Tree removal permit rules in Napa, CA — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Tree removal in the City of Napa is governed by Chapter 12.45 (Trees on Private Property) for Protected Native Trees and Chapter 12.44 (Public Trees and Plants) for street and city trees. Removal of any Protected Native Tree - including Valley Oak, Coast Live Oak, Black Oak, California Bay, or Black Walnut at 12-inch DBH; Blue Oak at 6-inch DBH; or Coast Redwood at 36-inch DBH - on qualifying lots is prohibited without a permit from the Tree Advisory Commission. Routine removal of dead, diseased, or hazardous trees that are not Protected Natives generally does not require a Napa permit. Street-tree removal requires Public Works/Parks and Recreation Services approval.
Tree-removal authority in Napa centers on Chapter 12.45 (Trees on Private Property) (https://ecode360.com/43393111) and Chapter 12.44 (Public Trees and Plants) (https://ecode360.com/43393062). Chapter 12.45 defines a Protected Native Tree as one of seven listed native species at the applicable DBH threshold (Valley Oak Quercus lobata 12 inches, Coast Live Oak Quercus agrifolia 12 inches, Black Oak Quercus kelloggii 12 inches, Blue Oak Quercus douglasii 6 inches, Coast Redwood Sequoia sempervirens 36 inches, California Bay Umbellularia californica 12 inches, Black Walnut Juglans hindsii 12 inches) located on private property over one acre zoned for residential or agricultural purposes, or on any property zoned commercial or industrial. Removal of any Protected Native Tree is prohibited without a permit applied for by the property owner and granted under §12.45.090. Where there is no pending discretionary development application, the Tree Advisory Commission decides the permit after a noticed public hearing with mailed notice to all owners within a 300-foot radius. The Commission may grant the permit only on specific findings: the tree must be removed to make reasonable use of the property and no reasonable design alternative exists; the tree's disease, danger of falling, or interference with utilities requires removal for public health and safety; or the tree or its roots are causing or threatening serious or unmitigable damage to a building. Removal is exempt from permit only for trees damaged by natural disasters and determined dangerous by the City Manager or designee, for active firefighting, and for trees determined hazardous by the Director on evidence of hazardous condition. Routine removal of a non-protected tree on a private residential lot does not require a Napa permit. Street and city trees in the public right-of-way are managed by Parks and Recreation Services under Chapter 12.44 and may not be removed without Director authorization or a Chapter 12.44 permit. Major development sites with one acre or more of disturbance also trigger California State Water Board Construction General Permit (Order WQ 2022-0057-DWQ) erosion-and-sediment-control requirements.
Removing a Protected Native Tree without a Chapter 12.45 permit is a Municipal Code violation, with administrative citation, restitution measured by ISA tree-appraisal methodology, mandatory replacement at the Chapter 12.45 ratio (2 trees per 6 inches of removed-tree DBH at minimum 15-gallon container size), and a three-year survivability security bond. Unauthorized removal of a city or street tree under Chapter 12.44 may trigger restitution for the appraised tree value and standard code-violation penalties; the Director may also require replacement planting. Large-scale unauthorized clearing may trigger State Water Board stormwater enforcement under the Construction General Permit.
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