Santa Barbara County, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Santa Barbara County, 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
- County Code Sec. 35-909
- Protected tree size
- 4+ inches diameter at breast height
- Non-ag exemption (small lot)
- 2 trees per 30-year period, under 50 acres
- Replacement ratio
- 15 replacement trees per tree removed
- Decision body
- Planning Commission, noticed hearing
- Max civil penalty
- $25,000 per violation
Summary
Removing a protected deciduous oak, four inches or more in trunk diameter, in the county's inland rural agricultural and resource zones outside the coastal zone requires an oak tree removal permit once you exceed a set threshold, under County Code Sec. 35-909. Approval comes from the planning commission after a public hearing.
Protected Oak Tree. A deciduous oak tree four inches or greater in diameter at breast height. ... Oak Tree Removal Permit. A discretionary permit required as prescribed by this ordinance prior to removal of a specified number of protected deciduous oak trees within the inland rural areas of the county. ... Sec. 35-909. - Oak tree removal for non-agricultural purposes. (a)Within the thirty-year removal tracking period, the removal of protected deciduous oak trees for non-agricultural purposes from a lot, within the limits set forth in the table below, shall be exempt from the permit requirements of section 35-909.2, provided that the landowner complies with all applicable provisions of the county grading ordinance prior to the oak tree removal. ... (b)Within a removal tracking period, the removal of protected deciduous oak trees for non-agricultural purposes (as defined in section 35-906) from a lot in excess of the limits set forth in section 35-909.1 shall require approval of an oak tree removal permit.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 44 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Article IX applies in the Agriculture I/II, Resource Management, and Mountainous Goleta zones under Article III and IV of Chapter 35, and equivalent agricultural zones of Ordinance 661, outside the coastal zone and the Goleta and Toro Canyon habitat overlays, per Sec. 35-902. Trees that are already dead, uprooted, within fifty feet of a residence, or an immediate safety hazard are exempt and don't count toward the limit under Sec. 35-907. For non-agricultural removal, Sec. 35-909 sets a sliding exemption scale by lot size, from two trees on a lot under 50 acres up to twelve trees on a lot over 899 acres, within a rolling thirty-year tracking period; removals for agricultural purposes get a separate, larger table under Sec.
35-908. Exceeding the threshold requires an oak tree removal permit, decided by the planning commission at a noticed public hearing under Sec. 35-914, with a right of appeal to the board of supervisors under Sec. 35-919. Where a permit is required, replacement trees must be planted at a 15:1 ratio, spaced 20 to 180 feet apart, sourced from local acorns, fenced against grazing, and nurtured for five years until ten of every group of replacement trees per removed tree survive unassisted, per Sec. 35-911. Fees are set by board resolution under Sec. 35-904, and a notice of the permit and replanting obligation must be recorded against the property title.
Violations & Fines
Unpermitted removal is a declared public nuisance under Sec. 35-920.4(a)(1) and can draw an infraction fine of up to $100 per tree for a first offense, $200 per tree for a second offense within a year, and $500 per tree after that, or, if charged as a misdemeanor at the district attorney's discretion, a fine of $500 to $25,000 and up to six months in county jail. The county can also seek a civil penalty of up to $25,000 per violation, an injunction, and recovery of its administrative enforcement costs under Sec. 35-920.4(b) and Sec. 35-920.6.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to remove an oak tree on my Santa Barbara County property?
What counts as a protected oak tree?
What happens if I remove protected oaks without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Barbara County
California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Barbara County to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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