Tree removal permit rules in Lake County, CA — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Unincorporated Lake County has no general urban tree-removal permit for individual yard trees. Removal is regulated when it occurs during permitted grading (County Code Ch. 30), on parcels with Scenic (Art. 34) or Environmental Protection (Art. 64) overlays, or as commercial timber harvest, which requires a CAL FIRE Timber Harvesting Plan.
Lake County does not have a city-style ordinance requiring a permit to remove a single tree from a residential yard. Instead, tree removal is regulated indirectly. The County Grading Ordinance (County Code Chapter 30, added July 2007) governs 'clearing' as part of grading; Section 30-14 (Clearing of Vegetation, including firebreaks) and Section 30-14.2 (Clearing of Vegetation - Rangeland Management) address vegetation removal, so clearing trees as part of a grading project can require a grading permit and erosion control. The Zoning Ordinance's Scenic Combining District (Article 34) protects scenic resources and the Environmental Protection provisions (Article 64) can condition or restrict tree removal on parcels carrying those overlays, especially during development. Commercial harvesting of timber is regulated by the State, not the County: a Timber Harvesting Plan (THP) prepared by a Registered Professional Forester and a Licensed Timber Operator, processed through CAL FIRE's CalTREES system, is required. California also lacks a statewide private oak-removal permit, so protection of Lake County's oak woodlands comes mainly from the General Plan, CEQA review on discretionary projects, and these overlay districts rather than a blanket removal ordinance.
Removing trees as unpermitted grading or clearing is a violation of County Code Chapter 30, subject to stop-work orders, restoration/erosion-control requirements, and code-enforcement penalties. Tree removal that violates Scenic Combining District (Article 34) or Environmental Protection (Article 64) conditions is enforced by Community Development as a zoning violation. Conducting commercial timber operations without a valid CAL FIRE THP and Licensed Timber Operator is enforced by the State under the Forest Practice Act.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
lake-county-ca
Unincorporated Lake County does not publish a single countywide park-curfew ordinance section. The County operates more than two dozen parks and recreation a...
lake-county-ca
In unincorporated Lake County, Section 41.8 of the Zoning Ordinance prohibits any unobstructed beam of light from being directed beyond a property's exterior...
lake-county-ca
Unincorporated Lake County has no standalone 'dark sky' ordinance, but Section 41.8 of the Zoning Ordinance requires that all exterior lighting accessory to ...
lake-county-ca
Unincorporated Lake County has no sign category specifically named 'garage sale signs.' Garage and yard sales are addressed as 'rummage sales' in the Zoning ...
lake-county-ca
In unincorporated Lake County, temporary political signs are permitted in all zoning districts under Section 45.3(x) of the Zoning Ordinance. No political si...
lake-county-ca
Unincorporated Lake County has no standalone tiny-home ordinance. A tiny home on a foundation is treated as a dwelling or ADU under state law, and a pre-appr...
See how Lake County's tree removal & heritage trees rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.