Tustin, CA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)

Tustin City Code § 7210 states the City's general obstruction rule in a single operative sentence: it is unlawful for any person to place any obstruction of any kind in or upon any public street, alley, sidewalk or other public property in the City, or to authorize, procure or permit an obstruction to be placed there, except as authorized by the Code or as required by City employees or officials in the proper discharge of their duties. The section, part of the Streets and Highways chapter of Article 7, replaced a prior version of Part 1 in 1999 under Ord.

No. 1218 and was further amended in 2010. It functions as the backstop obstruction rule for the public right-of-way, working alongside more specific right-of-way provisions in the same Part, including § 7211's newsrack regulations, which separately require a newsrack permit and an encroachment permit from Public Works before any self-service newspaper box may rest on a sidewalk or parkway, and § 7224, which bars depositing construction materials, debris, or trash containers on public property without the written approval of the City Engineer. Because § 7210 itself lists no penalty, an obstruction violation is enforced under the Code's general penalty provision at § 1121, and the City may also use its public nuisance authority under § 1122 to abate an unlawful obstruction and recover its abatement costs from the responsible party.