California (Statewide — CA MUTCD, Cal/OSHA, ADA)

Some standards apply to a California work zone no matter who owns the road — the California MUTCD, Cal/OSHA, and accessibility law — and local agencies add their own requirements on top.

Last reviewed: June 24, 2026

Level: State  ·  Applies to: every public right-of-way in California, layered with the requirements of the agency that owns the specific road.

What This Agency Governs

  • Temporary traffic control statewide through the California MUTCD, the state adaptation of the national MUTCD.
  • Worker safety in California work zones through Cal/OSHA.
  • Accessibility of pedestrian routes affected by work, through the ADA and related state requirements.

Standards That Apply

  • The California MUTCD is the state standard for traffic control devices and temporary traffic control. In California, the current state reference is the CA MUTCD 2026, effective January 18, 2026, which replaced CA MUTCD 2014 Revision 9.
  • Cal/OSHA sets worker-safety requirements that apply to crews in the work zone.
  • The ADA governs accessibility, including maintaining accessible pedestrian routes when a sidewalk or crossing is affected.
  • These statewide standards apply in addition to the standard plans and permit conditions of the county or city that owns the road.

Permits & Authorization

Authorization is issued by the road owner

California-wide standards set how the work must be done, but the permit itself is issued by the agency that owns the road — Caltrans for the state highway system, a county for county-maintained roads, or a city for city streets. Identify the road owner first, then follow that agency's permit process.

How to Verify Requirements

  • Confirm the current California MUTCD edition and any revisions on the Caltrans CA MUTCD page.
  • Confirm worker-safety requirements with Cal/OSHA and accessibility requirements with the ADA.
  • For the actual permit, identify the road owner and follow that jurisdiction's process.

Official Sources

Related Pages