Tree removal permit rules in Ontario, CA — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Private yard trees in Ontario can usually be removed without a city permit, but parkway street trees are city-owned and need a Public Works permit. Commercial landscape plan trees require plan revision.
Ontario does not have a generalized heritage or private property tree ordinance, so homeowners may usually remove a tree on their own lot without a city permit, subject to HOA rules and any recorded landscape plan. Street trees in the parkway strip, however, are city-owned under Ontario Municipal Code Chapter 2 tree provisions and cannot be removed by a resident. Removal requires application to Ontario Public Works, review of the tree's health and safety condition, and often replacement at the owner's expense. For commercial, industrial, and multi-family properties built under a city-approved site plan, trees shown on the approved landscape plan are considered required landscaping. Removal requires a revision to the approved plan through Planning and Building with one-for-one replacement. California Public Resources Code 21083.4 protects oak woodlands from conversion but applies mainly to rural development. Removal contractors operating in Ontario must hold a valid California contractors license and carry insurance.
Illegal removal of a city street tree is cited by Public Works with mandatory replacement plus recovery costs. Removing required landscape plan trees at a commercial site triggers Planning enforcement and potentially a stop work order until replacement is approved.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in San Bernardino County.
See how other cities in San Bernardino County handle tree removal & heritage trees.
See how Ontario's tree removal & heritage trees rules stack up against other locations.
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