Los Angeles, CA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Issuing agency
- Bureau of Engineering, Dept. of Public Works
- Permit type
- Revocable: cancelable if street use conflicts
- Base fee tiers
- Special Engineering, Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3
- Roadway dining fee
- $1,200 existing / $1,500 new applicants
- General penalty
- Up to $2,500 per day, unpermitted use
Summary
Anything private that sits in a Los Angeles public street or sidewalk right-of-way, a fence, planter, sign, or utility vault, needs a Revocable Permit from the Bureau of Engineering under LAMC § 62.118.2(a), issued only if the City Engineer finds it won't interfere with street use or public access.
(a) Revocable Permits. Where the City Engineer finds that a building, structure, or improvement maintained or proposed to be constructed within a public street will not interfere with the maintenance or use of the street, and is not intended for use by the public, the Bureau of Engineering may issue one or more permits for the maintenance or proposed construction of such building, structure, or improvement, or for an excavation in connection with such maintenance or construction. The Bureau shall charge and collect a fee to conduct an investigation to determine whether to issue a permit pursuant to the provisions of this section, and shall charge the respective fee as set forth in Section 61.16 of this Code depending on if no field investigation is required (Tier 1 fee) or if a field investigation is required (Tier 2 fee).
Full Breakdown
Because the structure sits on land the City owns or controls, the permit the Bureau of Engineering issues is revocable, not a property right, the City Engineer can require removal at any time if the encroachment starts interfering with the street's maintenance or public use. 15. Fees already paid at a lower tier are credited against a higher one if the scope grows mid-application. A separate fee schedule applies specifically to Revocable Permits for Roadway Dining Areas, $1,200 for operators who already held a temporary COVID-era Al Fresco dining authorization and $1,500 for new applicants, layered on top of the base investigation fee. 2 instead covers a structure or improvement that will simply occupy street space without itself being a public improvement.
Violations & Fines
Placing or keeping a structure in the public right-of-way without this permit is an unpermitted encroachment, which the Bureau of Engineering can order removed at the owner's expense at any time under the permit's revocable terms. Continuing an unpermitted encroachment is also a general Municipal Code violation: LAMC § 11.00(m) makes it a misdemeanor or infraction, with a civil penalty of up to $2,500 for each day it continues under § 11.00(l).
Frequently Asked Questions
Who issues an encroachment permit for a private structure in a Los Angeles street?
Can the City make me remove something once it's permitted in the right-of-way?
How much does a Revocable Permit for roadway dining cost in Los Angeles?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Los Angeles
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Encroachment Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle encroachment permits.