Chino Hills, CA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit authority
- City Engineer / Director
- Permit term
- Up to 90 days
- Minimum undertaking
- $1,000 in lieu of deposit
- Transferable
- No
- Governing chapter
- CHMC Chapter 12.12
Summary
Anyone who wants to excavate, build, or place a structure, obstruction, or banner in a Chino Hills street right-of-way needs an Encroachment Permit from the City Engineer under Municipal Code Chapter 12.12. Permits require fees, engineering deposits, and expire after 90 days unless extended.
A.A permit is required and may be issued by the Director, as provided in this chapter, authorizing the permittee to do any of the following acts:1.Make or cause to be made any excavation or opening, fill or obstruction in, over, along, on, across, or through any highway for any purpose;2.Construct, repair, or cause to be constructed or repaired any sidewalk, gutter, driveway, highway surface, retaining wall, storm drain, culvert, pipeline, waterline, sewer, or work of any nature, or place, change, or renew an encroachment in, over, along, on, across, or through any highway;...4.Placements of any structure, object, obstruction, material, and/or banner over, across, on, or along any highway;...
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 61).
Full Breakdown
CHMC § 12.12.010(A) requires a permit before any person may excavate, obstruct, or fill a city highway; construct or repair a sidewalk, driveway, curb, storm drain, or other appurtenant structure; move a building across a street; place a structure, object, obstruction, material, or banner along a highway; or remove or plant vegetation within the right-of-way. The city calls this document an 'Encroachment Permit' (§ 12.12.080). Applications go to the Director in writing (§ 12.12.020), and the City Engineer may attach conditions necessary to protect the highway or prevent interference with traffic (§ 12.12.030).
Alongside the permit issuance fee set by City Council resolution, applicants must post a specific deposit equal to the estimated engineering and inspection cost, or in lieu of a deposit, file an undertaking with the City Engineer of not less than $1,000 under Code of Civil Procedure Sections 1056 and 1057 (§ 12.20.030). Permits are valid up to 90 days from the date signed and are non-transferable (§§ 12.12.050, 12.12.060). The City Engineer may deny or revoke a permit to protect public safety or city interests, or for noncompliance (§ 12.12.070), and may waive the permit requirement only for an emergency or a capital improvement project (§ 12.12.080). No permit is required to remove a tree already permitted for removal under the separate City-Owned Trees chapter (§ 12.12.010(D)).
Violations & Fines
Doing permit-required work, including placing an obstruction or banner in the right-of-way, without first obtaining an Encroachment Permit is a misdemeanor under CHMC § 12.12.090, punishable under Section 1.36.020 by up to a $1,000 fine, six months in county jail, or both. Each day the unpermitted encroachment continues is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to place a dumpster or banner in the street?
How long is a Chino Hills encroachment permit good for?
What happens if I do the work without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chino Hills
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Encroachment Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle encroachment permits.