It shall be unlawful for any person to make any cut or trench in any highway, reservation, or public space in the District of Columbia, or to disturb or remove any public work or material therein, without a permit so to do from the Mayor of the District of Columbia. The person obtaining such a permit shall abide by all conditions and provisions of the permit; provided, that nothing in this section shall be construed to apply to public buildings of the United States, or to diminish the authority of the officer in charge of public buildings and grounds, or the Architect of the Capitol.

(June 18, 1898, 30 Stat. 477, ch. 467, § 7; Sept. 13, 1978, D.C. Law 2-105,§ 2, 25 DCR 1982.)

1981 Ed., § 7-620.

1973 Ed., § 7-615.

This section is referenced in § 9-431.02 and § 34-2705.

Underground facilities protection, excavation or demolition requirements, see § 34-2705.

This section originated at a time when local government powers were delegated to a Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia (see Acts Relating to the Establishment of the District of Columbia and its Various Forms of Governmental Organization in Volume 1). Section 401 of Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1967 (see Reorganization Plans in Volume 1) transferred all of the functions of the Board of Commissioners under this section to a single Commissioner. The District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act, 87 Stat. 818, § 711 ( D.C. Code, § 1-207.11), abolished the District of Columbia Council and the Office of Commissioner of the District of Columbia. These branches of government were replaced by the Council of the District of Columbia and the Office of Mayor of the District of Columbia, respectively. Accordingly, and also pursuant to § 714(a) of such Act ( D.C. Code, § 1-207.14(a)), appropriate changes in terminology were made in this section.