Jackson County Road Commission


Permits

 Permit Fees 
 Driveway Permit 
 One Move Only Permit 
 Annual Blanket Move Permit 
 Right-Of-Way Application/Permit 

Property Owner Rights in the Road Right-Of-Way
Other than for highway travel purposes, any activity within, or use of, the right-of-way along roads under the jurisdiction of the Jackson County Road Commission is subject to a review and permitting process.

This review and permit process has been established to help ensure safe travel on roads in Jackson County by discouraging those activities or objects that may create a hazard. The process controls those activities that may interfere with snow removal, road maintenance, drainage or future road improvement projects as well.

Permits will not be issued where a reasonable alternative exists outside of the road right-of-way. The Road Commission reserves the right to remove, at owner’s expense, non-permitted items placed or constructed within the road right-of-way.

Permitted activities include, and are not limited to the following:
  • New or modifications to existing driveways
  • Roads to access existing driveways
  • Utilities
  • Tree and brush removal
  • Seismographic exploration
  • Oversize and/or overweight loads
Activities not permitted include, and not limited to: The placement of signs, fences, retaining walls, sprinkler systems, landscaping rocks/stones/boulders, berms, trees/shrubs/bushes, lighting, structures, septic tanks/drainfields/wells or any other item the Road Commission considers hazardous.

Mailboxes are allowed within the right-of-way without a permit and must be installed in a manner to minimize any traffic hazard. Property owners should consult their local post office for postal standards for installation regarding height and distance from the road. It is suggested that the actual structure be a single mailbox installed on a single “breakaway” post. To minimize the possibility of liability should an errant vehicle strike the structure, mailbox owners must resist the urge to reinforce or strengthen the post.

The road right-of-way is generally 66 feet (33 feet on either side of the centerline of the road). Rights-of-way may be narrower or wider in certain situations. Before proceeding with any activity along a Jackson County road, please contact the Jackson County Road Commission to verify the right-of-way and whether a permit is required. To prevent serious injury or damage, property owners must call MISS DIG at (800) 482-7171 to locate and mark any buried facility such as gas, electric, telephone, cable television, and other communication lines that may be in the construction area.

Your cooperation will help keep our roadsides free of obstacles and hazards and ensure safer travel and more efficient maintenance on the roads in Jackson County. Please contact the Jackson County Road Commission at 2400 North Elm Road, P. O. Box 1125, Jackson, MI 49204-1125, by telephone at (517) 788-4230 or e-mail at jcrc@jcrc-roads.org.