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Calaveras County, CA Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Issuing agency
Public works director
Eligible use
Fixed dining/drinking establishments only
Permit term
5 years
Clearance
2 ft from travel way, 20 ft at intersections
Guard rail
42 inches, California Building Code
Enforcement
Code compliance unit under Chapter 8.06
Application window
18 months from program start

Summary

Restaurants, bars, and tasting rooms in unincorporated Calaveras County can serve customers in the public right-of-way under a five-year outdoor dining encroachment permit issued by the public works director. Applicants need a current business license, all food and beverage permits, and zoning approval before the county will process the application under Chapter 12.09.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Calaveras County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

A permit under this chapter may be issued by the public works director to any lawfully operating dining and/or drinking establishment that wishes to serve customers in the public right-of-way fronting its premises and that files a complete application for this permit within eighteen months of the date outdoor dining encroachment permits are made available. ... A permit issued under this chapter and maintained in compliance with this chapter is valid for a period of five years unless revoked pursuant to Section 12.09.070. ... Permittees shall at all times maintain two feet of clearance between the permitted premises, including all furniture and equipment located on it, and the vehicular travel way (at any height), and permittees shall ensure that their customers do the same.

View official code

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

09, adopted by Ord. No. 3175 in 2022 and amended by Ord. No. 020). Mobile food trucks, carts and stands cannot get a permit under this chapter. 030). Operating restrictions require keeping drainage grates clear, maintaining two feet of clearance from the vehicular travel way at any height and twenty feet near intersections, corners, alleys or driveways, never bolting into the road surface, keeping sidewalks clear for pedestrians and wheelchairs, complying with the ADA, and getting a separate finaled building permit before using any structure built in the right-of-way. 040). 060). 080). 050).

Violations & Fines

Chapter 12.09 carries no standalone dollar fine; the county's code compliance unit enforces violations through the nuisance abatement and administrative citation procedures of Chapter 8.06 under § 12.09.090. Noncompliance is separately grounds for the public works director to revoke the permit on thirty days' mailed notice under § 12.09.070, and building a structure in the right-of-way without first obtaining and finaling a separate building permit blocks issuance of the encroachment permit entirely under § 12.09.040(I).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a food truck get an outdoor dining encroachment permit in Calaveras County?
No. Section 12.09.020(F) limits permits to a dining or drinking establishment primarily operating from an adjacent fixed premises located outside the right-of-way; mobile food and beverage trucks, carts, and stands are expressly excluded from this chapter and cannot obtain a permit under it.
How much clearance does my outdoor seating need from the road?
Two feet from the vehicular travel way at any height under § 12.09.040(C), measured from the outer edge of the painted white line, and twenty feet of clearance near any intersection, street corner, alley, or driveway under § 12.09.040(D). Furniture, equipment, and customers must all stay within these limits.
How long does an outdoor dining encroachment permit last?
Five years under § 12.09.060(A), unless revoked sooner. Renewal applications must be filed no sooner than ninety days and no later than thirty days before expiration, and the permit automatically expires ninety days after the associated restaurant or bar closes unless transferred to a qualifying successor-in-interest.
Can the county make me remove my outdoor dining structure?
Yes. Section 12.09.080 lets the county re-occupy the right-of-way immediately in an emergency, or on ninety days' written notice for any other county purpose, and permittees are not entitled to damages for structures removed or destroyed during that process.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Calaveras County

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All Calaveras County rules

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