Downey, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Downey, 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
- Permit required
- Yes, from Public Works Dept
- Removal conditions
- 10 enumerated grounds in § 7623
- Appeal path
- To the Director, decision final
- Contractor insurance
- $2,000,000 minimum coverage
- Emergency authority
- Director may remove hazard trees anytime
Summary
Removing a Downey street tree, City-owned or planted in the public right-of-way, requires a valid Public Works Department permit under Municipal Code § 7623, and only ten enumerated conditions, from disease and structural instability to power-line conflicts, justify removal. A denied request can be appealed to the Director under § 7624, whose decision is final.
§ 7623. REMOVAL. No person (other than the City or persons acting under the City's authority) shall cause, permit, or allow the removal of any street tree without having first obtained a valid permit therefor from the Public Works Department, and without complying with all conditions of said permit and adhering to all applicable regulations set forth in this chapter. ... The following are conditions permitting removal: (a) Where the tree, foliage or any limb is growing into and interfering with overhead power lines and there is no feasible alternative to mitigate the interference; (b) Where a written determination has been made after a visual inspection and evaluation that the tree is dead, seriously diseased or damaged that it is no longer viable or it is a threat to property or to other trees; ... (e) Where the tree is a potential safety hazard due to the risk of it falling and its structural instability cannot be remedied, or where any other risk to persons or property is presented.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4807734; v5 updated 2026-01-27).
Full Breakdown
Section 7623, titled Removal, opens Chapter 6's removal framework with a blanket permit requirement: no one other than the City or someone acting under the City's authority may cause, permit or allow the removal of any street tree without first getting a valid permit from the Public Works Department and following every condition attached to it. The Public Works Maintenance Services Division can independently trim or remove any City-owned tree or plant, regardless of location, whenever the Director determines removal or trimming is necessary to eliminate a hazard or risk to public safety or property.
Beyond that emergency authority, § 7623 lists ten specific conditions that permit removal: interference with overhead power lines with no feasible fix; a written determination after visual inspection that the tree is dead, seriously diseased or damaged and no longer viable; poor form from stunted growth with no community benefit to preserving it; interference with utility services or a street or highway with no reasonable alternative; a structural-instability safety hazard that cannot be remedied; damage to building foundations, retaining walls, roadways, driveways, sidewalks, curbs, patios or decks, or interference with property use; hosting a parasite harmful to other tree species; belonging to a pyrophytic or highly flammable species flagged as a public safety hazard; blocking line-of-sight to a traffic control device that trimming cannot fix; or otherwise presenting a hazard or potential liability to the City.
Section 7624 sets the appeal path: a person who disagrees with the Maintenance Services Division's removal decision may appeal to the Director, whose ruling is final, and a City tree may be removed only if it meets one of the § 7623 conditions.
Violations & Fines
Removing or permitting the removal of a street tree without the § 7623 permit is unlawful under Chapter 6, and § 7625 separately makes it a violation to let a private-property tree, shrub or plant create a hazard to any public street, park or right-of-way. Contractors who trim or remove parkway trees commercially must also carry at least $2,000,000 in commercial general liability, property damage, auto and workers' compensation coverage on file with the City under § 7622.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I remove a street tree in front of my Downey house myself?
What if Downey denies my street tree removal request?
Does a diseased tree automatically qualify for removal in Downey?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Downey
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