Fairfield, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Fairfield, 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
- Governing section
- FMC § 25.36.5(A)
- Permit type
- Administrative Tree Removal Permit
- Issued by
- Director of Community Development
- Review track
- Minor Discretionary Approval, § 25.40.4
- Illegal removal penalty
- Infraction plus 3 inches mitigation per inch removed
- Emergency exception
- § 25.36.10, imminent danger only
Summary
Removing a protected tree in Fairfield without City review is a code violation: Section 25.36.5 requires anyone wanting to take down a protected tree outside a City-reviewed project to obtain an Administrative Tree Removal Permit from the Director of Community Development first.
Any person proposing to remove a protected tree not as part of a project subject to review by the Department, the Commission, or the Council, or where such removal is not subject to the Public Tree Conservation Policy referenced in Section 25.36.8 shall make application to the Director of Community Development for a Tree Removal Permit. The application must be submitted prior to the time desired to physically perform the regulated activity, and the permit shall be processed in accordance with the procedures for Minor Discretionary Approval items (see Section 25.40.4).
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-02, passed February 17, 2026).
Full Breakdown
3, which covers all public trees plus qualifying native oaks, bay laurel, madrone and buckeye on undeveloped private land. 4. 7, such as storm damage, disease, no feasible alternative to allow reasonable use of the property, conflict with utilities, or severe irreversible decline, and the Director can require a report from a certified arborist, horticulturist or botanist to back the claim. Written consent from the property's owner of record is mandatory on every application. 9, generally on an inch-for-inch replacement basis using standard nursery sizes, where a 24-inch box tree counts as 3 replacement inches and a 15-gallon tree as 1.
10 carves out an emergency exception when removal is immediately necessary to protect life, health or property from imminent danger, with no permit required beforehand.
Violations & Fines
Removing, cutting down, excessively pruning, topping or otherwise causing the decline of a protected tree without a permit is unlawful under Section 25.36.4 and charged as an infraction under FMC § 1.7, enforceable by administrative citation; violators must also plant mitigation trees at three replacement inches for every inch removed, on top of any citation penalty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to remove a protected tree in Fairfield?
What reasons justify a Fairfield tree removal permit?
What happens if I cut down a protected tree without a permit in Fairfield?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fairfield
California rules heatmap·Compare Fairfield to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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Tree Removal & Heritage Trees in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Solano County handle tree removal & heritage trees.