Landscaping Rules in Tuolumne County, CA (2026)
6 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Tuolumne County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Tree Trimming
Routine pruning of ordinary private trees in unincorporated Tuolumne County needs no county permit. The County has no general private-tree trimming ordinance. Limits arise only for protected native oaks under Chapter 9.24, for wildfire fuel reduction (ladder-fuel removal), and for the 10-foot clearance landscaping must keep from power lines.
Tuolumne County Tree Trimming
Some RestrictionsCalifornia Public Resources Code § 4291 (defensible space — vegetation management around structures)
99] ( Chapter 3 added by Stats. 1965, Ch. 1144. ) 4291. (a) A person who owns, leases, controls, operates, or maintains a building or structure in the state responsibility area shall at all times do all of the following: (1) (A) Maintain defensible space of 100 feet from each side and from the front and rear of the structure, but not beyond the property line, except as provided in subparagraph ...
Weed Ordinances
Tuolumne County's weed rule is its Hazardous Vegetation Management Ordinance, Chapter 8.14 (Ord. 3428, 2022). Every parcel in the unincorporated county must clear hazardous vegetation, maintain Reduced Fuel Zones, and keep 100 feet of defensible space; the Fire Prevention Division enforces and the County can abate uncorrected hazards at the owner's cost.
Tuolumne County Weed & Hazardous Vegetation Ordinance
Some RestrictionsCalifornia Food and Agricultural Code § 5004 (definition of "noxious weed" for plant quarantine and pest control)
5004. “Noxious weed” means any species of plant that is, or is liable to be, troublesome, aggressive, intrusive, detrimental, or destructive to agriculture, silviculture, or important native species, and difficult to control or eradicate, which the director, by regulation, designates to be a noxious weed. In determining whether or not a species shall be designated a noxious weed for the purpose...
Rainwater Harvesting
Tuolumne County encourages rainwater capture rather than restricting it. The County Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (Chapter 15.28) recommends rain gardens, cisterns, and other capture and infiltration features, and exempts landscape areas irrigated with on-site captured rainwater from the water-budget calculation.
Tuolumne County Rainwater Harvesting
Few RestrictionsCalifornia AB 1750 - Rainwater Capture Act of 2012
This bill would enact the Rainwater Capture Act of 2012, which would provide that use of rainwater collected from rooftops does not require a water right permit from the state board. (2) Existing law, the Contractors’ State License Law, creates the Contractors’ State License Board within the Department of Consumer Affairs and provides for the licensing and regulation of contractors. Existing la...
Native Plants
For covered development projects, Tuolumne County's Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (Chapter 15.28.040) requires drought-tolerant ornamental plants rated low or very-low water use, prohibits invasive or noxious species, and directs that native or existing vegetation be retained to the maximum extent feasible. Ordinary homeowner plant choices are not regulated.
Tuolumne County Native & Drought-Tolerant Plants
Heavy RestrictionsCalifornia Department of Water Resources — Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) (Water Conservation in Landscaping Act, Gov. Code § 65591 et seq.)
by the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) . The MWELO is also referenced by Title 24, Part 11, Chapters 4 and 5 CalGreen Building Code. All local agencies must adopt, implement, and enforce the MWELO or a local Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (WELO) that is at least as effective as the MWELO. Usually, local agencies that adopt WELOs create a more stringent ordinance than MWEL...
Artificial Turf
Tuolumne County has no ordinance specifically permitting, restricting, or banning artificial (synthetic) turf in unincorporated areas. The County's landscaping rules limit live turf - prohibiting it except in functional recreational areas - but say nothing about synthetic turf, so artificial turf is generally allowed subject to general property and stormwater standards.
Tuolumne County Artificial Turf
Few RestrictionsCalifornia Civil Code § 4735 (common interest developments — HOAs may not prohibit low water-using plants, artificial turf, or compliance with water-efficient landscape ordinances)
rticle 1 added by Stats. 2012, Ch. 180, Sec. 2. ) 4735. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, a provision of the governing documents or architectural or landscaping guidelines or policies shall be void and unenforceable if it does any of the following: (1) Prohibits, or includes conditions that have the effect of prohibiting, the use of low water-using plants as a group or as a replacement of exis...
Composting
Backyard composting is allowed and encouraged in unincorporated Tuolumne County. California's SB 1383 organic-waste recycling law applies, with the County administering the program; Tuolumne County qualifies for a rural exemption. Residents may self-haul or backyard-compost organics. The County's landscape ordinance also mandates compost and mulch use on covered project soils.
Tuolumne County Composting & Organic Waste
Some RestrictionsCalifornia SB 1383 (2015-2016) - Short-lived climate pollutants: organic waste
(1) The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency charged with monitoring and regulating sources of emissions of greenhouse gases. The state board is required to approve a statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit equivalent to the statewide greenhouse gas emissions level in 1990 to be achieved by 2020. The state board is also re...
Landscaping Rules by City in Tuolumne County
1 cities in Tuolumne County have their own landscaping rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Tuolumne County ordinances
See every category we cover for Tuolumne County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Tuolumne County Ordinance Hub →