Bakersfield, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Bakersfield, CA, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Replacement window
- 120 days of removal
- Replacement size cap
- 48-inch box container
- Governing chapter
- BMC Chapter 17.61 Landscape Standards
- Exemption
- 4 units or fewer, non-subdivision projects
- Enforcement
- Planning director / Chapter 1.40 citations
Summary
Bakersfield requires developers who voluntarily remove a tree from an approved commercial or multi-family landscape plan to replace it within 120 days at the same average size, up to a 48-inch box container, per Municipal Code § 17.61.050.
Trees voluntarily removed from an existing project, except when necessary for the protection of public safety, property damage, or liability, or damage or loss by acts of nature, the willful unlawful acts of persons other than the property owner, or by complying with other federal or state laws or actions, shall be replaced at the average size of what is or was existing not to exceed a forty-eight-inch box container size. Said trees shall be replaced within one hundred twenty days of removal.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 5221, passed July 15, 2026).
Full Breakdown
61 governs landscape standards for development projects reviewed by the planning director. 050(B), trees voluntarily removed from an existing approved project must be replaced at the average size of what existed, capped at a 48-inch box container, and the replacement must happen within 120 days of removal. 61. The rule exempts removals necessary for public safety, to prevent property damage or liability, losses from acts of nature, unlawful acts by third parties, or compliance with other federal or state law. 050(A) also requires that any replacement planting conform to the original landscape design intent and the state's Model Water Efficient Landscaping Ordinance (MWELO).
40. 030(7) exempts residential projects of four units or fewer that are not part of a larger subdivision. Property owners planning to remove an approved-plan tree should photograph the tree, document the qualifying exception if one applies, and coordinate replacement species/size with the planning division before work begins to avoid a correction order.
Violations & Fines
Failure to replace a required tree within 120 days triggers a notice of violation or correction order from the planning division; continued noncompliance can escalate to a citation under Chapter 1.40 and any other administrative remedy available under the code or state law. There is no fixed statutory fine amount in § 17.61.050 itself: penalties follow the city's general citation schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this rule apply to a single-family home in Bakersfield?
What size replacement tree does Bakersfield require?
Can I remove a tree without replacing it if it's diseased or hazardous?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bakersfield
California rules heatmap·Compare Bakersfield to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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