Calaveras County, CA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permitting agency
- County road commissioner
- Fee
- Set by board of supervisors resolution
- Deposit
- Cash or certified check before issuance
- Work start deadline
- 90 days from issuance
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine, 180 days jail
- Appeal
- To board of supervisors after hearing
- Coverage
- Unincorporated county only, not Angels Camp
Summary
Calaveras County requires a written encroachment permit before anyone builds, digs, plants, dumps, or parks a structure within a public right-of-way in the unincorporated county. The road commissioner issues permits, sets fees, and can require a cash deposit; work must start within ninety days. Violating the encroachment ordinance is a misdemeanor punishable by up to $500 and 180 days in jail, with each day a separate offense.
It is unlawful for any person, firm, corporation or association, without first obtaining a written permit, to encroach or to make or cause to be made any encroachment of any nature whatever within, upon, over or under the limits of any right-of-way in the unincorporated territory of the county, or to make or cause to be made any alteration of any nature within, upon, over or under such right-of-way; or to construct, put upon, maintain or leave thereon, or to cause to be constructed, put upon, maintained or left thereon, any obstruction or impediment of any nature whatever. ... Any person, firm, corporation or other body or association of persons who violates this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor and is punishable by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars, or by imprisonment in the county jail for a period of not more than one hundred eighty days, or by both.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 12.08 defines an "encroachment" broadly: excavating, erecting a post, sign, fence or structure, planting anything, dumping material, running a culvert or pipe, an oversized vehicle, lighting a fire, or any structure adjacent to a right-of-way that will interfere with it (§ 12.08.030). Section 12.08.040 makes any such act unlawful without a written permit issued by the road commissioner. Applicants file a form with the road commissioner and attach a map, plat or diagram identifying the work (§§ 12.08.100, 12.08.110), and obtain the written consent of any utility, sanitary or water district with jurisdiction over the site (§ 12.08.120).
Fees are set by board of supervisors resolution, and applicants must deposit cash or a certified check before the permit is effective, refundable annually for repeat filers (§§ 12.08.130, 12.08.200); county contractors are exempt from the fee and bond requirement (§ 12.08.090), and county employees acting in their official duties are exempt from the chapter entirely (§ 12.08.080). Work must begin within ninety days of issuance or the permit becomes void, and continuing-use permits run for one year unless the permit says otherwise (§ 12.08.140).
Permits must be kept at the job site or in the cab of a vehicle and shown to the road commissioner or a law enforcement officer on demand (§ 12.08.160), are non-transferable (§ 12.08.170), and cannot be changed without written authorization (§ 12.08.180). A denied applicant may appeal to the board of supervisors, which must find substantial damage from the refusal, no other reasonable method available, and no detriment to public safety before granting it (§ 12.08.400). This chapter governs only the unincorporated county; Angels Camp, the county's one incorporated city, administers its own encroachment rules.
Violations & Fines
Encroaching without a permit, or violating a permit's terms, is a misdemeanor under § 12.08.410, punishable by a fine of up to $500, up to 180 days in county jail, or both, with each day the encroachment continues charged as a separate offense. The road commissioner can also cancel a permit for lack of diligence, restore the right-of-way, and bill the permittee for the cost plus a fifteen percent administrative surcharge under § 12.08.150.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to put a driveway culvert in the county right-of-way?
How long do I have to start work once the county issues my encroachment permit?
What happens if I encroach on a county right-of-way without a permit?
Can I appeal if the county denies my encroachment permit application?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Calaveras County
California rules heatmap·Compare Calaveras County to another location·View the California sidewalk & pedestrian rules overview
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