Lakewood, CA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing ordinance
- LA County Highway Permit Ordinance, adopted by § 7100
- Local administrator
- Superintendent of Streets (Director of Public Works)
- Adoption date
- County ordinance effective Oct. 26, 1981
- Fees
- Set by City Council or, by default, County Board
- Records
- 3 copies kept on file with City Clerk
Summary
Excavating, building, or otherwise encroaching on a Lakewood street, highway, or right-of-way requires a permit under the City's adopted Highway Permit Ordinance, administered locally by the Superintendent of Streets (the Director of Public Works), with fees set by City Council resolution or, by default, the County Board of Supervisors.
The City Council does hereby find that... the Highway Permit Ordinance of the County of Los Angeles, as adopted May 28, 1940, and thereafter amended from time to time, effective October 26, 1981... is hereby adopted and made a part hereof as though fully set forth in this Chapter, with the amendments hereinafter set forth. The same shall hereafter constitute the Highway Permit Ordinance of the City of Lakewood, regulating street excavation and construction, highway encroachments and house moving, and requiring permits therefor, including the payment of fees.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4901715; v5 updated 2026-04-28; through 04-28-2026).
Full Breakdown
Lakewood Municipal Code § 7100 adopts the Los Angeles County Highway Permit Ordinance, originally approved May 28, 1940 and effective in its current form October 26, 1981, as the City's own regulatory scheme for street excavation and construction, highway encroachments, and house moving, including the permits required and the fees charged for them. The City incorporated it wholesale by Resolution No. 83-95 on August 9, 1983, excluding only the county's newsrack provisions, and keeps three copies on file with the City Clerk for public inspection.
21 as the Director of Public Works, who administers permits locally rather than the County Road Commissioner. Section 7102 lets the City Council set its own issuance fees and other charges for Highway Permit Ordinance work; where the Council has not acted, the fees set by the County Board of Supervisors apply by default, and security posted for permitted work is held as City funds even though it may later be transferred to the County under a services agreement. Section 7103 layers city-specific amendments onto the county text, including minimum trench cover depths for pipelines and conduits in local streets versus master plan highways, and specifications for underground cable TV and telephone conduits.
Where the adopted county ordinance conflicts with an amendment in this Article, the Article controls; where it conflicts with the rest of the Lakewood Municipal Code generally, the Municipal Code controls.
Violations & Fines
Work in the public right-of-way without a Highway Permit Ordinance permit, or work that departs from an issued permit's conditions, is enforced by the Superintendent of Streets (Director of Public Works); unpermitted excavation, construction, or encroachment can be ordered stopped or removed at the responsible party's expense, and violations of the Municipal Code carry the § 1200 misdemeanor penalty of a fine up to the state maximum, up to six months in jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to dig up the street or sidewalk in Lakewood?
Who issues encroachment and excavation permits in Lakewood?
How are Lakewood's encroachment permit fees set?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lakewood
California rules heatmap·Compare Lakewood to another location·View the California sidewalk & pedestrian rules overview
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Encroachment Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle encroachment permits.