Right of way services for local governments

We provide oversight to local agencies acquiring right of way (ROW) on federally funded transportation projects. We offer technical support, training, and compliance reviews to ensure acquiring, managing, and disposing of real estate is consistent with state/federal regulations and with the Uniform Relocation Act.

This information is specific to local public agencies, for WSDOT specific right of way questions, please visit real estate services.

Manuals and regulations

Local Agency Guidelines (LAG) manual chapter 25 - right of way procedures (PDF 984KB) – guidance for acquiring ROW in accordance with federal/state requirements. Information on specific federal/state laws and regulations pertaining to acquisition of real property and relocation assistance can be found by clicking the hyperlinks provided throughout the chapter.
WSDOT right-of-way manual (M 26-01) – guidance on statewide policies and standards for real estate transactions to both internal and external customers.

Federal manuals and guidance

Project development guide – designed to provide information necessary to complete a typical federal-aid highway ROW project using plain talk and a common sense approach.
Real estate acquisition guide for local public agencies – this guide is intended to serve a basic reference for local public agencies receiving federal-aid highway funds for projects involved in acquisition of real property.
FHWA panel discussion video (MP4 150MB)– a FHWA panel discussion designed to give managers, directors, and project engineers of local agencies a brief overview of what is required to meet the Uniform Act and preserve federal funds. You may need to download this file first, before playing it back on your computer.

Right-of-way clarification and guidance

Local Agency Certification & Compliance Report (PDF 700KB) - 2025 – this document is used when non-compliance issues are found during certification reviews. It outlines the most common conditions that must be met, possible corrective actions (where applicable), and the levels of approval required for each corrective action.
Encroachment Guidance (PDF 161KB) - February 2024 – this guidance has been released to create uniformity in the handling of encroachments. This guidance will be incorporated into Chapter 25 of the LAG during the next manual update.
FHWA temporary waiver of methodology for calculating replacement housing payment for negative equity (PDF 347KB) - January 2020 – provides guidance to agencies who run into negative equity situations when acquiring property for federal-aid projects. The guidance outlines criteria that must be met and the process to be followed so a payoff to a lender that is greater than the value of the home does not negatively affect the property owner’s replacement housing payment.
Guidance on payment available date (PDF 161KB) - March 2016 – this guidance supplements Chapter 6 of the Right-of-Way Manual and provides examples of situations that meet the definition of the “payment available date”.