County Road Vacation Petition Application

What is a road vacation?

A road vacation removes the public interest in a County road right-of-way and relinquishes the property to the abutting property owners.

The right-of-way is vacated by county resolution after review of the petition to vacate by the County Road Engineer and a public hearing by the Board of County Commissioners.

How is a road vacation process started?

Property owners of a majority of the frontage on any county right-of-way may file a petition to vacate all or a portion of the right-of-way.

What to file

The process of a road vacation is started by submitting the following to the Garfield County Board of Commissioners:

• A formal letter, for petition to vacate a county road and application for the vacation of a County Road.
• A drawing or map of the area to be vacated showing the property owned by each petitioner.

Where to file

Garfield County Public Works

300 South 19th Street

Pomeroy, WA 99347

How long does it take?

A typical road vacation can take two to four months to complete.  However, the process involves a number of parties and many issues can arise during the process that may take additional time to resolve.

Who gets the property?

Vacated property returns to its historic origin.  This typically means that each property abutting the vacated right-of-way usually receives half of the vacated right-of-way.

How do I get more information?

• You can email questions to: info@co.garfield.wa.us
• RCW 36.87: Road Vacation

Can every road be vacated?

Not every road can be vacated.  Some right-of-way is needed for continued or future public use and some right-of-way cannot be vacated by law.  If you have questions about a particular road or right-of-way, contact us and we can discuss your situation.