Palmdale, CA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing ordinance
- PMC § 12.08.010, adopting LA County Highway Permit Ordinance
- Permitting official
- Director of Public Works ('Commissioner')
- Adopted county code
- LA County Code Title 16, Division 1
- Insurance minimum
- $1,000,000 combined single limit
- Default penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine, 6 months jail
Summary
Placing any structure in a Palmdale street, alley or sidewalk right-of-way requires an encroachment permit under the City's adopted Highway Permit Ordinance. Municipal Code Section 12.08.010 adopts the Los Angeles County highway permit ordinance by reference, with the Director of Public Works standing in for the County's 'Commissioner' and City Council for the Board of Supervisors.
Except as provided in this chapter, the highway permit ordinance of the County of Los Angeles, as set forth in Title 16, Division 1 of the Los Angeles County Code, as amended by Los Angeles County Ordinance No. 88-0056 and in effect on April 26, 1988, is adopted by reference and shall become the highway permit ordinance of the City of Palmdale. ... No person shall place, affix, erect, construct, or maintain a newspaper dispensing device which in whole or in part rests upon, in or over any public right-of-way without first obtaining an encroachment permit from the director in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter.
Full Breakdown
010 adopts 'the highway permit ordinance of the County of Los Angeles, as set forth in Title 16, Division 1 of the Los Angeles County Code, as amended by Los Angeles County Ordinance No. 88-0056 and in effect on April 26, 1988,' as Palmdale's own highway permit ordinance, and keeps a copy on file with the City Clerk. ' Anyone placing a driveway approach, wall, temporary structure or other private improvement in a public street, alley, parkway or sidewalk therefore applies to the Director of Public Works under that adopted county ordinance.
030 replaces it in its entirety. Under the rewritten chapter, no dispensing device may rest on, in or over a public right-of-way without an encroachment permit from the Director, the application must include a dimensioned site map, an indemnification agreement and evidence of a current business license, and the permittee must carry public liability insurance of at least $1,000,000, non-cancellable without 30 days' written notice to the City, before the permit issues. A permit expires if the device is not installed within 30 days of issuance.
Violations & Fines
A permittee who fails to file for an encroachment permit, or to bring an existing encroachment into conformance after an amendment, is in violation of Chapter 16.24 and subject to removal and impoundment of the device after written notice. Violations of the adopted highway permit ordinance generally carry the Municipal Code's default misdemeanor penalty of up to $1,000 and six months in County Jail under PMC Section 1.12.020, with each day of a continuing encroachment charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to place something in Palmdale's public right-of-way?
Who reviews encroachment permit applications in Palmdale?
What insurance does an encroachment permit require?
What happens if I encroach without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Palmdale
California rules heatmap·Compare Palmdale 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.