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Cal. SHC § 5870

This is the official text of Cal. SHC § 5870, part of California’s Streets and Highways Code — governs the construction and maintenance of public roads.

Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.

Official statutory text

As used in this chapter:

(a) “Block” means property facing one side of any street between the next intersecting streets or between the terminus of a dedicated right-of-way of a street and an intersecting street. “Street” does not include an alley or other right-of-way unless it is of the same width as a regular residential minimum-width street approved as part of a master plan of circulation or streets by the governmental agency involved. In the case of an alley, “block” means property facing both sides of any alley between the next intersecting streets or alleys, or between the terminus of an alley and an intersecting street. In the case of street lighting, “block” means property facing the side of any street on which the improvement is to be constructed between the next intersecting streets on the side to be improved or between the terminus of a dedicated right-of-way of a street and a street intersecting the side to be improved; or property facing the side of any street on which the improvement is to be constructed between the next intersecting streets on the side to be improved or between the terminus of a dedicated right-of-way of a street and a street intersecting the side to be improved and the property facing the opposite side of the street.

Where a “block” exceeds 1,000 feet in length, a length of frontage of 1,000 feet constitutes a “block” as used in this chapter, if so designated by the superintendent of streets. A determination by the superintendent of streets of such a 1,000-foot block establishes a “block” and cannot later be changed to include a portion of said 1,000-foot “block” in another “block.”

(b) “Driveway” means a paved portion of a public street providing an unobstructed passage from the roadway to an offstreet area used for driving, servicing, parking, or otherwise accommodating motor vehicles.

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

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About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the Open US Law dataset (Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine (Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.