Access Permit

CALL BEFORE YOU DIG! IT'S THE LAW!

For Buried and Overhead Utilities 
Call 1-800-922-1987 or 811

Utility Notification Center of Colorado 

10 Business Day Review Period Once All Required Documentation is Submitted

Larimer County regulates access to county roads to maintain safe traffic flow, road drainage facilities, and efficient use of the County's roads. An access is defined as any driveway that provides vehicular access to or from any County right-of-way. Requirements for accesses can be found in the Urban Area Street Standards for areas included in city urban growth areas, and Rural Area Road Standards for rural properties. Complete and accurate information is what is most needed for your permit to be quickly processed.

Access permits are good for 90 days. To schedule an inspection, or request an extension, please call (970) 498-5709.

Please apply for your permit through the online portal. Instructions are provided below.  Traffic Control Plans (TCPs) should be submitted with a Traffic Control Plan Approval form attached.

Online Portal
Apply or view permits
User Instructions for
Online Portal
Traffic Control
Plan Approval
Fillable PDF

If you are not able to apply using the online portal, please email a request for the fillable PDF application form. ** Please note that due to high work volume staff will respond to your request within two (2) business days. Staff appreciates your understanding and will get back to you as soon as possible.

An Access Permit is required for any access onto a

  • mainline (numbered) county roads
  • county maintained subdivision roads
  • improvement district roads
  • a change in use of an existing access (as defined in the Urban Area Street Standards, and the Rural Area Road Standards) onto any of the above described roads (i.e. changing a field access to residential access, etc.)

An Access Permit is not required for any access onto

  • non-county maintained roads

Identify these roads

Larimer County: Road Information Locator

  • "Layers" tab: select the "Road Info" button
  • "Visualization Options": select "Owned By"
  • Done

Required documentation includes

  • application
  • a clear site plan
  • insurance (contact Risk Management with questions at (970) 498-7361)
  • traffic control plan (TCP), developed and implemented by a certified traffic control company

Access types and requirements

At a minimum, Larimer County requires an all-weather surface, within the rights-of-way, on all accesses. This type of surface includes road base, recycled asphalt, recycled concrete, asphalt, and concrete and is determined by the surfacing of the roadway you will take access from.

Diagram detailing driveway construction elements, including driveway width, culvert radius, gate setback, and apron. The diagram shows the apron area where the driveway meets the roadway, the radius of the culvert for drainage, and the distance required for the gate setback from the edge of asphalt..
Click above for larger image

 

The Urban Area Street Standards and Rural Area Road Standards are the documents that control access construction in Larimer County rights-of-way.

  • Urban Area Street Standards, Chapter 9
  • Rural Area Roads Standards, Chapter 10   

 


Access Use

Access     
Width (X)


Radius

Access     
Width (Y)

Gate     
Setback

Culvert     
Diameter

Culvert     
Length

Access     
Unpaved Road

Access Apron     
Paved Road

Single Family     
Residential

16' - 24'

15' - 20'

56' - 64'

50' Min.

15" Min.

Double     
Access Width

Aggregate*

4' Min.

Multi-Family/     
Small Commercial

24' - 36'

20' - 35'

64' - 75'

50' Min.

15" Min.

Double     
Access Width

Aggregate*

4' Min.

Large Commercial

35. - 50'

50'+

**

**

**

**

**

**

*Aggregate material meeting Class 5 Aggregate Base specifications.     
**Determined during development review process

Access Permit Fees

Permit TypeFee
Residential (1-2 Homes)

$50.00

Agricultural (Field Access)

$50.00

Residential (More than 2 Homes) Without Road Improvements

$100.00

Commercial or Major Agricultural Without Road Improvements

$100.00

Major Access - Any Access Requiring Road Improvements (additional driving lanes, shoulders, or intersection changes, etc).

$300.00

FAQs

  Expand All   Collapse All
  1. Can I get an access permit before I apply for a building permit?

    Yes. Access permits are frequently issued prior to a building permit being requested. Because an access permit is often a requirement for getting a building permit, retaining your copy of the access permit is very important to avoid being charged for another one.

  2. Can I build the access myself?

    Yes. However, the insurance requirement mentioned above applies to work done by the property owner as well as work done by a contractor.

  3. What contractor can I use?

    There are many qualified contractors in our area. The phone book, Better Business Bureau, and referrals from others are three good ways to choose a contractor. Larimer County doesn't have a "list" of contractor's names that can be given.

Permits

Attn Permits
Larimer County Engineering Department
200 West Oak Street, Suite 3000
P.O. Box 1190
Fort Collins, CO 80522-1190

(970) 498-5709  |  email