Letter of Agency

A Letter of Agency (LOA) allows the Hanford Police Department to act as the agent for the owner of private property for the purposes of enforcing laws against any person(s) found on the property without the owner’s consent or without lawful purpose. This is an extremely useful tool and is strongly recommended for vacant properties, vacant lots, businesses, or any properties upon which public nuisance activity and/or crime problems, including transient activity, drug activity, prostitution, graffiti, or general trespass are occurring.

The form (below) must be renewed every YEAR in order to be effective per Penal Code 602. 

Note: The Letter of Agency form must be signed in the presence of a notary public and must be notarized to be effective. The Hanford Police Department will not act upon an unnotarized Letter of Agency. The City of Hanford Community Development provides notary services for Letters of Agency (free) at 317 N. Douty Street, Hanford CA 93230. Please email LOANotary@hanfordca.gov to set up a notary appointment. You may also choose to have the form notarized at your own expense. 

Please submit the completed form to the City of Hanford's Community Development Department, 317 N. Douty Street, Hanford CA 93230 or via email at LOANotary@hanfordca.gov. 

City of Hanford Letter of Agency and Notary Acknowledgement Form (PDF)

In conjunction with this form, it is strongly suggested, although not required, that the property be posted with a sign indicating:

• A Letter of Agency has been filed with the City of Hanford
• The address of the property
• The words “No Trespassing" 
• Who the property is managed by and/or who to call to report problems of concerns

The sign should be no less than 18” X 24”, ideally have a font legible from the nearest public street and not be readily accessible to vandals. Signs should be evenly spaced throughout the surrounding property boundaries covered by the Letter of Agency.