ARTICLE 3.5. Public Access to Public Resources [66478.1. - 66478.14.]

Cal. Government Code - GOV 3.5.
in effect

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 66478.1. Section 66478.1.

It is the intent of the Legislature, by the provisions of Sections 66478.1 through 66478.10 of this article to implement Section 4 of Article X of the California Constitution insofar as Sections 66478.1 through 66478.10 are applicable to navigable waters.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 66478.2. Section 66478.2.

The Legislature finds and declares that the public natural resources of this state are limited in quantity and that the population of this state has grown at a rapid rate and will continue to do so, thus increasing the need for utilization of public natural resources. The increase in population has also increased demand for private property adjacent to public natural resources through real estate subdivision developments which resulted in diminishing public access to public natural resources.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 66478.3. Section 66478.3.

The Legislature further finds and declares that it is essential to the health and well-being of all citizens of this state that public access to public natural resources be increased. It is the intent of the Legislature to increase public access to public natural resources.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 66478.4. Section 66478.4.

(a) No local agency shall approve either a tentative or a final map of any proposed subdivision to be fronted upon a public waterway, river, or stream which does not provide, or have available, reasonable public access by fee or easement from a public highway to that portion of the bank of the river or stream bordering or lying within the proposed subdivision. (b) Reasonable public access shall be determined by the local agency in which the proposed subdivision is to be located. In making the determination of what shall be reasonable access, the local agency shall consider all of the following: (1) That access may be by highway, foot trail, bike trail, horse trail, or any other means of travel. (2) The size of the subdivision. (3) The type of riverbank and the various appropriate recreational, educational, and scientific uses, including, but not limited to, swimming, diving, boating, fishing, water skiing, scientific collection, and teaching. (4) The likelihood of trespass on private property and reasonable means of avoiding these trespasses. (c) A public waterway, river, or stream for the purposes of Sections 66477.2, 66478.4, 66478.5 and 66478.6 means those waterways, rivers and streams defined in Sections 100 through 106 of the Harbors and Navigation Code, any stream declared to be a public highway for fishing pursuant to Sections 25660 through 25662 of the Government Code, the rivers listed in Section 1505 of the Fish and Game Code as spawning areas, all waterways, rivers and streams downstream from any state or federal salmon or steelhead fish hatcheries.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 66478.5. Section 66478.5.

(a) No local agency shall approve either a tentative or a final map of any proposed subdivision to be fronted upon a public waterway, river, or stream which does not provide for a dedication of a public easement along a portion of the bank of the river or stream bordering or lying within the proposed subdivision. (b) The extent, width and character of the public easement shall be reasonably defined to achieve reasonable public use of the public waterway, river, or stream consistent with public safety. The reasonableness and extent of the easement shall be determined by the local agency in which the proposed subdivision is to be located. In making the determination for reasonably defining the extent, width, and character of the public easement, the local agency shall consider all of the following: (1) That the easement may be for a foot trail, bicycle trail, or horse trail. (2) The size of the subdivision. (3) The type of riverbank and the various appropriate recreational, educational and scientific uses including, but not limited to, swimming, diving, boating, fishing, water skiing, scientific collection and teaching. (4) The likelihood of trespass on private property and reasonable means of avoiding these trespasses.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 66478.6. Section 66478.6.

Any public access route or routes and any easement along the bank of a public waterway, river, or stream provided by the subdivider shall be expressly designated on the tentative or final map, and this map shall expressly designate the governmental entity to which the route or routes are dedicated and its acceptance of the dedication.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 66478.7. Section 66478.7.

Nothing in this article shall be construed to limit any powers or duties in connection with or affect the operation of beaches or parks in this state or to limit or decrease the authority, powers, or duties of any public agency or entity.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 66478.8. Section 66478.8.

Nothing in Sections 66478.1 to 66478.10, inclusive, of this article shall require a local agency to disapprove either a tentative or final map solely on the basis that the reasonable public access otherwise required by this article is not provided through or across the subdivision itself, if the local agency makes a finding that the reasonable public access is otherwise available within a reasonable distance from the subdivision and identifies the location of the reasonable public access. The finding shall be set forth on the face of the tentative or final map.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 66478.11. Section 66478.11.

(a) No local agency shall approve either the tentative or the final map of any subdivision fronting upon the coastline or shoreline which subdivision does not provide or have available reasonable public access by fee or easement from public highways to land below the ordinary high water mark on any ocean coastline or bay shoreline within or at a reasonable distance from the subdivision. Any public access route or routes provided by the subdivider shall be expressly designated on the tentative or final map, and the map shall expressly designate the governmental entity to which the route or routes are dedicated. (b) Reasonable public access, as used in subdivision (a), shall be determined by the local agency in which the subdivision lies. (c) In making the determination of what shall be reasonable public access, the local agency shall consider: (1) That access may be by highway, foot trail, bike trail, horse trail, or any other means of travel. (2) The size of the subdivision. (3) The type of coastline or shoreline and the various appropriate recreational, educational, and scientific uses, including, but not limited to, diving, sunbathing, surfing, walking, swimming, fishing, beachcombing, taking of shellfish and scientific exploration. (4) The likelihood of trespass on private property and reasonable means of avoiding the trespass. (d) Nothing in this section shall require a local agency to disapprove either a tentative or final map solely on the basis that the reasonable public access otherwise required by this section is not provided through or across the subdivision itself, if the local agency makes a finding that the reasonable public access is otherwise available within a reasonable distance from the subdivision and identifies the location of the reasonable public access. The finding shall be set forth on the face of the tentative or final map. (e) The provisions of this section shall not apply to the final map of any subdivision the tentative map of which has been approved by a local agency prior to the effective date of this section. (f) The provisions of this section shall not apply to the final or tentative map of any subdivision which is in compliance with the plan of any planned development or any planned community which has been approved by a local agency prior to December 31, 1968. The exclusion provided by this subdivision shall be in addition to the exclusion provided by subdivision (e). (g) Nothing in this section shall be construed as requiring the subdivider to improve any access route or routes which are primarily for the benefit of nonresidents of the subdivision area. (h) Any access route or routes provided by the subdivider pursuant to this section may be conveyed or transferred to any state or local agency by the governmental entity to which the route or routes have been dedicated, at any future time, by mutual consent of such governmental entity and the particular state or local agency. The conveyance or transfer shall be recorded by the recipient state or local agency in the office of the county recorder of the county in which the route or routes are located.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 66478.12. Section 66478.12.

(a) No local agency shall approve either the tentative or the final map of any subdivision fronting upon any lake or reservoir which is owned in part or entirely by any public agency including the state, which subdivision does not provide or have available reasonable access by fee or easement from public highways to any water of the lake or reservoir upon which the subdivision borders either within the subdivision or a reasonable distance from the subdivision. Any public access route or routes provided by the subdivider shall be expressly designated on the tentative or final map, and the map shall expressly designate the governmental entity to which the route or routes are dedicated and its acceptance of the dedication. (b) Reasonable access, as used in subdivision (a), shall be determined by the local agency in which the subdivision lies. (c) In making the determination of what shall be reasonable access, the local agency shall consider: (1) That access may be by highway, foot trail, bike trail, horse trail, or any other means of travel. (2) The size of the subdivision. (3) The type of shoreline and the various appropriate recreational, educational, and scientific uses, including, but not limited to, swimming, diving, boating, fishing, water skiing, scientific exploration, and teaching. (4) The likelihood of trespass on private property and reasonable means of avoiding the trespasses. (d) Nothing in this section shall require a local agency to disapprove either a tentative or final map solely on the basis that the reasonable access otherwise required by this section is not provided through or across the subdivision itself, if the local agency makes a finding that the reasonable access is otherwise available within a reasonable distance from the subdivision and identifies the location of the reasonable public access. The finding shall be set forth on the face of the tentative or final map. (e) The provisions of this section shall not apply to the final map of any subdivision the tentative map of which has been approved by a local agency prior to the effective date of this section. (f) Any access route or routes provided by the subdivider pursuant to this section may be conveyed or transferred to any state or local agency by the governmental entity to which the route or routes have been dedicated, at any future time, by mutual consent of the governmental entity and the particular state or local agency. The conveyance or transfer shall be recorded by the recipient state or local agency in the office of the county recorder of the county in which the route or routes are located.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 66478.13. Section 66478.13.

No local agency shall issue any permit or grant any approval necessary to develop any real property which is excluded from regulation under this division as a subdivision pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 66426 because such property is in excess of 40 acres and was created as such a parcel after December 31, 1969, when such property fronts on the coastline or a shoreline, unless it finds that reasonable public access has been provided from public highways to land below the ordinary high-water mark or any ocean coastline or bay shoreline or any water of a lake or reservoir upon which the real property fronts. “Reasonable public access” as used in this section shall be determined by the local agency in which the real property lies. In making such determination the local agency shall use the same criteria as those set forth in subdivisions (c) and (d) of Section 66478.11 and subdivisions (c) and (d) of Section 66478.12.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 66478.14. Section 66478.14.

Nothing in this article shall be construed as requiring the subdivider to improve any route or routes which are primarily for the benefit of nonresidents of the subdivision area or nonowners of the real property in question.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026

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