Hawthorne, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Hawthorne, 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
- Covers
- Trees/vegetation on streets, parks, alleys, city property
- Permit issued by
- Director of Parks and Recreation
- Emergency utility work
- Allowed if permit filed retroactively next business day
- Appeal window
- 15 days to parks & recreation commission
- Penalty
- Infraction, $100/$200/$500 fine schedule
Summary
Hawthorne bars anyone, including utility companies, from cutting, trimming, removing, or otherwise interfering with any tree, shrub, or plant on a city street, park, boulevard, alley, or other city property without a permit from the director of parks and recreation, under Municipal Code § 8.12.030.
No person, firm or corporation, including utility companies, shall cut, trim, prune, plant, remove, injure or interfere with any tree, shrub, plant or vegetation in or upon any street, park, boulevard, alley or property of the city without a permit issued by the director; provided, however, that any person maintaining any pipe, conduit or pole in any street by virtue of any law, ordinance or franchise may proceed without a permit when circumstances require the work to be done immediately for the preservation of the public peace, health, safety or welfare if the permit could not reasonably and practically have been obtained beforehand, but such person shall thereafter apply for a permit on the first regular business day on which the office of the director is open for business and such permit shall be retroactive to the date when the work was begun.
Full Breakdown
020. 030 makes it unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation, including utility companies, to cut, trim, prune, plant, remove, injure, or interfere with any tree, shrub, plant, or vegetation on a street, park, boulevard, alley, or other city property without the director's permit. A narrow emergency exception lets a utility with a franchise proceed without a permit if immediate work is required for public peace, health, safety, or welfare and a permit could not reasonably have been obtained beforehand, but that person must apply for the permit the very next regular business day, with the permit applying retroactively to when the work began.
040 requires plans and specifications, and the director may demand a surety bond or cash deposit sized to cover potential city expenses, plus a public liability insurance policy in an amount the city attorney sets. 050 separately bars cutting, breaking, or defacing any covered tree or plant except by city employees or permit holders. 080, and the commission's ruling is final unless the city council overrules it.
Violations & Fines
Cutting, trimming, planting, or removing a covered street or park tree without the director's permit is designated an infraction under § 1.22.010, which lists § 8.12.030 by number, punishable per § 1.22.030's schedule of $100 for a first violation, $200 for a second within a year, and $500 for each additional violation within that year. A permit holder who violates the conditions of an issued permit also risks forfeiture of any bond or cash deposit posted under § 8.12.040.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Hawthorne require a permit to remove a tree in my own backyard?
Can a utility company trim a Hawthorne street tree without waiting for a permit?
What happens if I disagree with the director's tree permit decision?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hawthorne
California rules heatmap·Compare Hawthorne to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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Tree Removal & Heritage Trees in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle tree removal & heritage trees.