Calaveras County, CA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permitting agency
- County road commissioner
- Fee
- Set by board of supervisors resolution
- Deposit
- Cash or certified check before issuance
- Work start deadline
- 90 days from issuance
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine, 180 days jail
- Appeal
- To board of supervisors after hearing
- Coverage
- Unincorporated county only, not Angels Camp
Summary
Calaveras County requires a written encroachment permit before anyone builds, digs, plants, dumps, or parks a structure within a public right-of-way in the unincorporated county. The road commissioner issues permits, sets fees, and can require a cash deposit; work must start within ninety days. Violating the encroachment ordinance is a misdemeanor punishable by up to $500 and 180 days in jail, with each day a separate offense.
It is unlawful for any person, firm, corporation or association, without first obtaining a written permit, to encroach or to make or cause to be made any encroachment of any nature whatever within, upon, over or under the limits of any right-of-way in the unincorporated territory of the county, or to make or cause to be made any alteration of any nature within, upon, over or under such right-of-way; or to construct, put upon, maintain or leave thereon, or to cause to be constructed, put upon, maintained or left thereon, any obstruction or impediment of any nature whatever. ... Any person, firm, corporation or other body or association of persons who violates this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor and is punishable by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars, or by imprisonment in the county jail for a period of not more than one hundred eighty days, or by both.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
030). 040 makes any such act unlawful without a written permit issued by the road commissioner. 120). 080). 140). 180). 400). This chapter governs only the unincorporated county; Angels Camp, the county's one incorporated city, administers its own encroachment rules.
Violations & Fines
Encroaching without a permit, or violating a permit's terms, is a misdemeanor under § 12.08.410, punishable by a fine of up to $500, up to 180 days in county jail, or both, with each day the encroachment continues charged as a separate offense. The road commissioner can also cancel a permit for lack of diligence, restore the right-of-way, and bill the permittee for the cost plus a fifteen percent administrative surcharge under § 12.08.150.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to put a driveway culvert in the county right-of-way?
How long do I have to start work once the county issues my encroachment permit?
What happens if I encroach on a county right-of-way without a permit?
Can I appeal if the county denies my encroachment permit application?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Calaveras County
California rules heatmap·Compare Calaveras County to another location·View the California sidewalk & pedestrian rules overview
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