Blaine, MN

Blaine takes a narrower view of when a driveway needs a city permit than many of its neighbors. Installing, replacing, or modifying a private driveway in its same footprint does not require a Right-of-Way permit, provided the work does not alter or modify the roadway surface or curbing. The trigger for a permit is touching the curb itself: any project that involves cutting or modifying the public curb requires a Right-of-Way permit through the city's Engineering Department before work can begin. Sealcoating an asphalt driveway and widening that doesn't disturb the curb are also exempt from a city permit, though zoning rules still apply.

The city's dimensional rules vary by zoning district and are written directly into city code. In R-1 and R-1AA zoning districts, the driveway must sit at least 3 feet from the adjacent property line. In AG, FR, RE, R-1A, and R-2 districts, the side setback increases to 5 feet. Driveway coverage is also capped: the total driveway cannot exceed 45% of the combined area of the front yard and corner side yard. The maximum driveway width beyond the public right-of-way is 36 feet. Inside the right-of-way, the maximum width is 24 feet for single-family lots with less than 70 feet of frontage, and 30 feet for larger lots. All driveways and approaches must be hard surface — concrete or blacktop only.

Applications go through the city's IMS portal at blainemn.gov/801. After review, the city emails the permit cost and payment instructions; once payment is received, plans are emailed back and inspections can be scheduled. Plan ahead: when scheduling inspections, allow at least 3 to 4 business days, and longer during the busy spring and summer construction months. The official Blaine fee schedule was updated effective January 1, 2026 and is published in full at blainemn.gov/feeschedule. Specific curb cut and ROW permit dollar amounts are listed there but change annually, so the safest move is to confirm the current fee with Engineering before applying.

For curb cut and right-of-way questions, the Engineering Department is at 10801 Town Square Drive NE, Blaine, MN 55449, with hours of Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The general engineering line is 763-785-6172. Building Inspections is reachable at 763-785-6170 (option 1 for residential scheduling); commercial permit and certificate-of-occupancy inquiries route to Jane Gough at 763-717-2765. For zoning questions about driveway construction rules, call Community Standards at 763-785-6146. One important caveat: both Anoka County and MnDOT control rights-of-way for county roads and state highways inside Blaine city limits. If your driveway connects to a county road or state highway rather than a city street, the city has no jurisdiction — you must contact Anoka County or MnDOT directly for their access permit.