Long Beach, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Long Beach, 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
- LBMC § 21.42.050.B.3
- Scope
- Required street/parkway trees only
- Removal grounds
- Dead, dying, hazard, or approved replacement
- Finding by
- Director of Public Works
- Approval recorded with
- Department of Development Services, before removal
- Default penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine / 6 months jail (§1.32.010)
Summary
Long Beach bars removal of a required street tree in the parkway unless the Director of Public Works finds it dead, dying, or a hazard to curb, gutter, sidewalk or roadway, or clears it as part of a City-approved replacement program. LBMC § 21.42.050.B.3 requires that finding be recorded with the Department of Development Services before the tree comes down.
3.Removal. No street tree shall be removed unless found by the Director of Public Works to be dead, dying, or a public hazard due to damage to curb, gutter, sidewalk or roadway or potential for falling, or for replacement of trees in an approved street tree program. Such approval shall be recorded with the Department of Development Services before the tree is removed.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 52 Update 1 | City Charter: Supplement 5).
Full Breakdown
1. 3 limits removal to trees the Director of Public Works finds dead, dying, or a public hazard because of damage to curb, gutter, sidewalk or roadway, or because of a falling risk, or trees being taken out for replacement under an approved street tree program. Critically, the Director's finding isn't enough on its own, the approval has to be recorded with the Department of Development Services before the tree is removed, giving the City a paper trail tying the cut to an authorized reason.
The rule is narrow in scope: it governs the required street trees in the public right-of-way frontage, not general backyard or private-yard trees, and Long Beach's code has no separate heritage-tree or private-tree removal permit chapter elsewhere in Title 21. 2, the owner owes an in-lieu fee to the Director of Public Works to fund planting elsewhere.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 21.42 isn't on the Code's short list of sections reclassified as infractions, so an unauthorized street-tree removal defaults to LBMC § 1.32.010's general penalty: a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in jail, or both, with each day the violation continues charged as a separate offense. The Code also deems any resulting violation a public nuisance that the City may summarily abate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cut down the tree in my parkway if I don't like it?
Does this cover trees in my backyard, not just the parkway?
What happens if I remove a street tree without approval?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Long Beach
California rules heatmap·Compare Long Beach to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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