El Dorado County, CA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Offense classification
- Misdemeanor, Chapter 1.24 general penalties
- Continuing violation
- Each day is a separate offense
- Enforcing agency
- County Director of Transportation
- Sign obstruction fee
- $25.00 annually or higher
- Abatement authority
- Summary abatement as public nuisance
Summary
El Dorado County bans placing or keeping any obstruction, from fences and signs to billboards and buildings, on a County highway right-of-way without first obtaining an encroachment permit. The Director of Transportation enforces the ban, and violations are prosecuted as misdemeanors and abatable public nuisances.
Sec. 12.08.090. - Obstructions. It is unlawful for any person to place or maintain any obstruction on any portion of the right-of-way of any County highway without having first obtained an encroachment permit therefor, or in violation of any of the provisions or conditions of the permit or of this chapter.
Obstruction means any tower, pole, pole line, pipe, pipeline, fill, fence, billboard, sign, stand or building, or any structure or object of any kind or character not particularly mentioned in the foregoing, which is placed in, under or over any portion of the right-of-way of any County highway.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 13 Update 4).
Full Breakdown
08. ' That sweep means everything from a residential fence to a commercial sign encroaching on the shoulder needs a permit. 050, on top of the standard obstruction permit fee (Sec. 160(E)); that money is earmarked for bike and pedestrian trail improvements in the area where the encroachment sits. 08 and inspects permitted obstructions at intervals sufficient to confirm compliance with the permit and the chapter (Sec. 050). An obstruction permit can be denied or an existing one revoked in writing, effective immediately, for violating the chapter, misrepresenting facts in the application, breaching permit terms, or failing to post the required repair deposit (Sec. 200), with 15 days to appeal that action to the Board of Supervisors (Sec. 210).
Violations & Fines
Placing an unpermitted obstruction is a misdemeanor punished under the general penalties in Chapter 1.24, with each day the obstruction remains counted as a separate offense (Sec. 12.08.060). It is also declared a public nuisance, letting the Director of Transportation summarily abate it under Streets and Highways Code Section 1483 and Civil Code Section 3494, pursue abatement under Penal Code Section 373a, or seek an injunction (Sec. 12.08.070).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put a fence or sign in the road right-of-way in El Dorado County?
What happens if I leave an unpermitted obstruction in the right-of-way?
Who enforces the obstruction rules on County roads?
Is there an extra fee for a sign that encroaches on County right-of-way?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Dorado County
California rules heatmap·Compare El Dorado County to another location·View the California sidewalk & pedestrian rules overview
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