California: 2 working days before you dig.
USA North 811 in the north and centre, DigAlert in the south · Cal. Gov. Code §§4216, 4216.2, 4216.4
Read off the statute on . If it has moved since, tell us and we will re-read it.
A waiting period is not always permission. Some states also require that every operator has answered before you break ground, and some require you to mark your own dig path first. Where we have read that requirement, it is in the notes on this page. Where this page is silent, we have not checked it yet — silence here is not the same as absence. We are working through the rest and dating each one as it lands.
Notice before you break ground
2 working days
Two working days, Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The day you notify does not count. Max 14 calendar days.
Tolerance zone
24" each side
24 inches each side of the field marking.
Ticket good for
28 calendar days from when the ticket goes out to the utilities
Worth knowing in California
Renew by the end of day 28 or start again. Which centre you call depends on where the job is.
Common questions about digging in California
- How much notice do you have to give before digging in California?
- 2 working days before you break ground, through USA North 811 in the north and centre, DigAlert in the south. Two working days, Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The day you notify does not count. Max 14 calendar days.
- How long is an 811 ticket good for in California?
- 28 calendar days from when the ticket goes out to the utilities.
- What is the tolerance zone in California?
- 24" each side. 24 inches each side of the field marking.
Check it yourself
Every figure here was read off Cal. Gov. Code §§4216, 4216.2, 4216.4, not off a summary — summaries of these get the unit wrong, and the unit is usually a weekend. Read the source.
Running a crew in California?
Cable Crews is a job board for this trade where a listing cannot publish with the rate or the per diem left blank. Posting is free, no account. Post work · See the board