San Bernardino, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

Municipal Code Chapter 15.34 makes it unlawful for any owner, agent, firm or association to cut down, uproot, destroy or remove more than five trees within a 36-month period from a development site or parcel without a permit from the City Development Services Department (§ 15.34.020). To apply, the property owner or agent must file a written application with the Planning Official before any removal work begins. The Planning Official then has ten working days to inspect the property and decide whether the trees can be removed without detriment to the environment and community welfare; if so, the permit issues, subject to any reasonable conditions the Planning Official attaches (§ 15.34.040(A)).

If the inspection shows removal would harm the environment or public safety and welfare, the Planning Official must deny the permit (§ 15.34.040(B)). A denied applicant can appeal to the Mayor and City Council under the procedures in Chapter 2.64 (§ 15.34.040(C)). Every application must include an inspection fee set by City Council resolution (§ 15.34.050). The permit requirement does not apply where a government agency has already ordered tree removal for health and safety reasons, where a government entity or its employees perform the removal, or on commercial tree farms (§ 15.34.030). The chapter's stated purpose is protecting public safety, welfare and the environment through regulation of tree removal citywide (§ 15.34.010).