Dumpster permits on SCDOT state roads

A dumpster on your driveway or other private property usually needs no permit. On a state road, ask SCDOT before delivery: an SCDOT encroachment permit is a request for permission to work in SCDOT-maintained right-of-way, and SCDOT charges no fee for it.⁠¹

Nothing we have verified from SCDOT names a dumpster permit or says whether a dumpster on a state road needs an encroachment permit. That is SCDOT’s call.

Street placement may require permits depending on city or county requirements. When a permit is required, you get it. We do not apply for permits on your behalf.

Skip the permit

Private property is the clean way out. Driveway, yard, job site. A dumpster there usually needs no permit.

Two checks. If you have an HOA or POA, ask it before delivery. And the truck needs room: you are responsible for clear access at delivery and pickup. The dumpster in your driveway guide covers the setup.

Find out who owns your street

Do this before you call anyone. The town on your mailbox does not settle it. Mount Pleasant’s own FAQ splits the roads in town into Town-owned, state-owned (SCDOT) and Charleston County roads.⁠² North Charleston says many of its roads are under SCDOT jurisdiction.⁠³

Three ways to check:

1. Street Finder. SCDOT directs people to its free Street Finder tool at ris.scdot.org to find out whether a road is state-maintained.⁠⁴
2. Read the route number. SCDOT secondary road numbers combine the county number and a road number. In SCDOT’s county list, Charleston is 10, Berkeley is 8 and Dorchester is 18. A route marked S-10-xxx is a state secondary road in Charleston County.⁠⁵
3. Call. The SCDOT Customer Service Center, 1-855-GO-SCDOT, Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm.⁠⁴

State road: keep reading. Town street or county road: start with the town or county. The town-by-town dumpster permit pages say who to call. If yours is not listed, call your town or county.

Who issues it

On SCDOT-maintained right-of-way, SCDOT issues the encroachment permit.⁠¹ Ask SCDOT whether your dumpster needs one.

Check your town too. Some add rules on top of SCDOT’s.

• North Charleston. The City says work on SCDOT roads needs an SCDOT encroachment permit rather than a City permit.⁠³
• Summerville. On SCDOT-maintained roads inside Summerville, Code Sec. 30-188 requires a Town encroachment permit in addition to the SCDOT permit. The permittee must give the Town engineering office a copy of the approved SCDOT permit before work begins.⁠⁶ The Town takes encroachment permit applications online through its CitizenServe portal.⁠⁷
• City of Charleston. City Code Sec. 19-493(a) says no person or entity may place or maintain a dumpster on a right-of-way without first getting a dumpster permit. Sec. 19-492 defines right-of-way as any public street, highway, sidewalk, parkway or alley. The Department of Traffic and Transportation is the issuing authority for all dumpster permits.⁠⁸ City dumpster and street-blocking permits go through Traffic & Transportation (T&T) Permits, so on a state road inside city limits, ask T&T Permits.⁠⁹ The City of Charleston dumpster permit page has the details.

How to apply

You apply, not us.

1. Meet first. SCDOT strongly encourages a preliminary meeting with County or District staff before you apply.⁠¹⁰ To find that person, call the SCDOT maintenance office for your county, listed below, and ask who handles encroachment permits.
2. Apply online through EPPS Next. It is SCDOT’s online system for encroachment permit applications. EPPS Classic logins do not carry over. Register a new EPPS Next account.⁠¹¹
3. Get help with EPPS. For logging in or using the system, call 855-GO-SCDOT (855-467-2368) or 803-737-1200, Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.⁠¹⁰

If SCDOT asks for anything from the dumpster owner, call or text (843) 284-3707 before you apply.

We have no verified SCDOT processing time. Ask at the meeting. Get your answer before you book delivery.

What it costs

• SCDOT encroachment permit: no fee. SCDOT also charges no fee for its online permit processing system.⁠¹
• Town or county permit: ask that office what it charges.

Our side: $499 flat for a 15-yard dumpster with 7 days and up to 2 tons. Weight over that runs $85 per ton. Extra days run $10 per day.

Rules once it is on the street

If SCDOT issues a permit, follow what it says. We have no verified SCDOT placement checklist, and borrowing a city’s list is guessing.

The shoulder counts. SC Code § 57-7-210 makes it unlawful to willfully place obstructions on any highway, and defines highway to include the whole right-of-way, including shoulders and parking areas. Violations carry a fine of up to $100 per day, up to 30 days in jail, or both. The statute does not mention dumpsters or permits.⁠¹²

Keep access clear. The truck has to reach the dumpster at delivery and pickup. That is on you.

Who to call

• SCDOT maintenance, Charleston County: (843) 740-1655, 2401 Maintenance Way, North Charleston, SC 29406.⁠¹³
• SCDOT maintenance, Berkeley County: (843) 761-8481, 438 Highway 52 North, Moncks Corner, SC 29461.⁠¹³
• SCDOT maintenance, Dorchester County: (843) 563-3451, 5225 East Jim Bilton Boulevard, St. George, SC 29477.⁠¹³
• SCDOT Customer Service (is it a state road): 1-855-GO-SCDOT.⁠⁴
• EPPS help: 855-GO-SCDOT (855-467-2368) or 803-737-1200.⁠¹⁰
• City of Charleston T&T Permits: 843-724-7378, [email protected].⁠⁹
• Town of Summerville: 843-871-6000.⁠⁷
• RO RO Rentals (the dumpster): call or text (843) 284-3707.

Next step

Call or text (843) 284-3707 with the address and where you want the dumpster. Driveway or road, say which. Or request a quote online.

Veteran-owned and operated. CAGE 193Y7. SAM UEI WDR4NMF8JJF1. Our yard is at 105 Barrington Blvd, Goose Creek, and we run dumpsters across Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties.