Glenn County, CA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit authority
- Public Works Director
- Violation
- Misdemeanor plus liability for county's costs
- Long-term permits
- Must be recorded with County Recorder
- Emergency work
- File permit next business day
- Adopted
- Ordinance 1329, June 4, 2024
Summary
In unincorporated Glenn County, you cannot place, dig, or display anything, an encroachment, excavation, sign, or new planting, in a county road right-of-way without a permit from the Public Works Director. Glenn County Code Section 15.12.010 makes unpermitted work a misdemeanor and holds the responsible person liable for the county's damages and cleanup costs.
It is unlawful to do any of the following acts in any county road right-of-way without first obtaining an encroachment permit from the Public Works Director: Make an opening or excavation for any purpose in any county roadway. Place, change or renew any encroachment in any county roadway. Place or display in, under or over any county roadway any kind of advertising sign or device. Plant, remove, cut, cut down, injure or destroy any tree, shrub, plant or flower growing within any county roadway. Any person who does any of the acts specified in this section without the authority of a permit is guilty of a misdemeanor and is liable to the county for all expenses and damages caused thereby.
Full Breakdown
010 of the Glenn County Code bars five specific acts in any county road right-of-way without an encroachment permit: opening or excavating the roadway, placing or renewing an encroachment, displaying an advertising sign or device over or under the road, and planting, cutting, or removing trees, shrubs, plants, or flowers growing within the roadway. Anyone who does these things without a permit is guilty of a misdemeanor and liable to the county for all expenses and damages caused. 030 can require a bond or surety, though public agencies and utilities are exempt unless they have already defaulted on a prior permit.
050, cover the county's inspection and supervision costs, including tree removal and underground utility work. 090 gives the Public Works Director authority to remove, or require removal of, any unpermitted encroachment in the right-of-way no matter how long it has been there. 090(C) requires that permit to be recorded with the County Recorder as an encumbrance on the parcel; an unrecorded long-term permit automatically terminates when the parcel changes hands. 070 if the county Public Works Department is closed, provided the permit application is filed the next business day. These provisions were adopted by Ordinance 1329 on June 4, 2024.
Violations & Fines
Doing any of the five listed acts, excavating, encroaching, posting signs, or disturbing roadside plantings, in the right-of-way without a permit is a misdemeanor under Section 15.12.010, and the violator owes the county for every expense and damage the unpermitted work causes. The Public Works Director can also order an unpermitted encroachment removed at any time, regardless of how long it has sat in the right-of-way, and can revoke an annual utility permit for noncompliance under Section 15.12.060.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to put a sign or fence in the county road right-of-way in unincorporated Glenn County?
What happens to an encroachment that has been there for years without a permit?
Are utility companies exempt from the encroachment permit fee?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Glenn County
California rules heatmap·Compare Glenn County to another location·View the California sidewalk & pedestrian rules overview
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