Hemet, CA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)

Section 66-4(a) bars anyone from making an improvement or placing any substance, article, material, or structure of any kind on any part of the public right-of-way in Hemet without first obtaining an encroachment permit from the department of public works. The application has to include the applicant's name and address, the address and a general description of the property, and a description of exactly what's being placed and precisely where. The department decides whether to grant or refuse the permit; if it refuses, the applicant has the right to take the matter to the city council for a final determination, so a public works denial isn't the last word.

Subsection (b) carves out true emergencies: a facility that's already installed can be repaired or replaced without a permit in hand first, if the work is done in the good-faith belief it's needed to protect life or property, but the applicant still has to notify the city in writing the first business day after the work and apply for the permit itself the second business day after.

For utilities and franchisees doing high volumes of work in the right-of-way, subsection (c) lets the public works director issue an annual blanket permit instead of a permit for every dig. A blanket permit holder still has to conform to its terms; the director can revoke it for a violation and force the permittee back to individual permits and fees for every excavation. Subsection (d) subjects every encroachment and blanket permit to any street moratorium the city adopts, though emergency work is expressly excluded from a moratorium's restrictions and can proceed without delay.