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

RMC 11.04.070 requires an encroachment permit before anyone excavates, constructs improvements, grades, or otherwise encroaches within a Rialto public right-of-way, and the permit has to stay valid and in force for the life of the work. The rule reaches private signs, awnings, decorative planter boxes and similar facilities placed in the right-of-way, distinct from the construction, street opening and utility pole permits covered elsewhere in Chapter 11.04. Every contractor, subcontractor or worker in the right-of-way must also follow the city's street work zone safety rules adopted under Resolution No. 4938.

Getting the permit means filing a written application with the city engineer, per RMC 11.04.072, along with proof of a bond and liability insurance satisfactory to the city engineer under RMC 11.04.071. The applicant has to show a genuine need for the right-of-way, that the use won't harm public health, safety or welfare, and that all state and federal permits are already in hand, per RMC 11.04.073. Fees are set by council resolution under RMC 11.04.160, and if work starts before the permit issues, that fee doubles, on top of whatever other penalty applies.

Skipping the permit or breaking its terms carries real teeth. RMC 11.04.074 lets the city engineer revoke a permit for false information or noncompliance, and bars the permittee from getting another encroachment permit for a full year. Willfully ignoring a request to maintain traffic control devices in the work zone is a misdemeanor with up to six months in jail or a $1,000 fine, or both. A denied, fee-disputed or revoked permit can be appealed to the planning commission within ten days, and from there to the city council within another ten days, under RMC 11.04.077.