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

76, sidewalk cafés are a revocable encroachment use: the operator applies to the city manager or designee with two sets of scaled plans, a site plan showing tables, chairs, accessory service facilities, perimeter barrier elements, and every fixed street element (light and sign poles, trees, traffic signal poles, parking meters, tree-wells, waste containers) within a 25-foot radius, plus elevation drawings of awnings, planter boxes, tables, and chairs. A café may be established only in conjunction with an adjacent restaurant use, and it cannot obstruct pedestrian traffic, curbside vehicle access, or create health or safety hazards.

The clear zone, the pedestrian area kept free of all obstructions, is a minimum of four feet outside the CBD special planning district and six feet inside the CBD district and inside the Old Sacramento business district, measured from the outer edge of any café fixture to the nearest fixed element. Permit holders are responsible for ADA/disabled-access compliance in operating the café and maintaining that clear zone. No additional off-street parking is required for a permitted sidewalk café. Cafés may be used only as seating areas, storage, kitchen, or restroom uses are barred, and tables and chairs must be movable unless the city manager or designee approves otherwise.

Placement is limited to the right-of-way frontage adjacent to the associated restaurant, and in Old Sacramento every table/chair layout and decorative element additionally needs advance planning director approval. 04. Awnings, canopies, and umbrellas may extend into the right-of-way up to the six-foot clear-zone maximum, must be fire-treated or nonflammable, and any decorative or accent lighting must meet applicable city code. Building and electrical permits are required before construction, and the issued permit, showing the approved table and chair count, must be displayed prominently for public inspection.