Pico Rivera, CA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit authority
- City engineer, under the Street Permit Ordinance
- Covers
- Excavations, curb/sidewalk work, overhead structures, other encroachments
- Rule
- Stop work and apply before starting (Section 12.08.020)
- Transfer
- Permits are nontransferable (Section 12.12.120)
- Violation
- City engineer can revoke permit (Section 12.12.070)
- Code-wide penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 fine or 6 months jail
Summary
In the City of Pico Rivera, private work that touches a public street, including excavations, curb or sidewalk cuts, overhead structures, or any other encroachment, needs a permit from the city engineer before work starts. Pico Rivera Municipal Code Sections 12.04.020 and 12.08.020 require the permit up front, and Section 12.04.100 defines the encroachments the rule covers.
§ 12.04.020. Applicability of provisions. Every person, except as otherwise provided in this Division I and Chapters 12.36 and 12.40 of this title, is required to obtain a permit from the city engineer before he: ... ... B. Makes or causes to be made any excavation or encroachment in any street; C. Places, changes or renews an encroachment; ... ... § 12.04.100. Encroachment. "Encroachment" means and includes any obstruction, tower, pole, pole line, pipe, fence, wire, cable, conduit, stand or building, or any structure or object of any kind or character not particularly mentioned in this Division I and Chapters 12.36 and 12.40 of this title, which is placed in, along, under, over or across the street. ... ... § 12.08.020. Permit—Required. Any person who shall commence any work for which a permit is required by Division I and Chapters 12.36 and 12.40 of this title without first having obtained a permit therefor shall stop and apply for such permit. ... ... § 12.12.070. Additional requirements. ... If any of the requirements of the permit are violated, the city engineer may revoke the permit and require that a new permit be secured before further work is done.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 12.04, the city's 'Street Permit Ordinance,' lists the private activities that trigger a city engineer permit before anyone touches the public right-of-way: making or causing an excavation or encroachment in a street, placing, changing, or renewing an encroachment, building or repairing curbs, gutters, sidewalks, driveways, pavement, or retaining walls, and building or maintaining an overhead structure. Section 12.04.100 defines 'encroachment' broadly to reach any obstruction, tower, pole, pipe, fence, wire, cable, conduit, stand, building, or other structure or object placed in, along, under, over, or across a street, other than routine maintenance of an already-permitted item.
Section 12.08.020 backs the permit requirement with a stop-work rule: anyone who starts work needing a permit without first getting one must stop and apply for it. Once issued, the permit is not just paperwork; Section 12.12.070 lets the city engineer attach conditions covering equipment, backfill, compaction, paving, traffic control, work hours, flaggers, lighting, and inspection notice directly to the permit, and violating those conditions lets the city engineer revoke the permit outright and require a brand-new one before work can resume. Permits issued under this chapter are nontransferable under Section 12.12.120, and issuance fees are set by city council resolution and are nonrefundable under Section 12.12.180.
The city engineer administers the program and can refuse a permit outright if the proposed work is not in the best interest of the general public under Section 12.12.100.
Violations & Fines
Starting excavation, curb work, or any other right-of-way encroachment without first getting the city engineer's permit violates Section 12.08.020's stop-work rule. Breaching a permit condition lets the city engineer revoke it under Section 12.12.070 and demand a new application before work resumes. Because this chapter falls under the general code, an unpermitted encroachment is also a misdemeanor under Section 1.20.010, carrying a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both, with lesser $100 to $500 escalating fines if reduced to an infraction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to dig up part of the street in Pico Rivera?
What counts as an encroachment under Pico Rivera's code?
Can the city revoke my encroachment permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pico Rivera
California rules heatmap·Compare Pico Rivera 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.