Driveways

Driveways within subdivisions are reviewed and inspected through the Subdivision plan and construction process.

Commercial Driveways on City-Maintained Streets

Driveways associated with Commercial site development plans are reviewed within the detailed Commercial Plan Review and approval of that plan constitutes the Driveway Permit.

Commercial Driveways on State-Maintained Streets

Driveways accessing NCDOT roadways require review by Engineering and CDOT, but also require a separate Driveway Permit review and approval from NCDOT.

New Process for Submitting Commercial Plans to NCDOT Begins March 1, 2014 
Beginning March 1st, you will no longer need to visit the Government Center to assemble the submittal package for NCDOT driveway permits. Accela Citizen Access will be used to electronically transmit the necessary documents between the applicant and the City of Charlotte. The revised process will be as follows:

  • Applicant must include a completed NCDOT Driveway Application attached as a PDF along with initial commercial plan submittal to the City of Charlotte via Accela Citizen Access (ACA).
  • Upon City plan approval, a tentatively approved plan set will be uploaded to ACA along with a digitally-signed copy of the completed NCDOT driveway permit application.
  • The applicant will download the tentatively approved plans and the City signed NCDOT driveway permit application, print 4 copies of each, and deliver them to the NCDOT Division 10, District 2 office located at 7605 District Drive (click for map).
  • Refer to the NCDOT driveway permit form for the "construction inspection" fee required on every permanent and/or temporary driveway submittal at the time the submittal is delivered to NCDOT. THE CITY WILL NOT ACCEPT NOR HANDLE MONEY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS STATE FEE.
  • Please note the NCDOT approval process may take six to eight weeks or longer.
  • When NCDOT approves and stamps the plans, the applicant must upload a scanned copy of the NCDOT approved stamped plans to the project record on ACA. (Any NCDOT required plan revisions should be clouded and noted in the revision block on the plan sheets.)
  • City staff will check the NCDOT approved plans uploaded to ACA by the applicant. If there are no significant NCDOT revisions, the City will place an unconditional final approval stamp on the plans and upload the approved plans to ACA so it is available for download by the applicant.

Navigation

  1. Commercial Plan Review Process Overview
  2. Pre-submittal Meeting
  3. Prerequisites and Options
  4. Applications and Fees
  5. Gateway Review
  6. Detailed Plan Review
  7. Plan Approval and Archiving
  8. Driveway Permits
  9. Building Permits
  10. Construction Phase
  11. Certificate of Occupancy
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