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

Inglewood Municipal Code § 10-45 makes it unlawful to place, store, or park materials, a rubbish bin, or construction equipment, or to install any improvement, in the public rights-of-way anywhere in the City without first obtaining a permit from the Public Works Director. Wireless telecommunications facilities are carved out into their own track: installing one without a separate wireless telecommunications permit under Chapter 10, Article 18 is unlawful even if a general encroachment permit exists. The section also exempts temporary merchandise displays that comply with § 12-77.11, so a sidewalk vendor operating within that provision doesn't need a separate encroachment permit for the display itself.

Section 10-46 sets the standard encroachment permit fee at whatever amount the Master Fee Schedule specifies for each item encroaching on the right-of-way. Outdoor restaurants get their own fee track under § 10-46.1: a nonrefundable $250 fee due to the Public Works Department for each outdoor restaurant encroachment permit, renewed annually, plus a separate refundable $250 security deposit held by the City for the life of the permit and applicable to repair, damage, or vandalism tied to the outdoor restaurant's use of the sidewalk. That fee only becomes payable after the Committee on Permits and Licenses approves the outdoor restaurant request. The Public Works Director can immediately suspend an outdoor restaurant's sidewalk use under § 10-46.2 if it conflicts with street or utility work, repairs, construction, or an emergency; a suspension lasting more than five consecutive days entitles the operator to request a pro-rata refund of the annual fee. The Committee on Permits and Licenses can also suspend or revoke an outdoor restaurant permit under § 10-46.3 for repeated Code violations, following the same procedure used for business license suspensions in §§ 8-46 through 8-47.

Because § 10-45 is on the § 1-18.1(a) infraction list, encroaching on the right-of-way without a permit is an infraction, not a misdemeanor.