Ventura County, CA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)

Ventura County Ordinance Code Section 12200(a) makes it unlawful to do a long list of things in a county highway without first obtaining a permit from the Commissioner. Subsection (a)(1) covers making any encroachment at all, including any excavation, in any highway. Subsection (a)(2) reaches installations that already exist: placing, changing, or even renewing an existing encroachment requires a fresh permit, so the fact that something has stood in the right-of-way for years does not authorize touching it. Subsection (a)(3) then itemizes construction work: placing, constructing, or repairing any curb, gutter, sidewalk, driveway approach, pavement, base course, retaining wall, storm drain, culvert, pipe, conduit, cable, or other work of similar nature in, over, along, across, or through any highway.

The phrase 'in, over, along, across, or through' means the obligation is not limited to work at street level; overhead cables and under-street pipes and culverts are covered the same as a sidewalk panel. The repair language matters for homeowners: fixing a broken curb or a damaged driveway approach still requires a permit, because subsection (a)(3) lists repair alongside placement and construction. The permit program, adopted under Streets and Highways Code Division 2, also extends to utility work, fences, signs, landscaping, filming, and special events in the county right-of-way.