Lakewood, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Lakewood, 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 authority
- Director of Public Works
- Removal grounds
- On Tree Removal Plan, diseased, or blocks repairs
- Appeal window
- 10 days to City Council
- CEQA review
- Required unless exempt, ministerial, or emergency
- Replacement condition
- Director may require replanting from Master Tree List
Summary
Removing, trimming, or altering any roadside or public tree in Lakewood requires a written permit from the Director of Public Works, granted only if the tree sits on the adopted Tree Removal Plan, is dead or diseased beyond saving, or blocks required curb, gutter, or sidewalk work.
§ 7142. Prohibited Conduct Without a Permit. No person, firm or corporation shall plant, move, spray, fertilize, brace, trim, do surgery work, cut above or below ground, disturb, or alter any tree in any roadside tree area or on other public property of the City of Lakewood, or perform any maintenance work other than irrigation, nor cause or permit such acts to be done, without first obtaining a written permit from the Director of Public Works... § 7144. Permit. The Director of Public Works shall have the authority to grant permission to any property owner or occupier... to remove at his or her own expense a roadside and, tree if any of the following facts are found to exist: A. Said tree is designated on the Tree Removal Plan. B. Said tree is dead, dying, decayed or diseased beyond reclamation. C. The removal of said tree is necessary by reason of curb and gutter or sidewalk repair or in the way of the installation of new curb, gutter, sidewalk or driveway.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4901715; v5 updated 2026-04-28; through 04-28-2026).
Full Breakdown
Lakewood Municipal Code § 7142 makes it unlawful to plant, move, spray, fertilize, brace, trim, cut, disturb, or otherwise alter any tree in a roadside tree area or on other City property without a written permit from the Director of Public Works, who issues it only if the work is necessary and the proposed method is satisfactory. 2, the tree is dead, dying, decayed, or diseased beyond reclamation, or removal is necessary because of curb, gutter, sidewalk repair, or new driveway installation. The Director can condition a removal permit on replanting a replacement tree from the Master Tree and Planting List, require a cash deposit or bond to secure the work and cover inspection costs, and, if the permittee fails to perform, enter the property and finish the job at the permittee's expense.
A property owner refused a permit has ten days from written notice to appeal to the City Council, which reviews only whether the ministerial criteria in § 7144(A)-(C) were met. 1 sends the application to the Director of Community Development and the Planning Environment Commission for environmental review, with a further ten-day appeal to the City Council for a hearing de novo. Section 7148 separately declares diseased trees interfering with sidewalk or street visibility a public nuisance the City can abate.
Violations & Fines
Cutting, trimming, spraying, or removing a roadside or City tree without a Director of Public Works permit, or fastening signs and wires to one, violates §§ 7145 through 7147 and is enforced by the Director of Public Works; the citywide misdemeanor penalty in § 1200 applies, with a fine up to the state maximum, up to six months in jail, or both, and each day treated separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in front of my Lakewood house?
What if the Director of Public Works denies my tree removal application?
Can the City make me plant a new tree if mine is removed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lakewood
California rules heatmap·Compare Lakewood 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.