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

Sec. 202 makes it unlawful to lay, construct or repair a curb, sidewalk, gutter, driveway, roadway surface, retaining wall, storm drain or culvert in, over, along, across or through any "highway", defined in Sec. 200 as any public street, way or place acquired by the city, without first obtaining a permit from the director of public works. The application must state the location, nature and extent of the work, the materials to be used, and a traffic control plan if the work touches an arterial highway (Sec.

208); the director can require plan changes needed to protect the right-of-way or traffic safety (Sec. 210). Applicants pay processing, engineering and inspection fees set by council resolution (Sec. 212), and public agencies filing a written guarantee of costs are exempt from the deposit and, under Government Code § 6103, from the issuance fee (Sec. 204). 50 final-inspection charge (Sec. 214), while the director caps chargeable overhead at 15 percent of actual engineering and inspection cost. A permittee has 60 days from permit issuance to commence work and must then diligently finish it, or the director may cancel the permit (Secs.

226). At least 48 hours before starting, the permittee must notify the director in writing of the day, hour and location work will begin (Sec. 236), and must maintain CALTRANS-standard warning signs and devices throughout the project (Sec. 238). If the city's cost of the work exceeds the deposit, the permittee must pay the excess within 15 days of demand or the city may sue to recover it, and no further permits issue until paid (Sec. 216).