Folsom, CA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- Administrative authority (city manager or designee)
- Historic district exception
- Existing cornices, eaves, overhangs (Ch. 17.52)
- Violation level
- Level D administrative violation
- Appeal deadline
- 10 calendar days to city council
- Security required
- Cash deposit or surety bond
- Utility permits
- Issued yearly, repairs and trouble-locating only
Summary
Folsom bans placing or maintaining any structure, excavation, or obstruction on a public sidewalk, street, or other public property without an encroachment permit under Section 12.20.040, with narrow exceptions for pre-existing historic-district overhangs and encroachments that predate the ordinance.
It is unlawful for any person to place, erect or maintain, or to permit the placement, erection, maintenance or existence of any encroachment upon, over or under any public property without an encroachment permit with the following exceptions: A. Existing cornices, eaves, porticos and overhangs within the historic district, as defined in Chapter 17.52 of the Folsom Municipal Code. B. Any existing encroachments in the city on the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter, until such time as repairs/refurbishments effecting fifty percent or more of the encroaching structure’s value and/or size are accomplished. At that time an encroachment permit shall be obtained.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 1369, passed April 28, 2026).
Full Breakdown
020 defines "encroachment" broadly to include going upon or under public property, or placing any facility, or using public property in a way that prevents, obstructs, or interferes with its use, expressly listing buildings, fences, signs, trees, plants, and construction material among covered items, and "public property" expressly includes sidewalks, streets, alleys, and rights-of-way. 040 makes it unlawful to place, erect, or maintain any such encroachment without a permit from the administrative authority, the city manager or a designated representative. 52, and encroachments already in place when the ordinance took effect, which can stay until repairs or refurbishment reach fifty percent of the structure's value or size, at which point a permit becomes required.
100 covering the city's administrative, plan-check, and inspection costs. 120 requires the permittee to indemnify the city and, where the administrative authority deems it necessary, carry insurance. 280.
Violations & Fines
A violation of the encroachment chapter is an administrative violation under Section 12.20.310, classified as a Level D violation with the monetary sanction range set in Section 1.09.012(A)(4). Before any fine, suspension, or other enforcement action, the administrative authority must first serve a notice to abate or correct under Section 12.20.320, and unpermitted encroachments left in place after written notice to remove must come out at the owner's expense under Section 12.20.290, with denied or contested permits appealable to the city council within ten calendar days under Section 12.20.270.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to put something in the sidewalk right-of-way in Folsom?
Are there any exceptions to Folsom's encroachment permit rule?
What happens if I build without an encroachment permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Folsom
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Encroachment Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sacramento County handle encroachment permits.