FAQs

Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA)
Orange County Bikeways Guide
phone (714) 560-6282

For street sweeping services in unincorporated Orange County, please submit a service request online at myOCeServices.ocgov.com. Select the “Street Sweeping” topic to ensure proper routing. For assistance by phone, contact our Operations and Maintenance Department at phone (714) 955-0200.

For sidewalk concerns in unincorporated Orange County, please submit a service request online at myOCeServices.ocgov.com. Select the “Sidewalk/Curb & Gutter” topic to ensure proper routing. For assistance by phone, contact our Operations and Maintenance Department at phone (714) 955-0200.

Southern California Edison (SCE)
phone 800-611-1911
or
San Diego Gas & Electric (SDGE)
phone 800-411-7343

Email: streetlighting@sdge.com

*If directed by your electrical provider to contact the County of Orange, please reach out to our Operations & Maintenance Department at (714) 955-0200.

For road construction project information, please email our Strategic Communications Department at projectinfo@ocpw.ocgov.com or you can reach them by phone atphone  (714) 667-9759

For questions regarding road widening, please email our Strategic Communications Department at projectinfo@ocpw.ocgov.com or you can reach them by phone at  phone (714) 667-9759.

The County of Orange does not provide patrol services or maintain roads within private, gated communities. For concerns related to road upkeep or security within your neighborhood, please contact your homeowner's association or designated street maintenance provider.

OC Road Fees are fees that are imposed by the County of Orange on new development projects to pay for a portion of construction cost or needed expansion of offsite capital improvement projects.  These fees are implemented to help reduce the economic burden to the County of Orange in order to deal with the population growth within the area of benefit.

Road fees are collected upon permit issuance for commercial properties and upon Final Inspection or Certificate of Occupancy for residential properties.

Cities shall submit TCA fees directly to TCA.  Please visit the  thetollroads.com/about-tca/development-impact-fee-dif-program/    or contact Greg Walker at gwalker@thetollroads.com or Andrew Seibly at aseibly@thetollroads.com for more information. 

To determine if OC Road Fees apply, please refer to the Road Fee Map.

OC Road Fees apply in designated OC Road Fee Program Area(s) of Benefit (AOB).  Boundaries of each AOB include development areas which were estimated to benefit the most by the circulation improvements.  Please refer to the OC Road Fee GIS map (see Helpful Links below) to determine if the project falls within an AOB.  Every July 1st rates for all OC Road Fee Programs are adjusted per changes made in the California Construction Cost Index (CCCI). Current fiscal year rates can be located in the Helpful Links section below.

OC Road Fees apply if the following conditions are met: the unit(s) contain a kitchen, living space and bathroom.  Studios where a living space and bedroom are combined meet the conditions as well and qualify for Road Fees.

No.  OC Road Fees only apply if there is an addition to the residential unit which contains a new kitchen, living space and bathroom.  Remodeling, including painting and new flooring, do not constitute the application of OC Road Fees.

The following are examples of projects that may be exempt from OC Road Fees.

• Projects that provide documentation such as County Assessor Roll to exempt them from property taxes like churches.
• On-site leasing offices and common structures in residential tracts such as a pool building provided that the use is limited to residents.
• Governmental structures such as fire stations and schools, to the extent that they shall not be used for generating revenue or commercial purposes.
• Parking structures were built for the parking of vehicles used for travel to and from the nonresidential development served by the structure. Structures used for the repair, maintenance, cleaning, sale, rental, or display of vehicles, or for the storage of vehicles at the site of the development, are not exempt.
• Structures that are permanently open to the elements – meaning that they do not have 4 walls, a door, and a roof (examples include gas station canopies, restaurant outdoor patio dining areas, etc.).

To obtain an estimate of OC Road Fees due for a specific project, please click here to access the OC Road Fee GIS map and enter the address of your project.  This map is a reference for estimating OC Road Fees only; exact OC Road Fees due for any project will be assessed at the time of permit issuance.

Visit myOCeServices.ocgov.com/LMS_RoadFeeEstimation for an OC Road Fee estimate of new Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) with a square footage of 750 or more.

*If the due date falls on a weekend or holiday, the quarterly remittance reports are due the following business day.

-  An Excel schedule detail of permits issued with permit numbers, classification of dwelling unit, number of units / square footage, address of properties and amount collected
-  Copies of Permits issued
-  Copies of Receipts issued

If you have additional questions about OC Road Fee Programs, please contact us at:

email OCRoadFee@ocpw.ocgov.com
email (714) 955-0301

• The Toll Roads of Orange County: thetollroads.com/about-tca/development-impact-fee-dif-program/
• County of Orange Road Fee Programs: Fiscal Year 2025-26 OC Road Fee Schedule
• OC Road Fee Address Search: https://www.ocgis.com/ocpw/DocViewer/RoadFee.html
• Road Fee Project Criteria: Road Fee Project Criteria
• Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Fee Calculations: myOCeServices.ocgov.com/LMS_RoadFeeEstimation
• Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Calculation Procedure: ADU Flyer

Submit a service request online at myOCeServices.ocgov.com under "Traffic Issues".

For assistance by phone, contact the Traffic Engineering Division at phone (714) 245-4589.

Submit your request online at myOCeServices.ocgov.com under "Traffic Issues". 

For assistance by phone, contact the Traffic Engineering Division at  phone (714) 245-4589.

Submit a service request online at myOCeServices.ocgov.com under "Traffic Issues". 

For assistance by phone, contact the Traffic Engineering Division atphone (714) 245-4589. For assistance outside of business hours (Monday-Friday, 7 am – 5 pm), please contact dispatch at phone(800) 462-3271.

Submit a service request online at myOCeServices.ocgov.com under “Traffic Issues”. For assistance by phone, contact the Traffic Engineering Division at (714) 245-4589.

Adult crossing guards are only provided for elementary school crossings (grades K–6). A request must be submitted by the school administrator through myOCeServices.ocgov.com under "Traffic Issues". For phone assistance, contact the Traffic Engineering Division at phone (714) 245-4589.

Stop signs are used to assign right-of-way at intersections and are not intended for speed control. To request an evaluation, submit a service request at myOCeServices.ocgov.com under “Traffic Issues.” For phone assistance, call (714) 245-4589.

Speed limits are set based on safe driving speeds, road conditions, and crash history, and should not be lowered arbitrarily. To request an evaluation, submit a service request at myOCeServices.ocgov.com under "Traffic Issues". For phone assistance, call phone (714) 245-4589.

Speeding is an enforcement issue. Please contact the California Highway Patrol (CHP) office serving your area at the following non-emergency numbers:

• Westminster CHP:  phone (714) 622-3600
• Santa Ana CHP:  phone (714) 338-5500
• Capistrano CHP:  phone (949) 670-7030

Speed limits are set based on safe driving speeds, road conditions, and crash history, and should not be lowered arbitrarily. To request an evaluation, submit a service request at myOCeServices.ocgov.com under “Traffic Issues.” For phone assistance, call (714) 245-4589.

The County of Orange does not install speed humps, bumps, tables, or cushions, as they can delay emergency response times. 

Red curbs are generally not painted for private driveways, except in the following cases:
a.    Driveways near an intersection or a crosswalk 
b.    Driveways with high volume of access, such as apartments, condos, or commercial areas
c.    Driveways with a history of collisions 
To request an evaluation, submit a service request at myOCeServices.ocgov.com under "Traffic Issues".

For phone assistance, call phone (714) 245-4589.

The County does not offer permit parking on public streets in unincorporated areas.  If your address is within a city, please contact your city department for local policy.

These are enforcement issues.  Please call Orange County Sherriff’s Department Non-Emergency Dispatch at (714) 647-7000 or (949) 770-6011. 

Subscribe to email updates from the OC Traffic Committee to receive the latest meeting schedules, agenda, and announcements directly in your inbox. 

An insurance policy is required by mortgage lenders or insurance companies on real property located within a floodplain or special flood hazard area as determined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

All property owner whose real property or any portion thereof lies within a special flood hazard area, flood zone; A, AE, AH, AO, A99, V and VE as determined by FEMA.

Homeowner’s insurance is separate from flood insurance. Most homeowner’s insurance offer flood insurance also. You may contact the National Flood Insurance Program at 1-877-336-2627.

Flood insurance can be obtained through a homeowner’s insurance agent or the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Your current homeowner’s insurance agent may not have a competitive rate so it is best to shop around.

Zoning can be determined by viewing FEMA’s Federal Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) or Digital Federal Insurance Rate Map (DFIRM). You may view the maps by visiting FEMA's Flood Map Service Center at https://msc.fema.gov/portal/home 

To prepare the flood maps that illustrate the extent of flood hazard in a flood prone community, FEMA generally conducts engineering studies referred to as Flood Insurance Studies (FISs). Using the information gathered in these studies, FEMA engineers and cartographers delineate Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs) on Flood Maps. SFHAs are subject to inundation by a flood that has a 1-percent or greater chance of being equaled or exceeded during any given year. This type of flood commonly is referred to as the 100-year flood or base flood.

FEMA sets the flood zone areas and boundaries.

The 100-year floodplain is defined as the area that would be covered by floodwater during a 100-year storm event. In stormwater management, floods are classified by statistical probability of occurrence. When we speak of a 100-year flood, we are referring to a flood event that has a one percent chance of occurring in any given year. The magnitude of a 100-year flood is determined from historical data and precipitation patterns within the watershed.

Floodplain boundaries vary along a channel depending on such factors as topography, soils and vegetation, the size of the watershed, and the condition of the channel. These boundaries may also change over time as the watershed is developed or the channel is altered. In addition, the floodplain may be redefined as new or revised statistical data becomes available.

No, in fact, the 100-year flood has a 26 percent chance of occurring during a 30-year period, the length of many mortgages. The 100-year flood is a regulatory standard used by the federal agencies and most states, to administer floodplain management programs. The 100-year flood is used by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) as the basis for insurance requirements nationwide.

Rivers and streams where FEMA has prepared detailed engineering studies may also have designated floodways. For most waterways, the floodway is where the water is likely to be deepest and fastest. It is the area of the floodplain that should be reserved (kept free of obstructions) to allow floodwaters to move downstream. Placing fill or buildings in a floodway may block the flow of water and increase flood heights. Because of this, your community will require that you submit engineering analyses before it approves permits for development in the floodway.

If your home is already in the floodway, you may want to consider what you will do if it is damaged. If it is substantially damaged (the costs to repair equal or exceed 50% of the market value of the building) your community will require that you bring it into compliance. In most cases, this means you will have to elevate it above the base flood elevation. Because placing fill dirt in the floodplain can make flooding worse, you'll probably have to elevate on columns, pilings or raised foundation walls. If your land is large enough to have a site outside of the floodway or even out of the floodplain, you may want to think about moving your home to a safer location.

Base Flood Elevation (BFE) is the elevation shown on the Flood Insurance Rate Map for Zones AE, AH, A1-A30, AR, AR/A, AR/AE, AR/A1-A30, AR/AH, AR/AO, V1-V30, and VE that indicates the water surface elevation resulting from a flood that has a one percent chance of equaling or exceeding that level in any given year.

In order for FEMA to recognize a levee system as providing protection from the base (1% annual chance) flood, it must meet, and continue to meet minimum design, operation, and maintenance standards established in Section 65.10 of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Regulations. The design criteria include, but may not be limited to, requirements for freeboard, closure devices, embankment protection, embankment and foundation stability, settlement, and interior drainage. Public agencies must have complete operation and maintenance plans. The operation plan for the levee may include, but is not limited to, procedures for closures, interior drainage systems, and emergency measures. The maintenance plan should detail responsibility and frequency of maintenance necessary to ensure the integrity of the levee system. All items necessary for a levee system to be recognized as providing protection from the 1% annual chance flood must be certified by a registered professional engineer. The certification requirement is different if a Federal agency has responsibility for the levee.

The answer to this question depends on whether the flood control project provides an adequate level of protection and if it involves federal funding. If the project is federally funded, then FEMA will revise the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) to show changes in the floodplain if the critical features of the project are under construction, 50% of the total cost has been expended, and 100% of the funding is authorized. When the FIRM is revised, the protected area will be designated Zone A99, and the flood insurance rate will be the same as in Zones B, C, and X.

If a flood control project does not involve federal funds, FEMA would handle a map revision request as a Conditional Letter of Map Revision (CLOMR). The project sponsor must submit engineering and technical information to document the level of protection, how the floodplain is modified, the structural adequacy of the project, and operations and maintenance requirements. The FIRM would be changed after the project is complete and record drawings have been certified and submitted to FEMA. At that time, the flood insurance rate in areas certified as protected would be the same as in Zones B, C, and X.

Buildings in special flood hazard areas shown on FIRMs may be damaged when flooding occurs. Some buildings flood frequently, while others get damaged by only the more severe event. If your home is in the 1% annual chance floodplain, it has a 26% chance of getting flooded over a 30-year period. This means it is about five times more likely to get damaged by flood than by a severe fire!

You should know that usually you can get flood insurance, if available, by contacting your regular homeowners insurance agent. FEMA and others recommend that everyone in special flood hazard areas buy flood insurance. If you buy a home or refinance your home, your mortgage lender or banker may require flood insurance. But, even if not required, it is a good investment especially in areas that flood frequently or where flood forces are likely to cause major damage.

Another thing you should know is that your community may require permits for remodeling, improving, expanding, or rebuilding your building. In order to reduce long-term flood damage, the NFIP requires that buildings that are substantially improved or substantially damaged become compliant. This means if the cost of the improvements or repairs is more than 50% of the market value of the building, you will have to make it compliant with the rules for floodplain construction. Usually, this means lifting it off the foundation and elevating it above the predicted flood level. If you carry a flood insurance policy and have major flood damage, you may be eligible for up to $20,000 to help pay for the cost of this works.

Under current floodplain regulations, the channel and/or adjacent lands may be modified to reduce the water surface elevation during a 100-year flood, thus, narrowing the floodway boundaries.

This frequently occurs for properties located at the edge of a flood zone. FEMA maps the flood zone areas and boundaries and if the landscape is fairly flat with the dividing line in the middle of the street, this could happen. Other times, your neighbor may have provided FEMA an elevation certificate and submitted a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA). The elevation certificate certifies that the structure is 1 foot or higher than the base flood elevation and the LOMA revises the FIRM to that effect. Only a licensed land surveyor, registered professional engineer, or certified architect who is authorized by law can issue an elevation certificate.

If you believe your structure or property is above the base flood elevation, you may want to invest money in hiring a licensed land surveyor, registered professional engineer, or certified architect who is authorized by law to provide an elevation certificate. If the elevation certificate certifies that your property/structure is one foot above or higher than the base flood elevation, you may move forward and submit a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) to FEMA.

You may find a a licensed land surveyor, registered professional engineer, or certified architect who is authorized by law to certify elevation information by searching online.

Most Cities and the County will not allow a new structure to be constructed in the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), which includes flood zones A, AE, AH, AO, A99, V, V#, and VE.

A Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) is an amendment to the currently effective FEMA map which establishes that a property is not located in a Special Flood Hazard Area. A LOMA is only issued by FEMA.

A revision to the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) may be requested by completing and submitting the appropriate portions of the FEMA MT-2 application/certification forms package, entitled "Revisions to National Flood Insurance Program Maps, Application Forms and Instructions for Conditional Letters of Map Revision and Letters of Map Revision", and the required supporting information. In most cases, a licensed land surveyor or registered professional engineer will be needed to supply certified elevation information for the property or structure.

If physical changes to the floodplain have changed the flood hazard information shown on the effective National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) map, a revision should be requested. The request should be accompanied by the appropriate portions of the FEMA MT-2 application/certification forms package and the required supporting information.

Revision requests should be sent online using FEMA’s Online LOMC tool or mailed to the LOMC Clearinghouse address provided in the FEMA MT-2 instructions to the appropriate FEMA Regional Office.

FEMA typically responds in less than 30 days, and must respond to a revision request within 90 days of receipt of the application/certification forms and the supporting information. The response may be a determination, a request for additional information, or a statement that additional time will be required to complete the processing of the request.

Because FEMA receives many requests, they are processed on a first-come, first-serve basis. The best way to get a timely response is to make sure the forms and supporting documents are complete.

A Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) is a much quicker revision than a Physical Map Revision (PMR). PMRs can take up to two years to become effective. In addition, a LOMR is a more cost-effective means for FEMA to revise a Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM). Due to budget constraints, FEMA uses the LOMR process as much as possible. You should keep a copy of the LOMR with your valuable papers. It will be important to have when you are ready to sell your property.

When a new National Flood Insurance Program map becomes effective it supersedes all Letters of Map Change (LOMCs) that have been issued for the affected map panel. When the changes reflected in the LOMC can be shown on the new FIRM, they are incorporated; however, some LOMC changes cannot be shown on the new FIRM because the change is too small to see on the map.