Salinas, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Salinas, 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
- Public works director, written permission required
- Permit validity
- Thirty days maximum from issuance
- Appeal deadline
- Five working days to city clerk
- Council review window
- Forty-five days after appeal received
- Violation penalty
- Misdemeanor under Sec. 35-16
- Cost responsibility
- Property owner pays for benefit removals
Summary
In Salinas, no one may trim, prune, plant, injure, or remove any tree, shrub, or plant on a public street, parkway, or alley without written permission from the public works director. Sec. 35-9 caps every permit at thirty days, and removal requests must state reasons in writing; the applicant covers removal costs when the work benefits them.
No person shall root-trim, trim, prune, plant, injure, remove, or interfere with any tree, shrub or plant upon any street, parkway or alley in the city without written permission therefor from the director. The director is hereby authorized to grant such permission at his discretion, but no such permit shall be valid for a longer period than thirty days after the date of issuance. Any request for permission to remove any tree from any street in the city shall be made in writing to the director clearly stating the reasons for such request. Any tree, plant or shrub removed for the benefit of the applicant, as determined by the director, shall be removed at the expense of the property owner and under the direction of the director.
Full Breakdown
Salinas Municipal Code Sec. 35-9 puts control of every street tree, shrub, and plant squarely under the public works director. Anyone who wants to root-trim, trim, prune, plant, injure, remove, or otherwise interfere with a tree, shrub, or plant standing in a city street, parkway, or alley must first get the director's written permission. The director grants or denies that permission at his discretion, and once issued a permit is only good for thirty days: miss the window and the work has to be repermitted.
A property owner who wants a tree gone must put the request in writing and state the reason; if the director decides the removal benefits the applicant rather than the city, the property owner pays for the removal and the work proceeds under the director's direction. Sec. 35-10 gives a path to challenge an unfavorable ruling: a written objection goes to the city council, which must review and decide within forty-five days of receiving it, and the appeal itself is void unless filed with the city clerk within five working days of the director's decision.
The council's decision is final, and the director enforces it after a five-day waiting period. Anyone who removes or damages a tree without going through this process, or who violates a permit's terms, faces a misdemeanor charge under Sec. 35-16, and Sec. 35-19 separately declares any violation of the chapter a public nuisance. Sec. 35-17 makes clear the city carries no duty of care for private trees; it stays on the property owner to keep a tree from becoming a hazard.
Violations & Fines
Working on a city street tree, parkway, or alley planting without the director's written permit is a misdemeanor under Sec. 35-16, and Sec. 35-19 separately labels any violation a public nuisance the city can abate. A permit that has run past its thirty-day window no longer authorizes the work; continuing counts as unpermitted. Objections to a denial must reach the city clerk within five working days of the director's decision or the right to appeal is lost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in front of my Salinas home?
How long is a Salinas tree removal permit good for?
What happens if I disagree with the director's tree removal decision?
Who pays to remove a street tree in Salinas?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salinas
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