Article 2. Permit Provisions of California Streets And Highways Code >> Division 2. >> Chapter 5.5. >> Article 2.

The road commissioner may issue written permits, as provided in this chapter, authorizing the permittee to do any of the following acts:
  (a) Make an opening or excavation for any purpose in any county highway.
  (b) Place, change or renew an encroachment.
  (c) Place or display in, under or over any county highway any kind of advertising sign or device. Any such sign or device placed or displayed contrary to the provisions of this section is a public nuisance and the road commissioner may immediately remove it. The provisions of this section shall not prohibit the posting of any notice in the manner required by law or by the order of any court of this state.
  (d) Plant, remove, cut, cut down, injure or destroy any tree, shrub, plant or flower growing within any county highway. Any person who does any of the acts specified in this section, without the authority of such a permit, is guilty of a misdemeanor and is liable to the public agency for all expenses and damages caused thereby.

Any act done under the authority of a written permit, issued pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, shall be done in accordance with the applicable provisions of this chapter, and the terms and conditions of such permit.

Any permit issued under the provisions of this chapter may provide that the permittee will pay the entire expense of replacing the highway in as good condition as before, and may provide such other conditions as to the location and the manner in which the work is to be done as the road commissioner finds necessary for the protection of the highway.

Any permit issued to a public agency or a public utility having lawful authority to occupy the highways shall contain a provision that in the event the future improvement of the highway necessitates the relocation of such encroachment the permittee will relocate the same at his sole expense. In said event the road commissioner shall serve on the permittee his written demand specifying the place of relocation, and specifying a reasonable time within which the work of relocation must be commenced. The permittee must commence such relocation within the time specified in said demand and thereafter diligently prosecute the same to completion. All permits other than those issued to public agencies or a public utility having lawful authority to occupy the highways are revocable on five days' notice and the encroachment must be removed or relocated as may be specified by the road commissioner in the notice revoking the permit and within a reasonable time specified by the road commissioner unless the permit provides a specified time. Public utilities may be required, within a reasonable time, to relocate such of their facilities as interfere with an enlarged public use of the highway, except in those cases where the enlarged use of the highway involves a state freeway.

The road commissioner may, but is not required to, supervise any work done under any permit issued under the provisions of this chapter, in which event the permittee shall pay the reasonable cost of such supervision to the road commissioner, but no cost of supervision shall be charged by the road commissioner to any public corporation, provided, however, this section shall not operate to prevent charges made pursuant to Government Code Section 6103.6.

(a) Permittees may excavate openings in county highways to make repairs in cases of emergency requiring immediate action. In such cases the appropriate representative of the road commissioner shall be promptly notified of any such action, and such permittee, at his own expense, shall immediately replace such county highway in as good condition as before such excavation.
  (b) A public agency supplying water service to its inhabitants may, within its corporate limits, excavate a county highway without a permit in cases of emergency requiring immediate action; but in such cases the county highway shall, at the expense of the public agency, be replaced in as good condition as before such excavation.

The road commissioner may delegate to any city any of the road commissioner's powers, duties, and authority, other than those of approval, under this chapter as to any county highway, or any part thereof, within such city, and may withdraw any such delegation of authority.

The road commissioner may require the applicant to file with the road commissioner a satisfactory bond payable to the people of the county in such amount as the road commissioner deems sufficient, conditioned on the proper compliance by the permittee with the provisions of this chapter.

Except as otherwise provided in this section, such a bond shall not be required of any public agency or public utility having lawful authority to occupy the highways which is authorized by law to establish or maintain any works or facilities in, under or over any public highway, nor shall the application of any such public agency or public utility for a permit be denied. The road commissioner may require of any such applicant a bond in a sum not to exceed twenty thousand dollars ($20,000), if such applicant has in fact prior to such application failed to comply with the provisions of this chapter or with the provisions of a previous permit.

Any city, municipal utility district, municipal water district, public utility having lawful authority to occupy the highways or metropolitan water district is entitled to a blanket permit issued by the road commissioner, renewable annually, for the installation of its service connections and for ordinary maintenance of its facilities located or installed in county highways; but the road commissioner may revoke any such blanket permit if the permittee fails to comply with the provisions of this article. When any such permit is revoked in a proper case such municipal utility district, municipal water district or metropolitan water district or public utility is entitled to a permit only on furnishing a bond as provided in Section 1467.

This chapter shall not supersede the provisions of Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 7030), Division 4 of the Water Code.