Ventura County, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Ventura 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
- Applies to
- unincorporated coastal zone only
- Governing rule
- Ord. Code § 8178-7.2, § 8178-7.5.1
- Native tree threshold
- 3 inches diameter at 4.5 ft
- Heritage tree threshold
- 28-inch single trunk
- Native replacement ratio
- 10 replacement trees per tree removed
- Bird nesting closure
- Jan 1 to Sept 15 no removal
- Permitting agency
- Ventura County Planning Division
Summary
In the unincorporated coastal zone, no one may remove, alter, or transplant a protected tree without a tree permit. Ventura County Ordinance Code Section 8178-7 applies to every native, historic, heritage, or ESHA-qualifying tree in the coastal zone and routes most removals through a discretionary Planned Development Permit.
8178-7.2 - Applicability. This Section 8181-7 applies to the alteration, transplantation, or removal of every tree within the coastal zone. ... 8178-7.5.1 - Planned Development Permit. No person shall remove, alter, or transplant a protected tree without obtaining a Planning Director approved Planned Development Permit, unless it is exempt from a permit (pursuant to Section 8178-7.5.3) or requires only a Zoning Clearance (pursuant to Section 8178-7.5.2) or Emergency Coastal Development Permit (see Section 8178-7.5.4). A Planned Development Permit is required to remove, alter, or transplant a protected tree classified as ESHA.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 51).
Full Breakdown
3 if it is a native tree at least 3 inches in diameter (or a multi-trunk tree with two trunks totaling 6 inches), a historic tree tied to a designated cultural site, a heritage tree with a 28-inch trunk (or 22 inches across two trunks), or a tree that functions as ESHA habitat, such as a nesting or denning site. 1 requires a Planning Director-approved Planned Development Permit to remove, alter, or transplant any protected tree, and that permit is mandatory for any tree classified as ESHA, for post-removal cleanup where a tree was cut without a permit, for canopy pruning over 20 percent, or for any encroachment into the tree's root protection zone.
1). 3 exempts nursery stock, commercial avocado/citrus/nut orchard replacement and thinning, fuel-modification-zone limb work, and naturally fallen dead trees confirmed as fire hazards, provided the tree is not ESHA. 6(d).
Violations & Fines
Removing or altering a protected tree without the required Planned Development Permit or Zoning Clearance triggers a notice of violation under Section 8183-5.6, and civil administrative penalties attach once that notice becomes final, meaning it was not appealed under Section 8181-9 or the appeal was resolved against the violator. Notices go out by first-class mail and are deemed served three days after mailing; the Planning Director's designees act as Enforcement Officers empowered to impose the penalties. An unpermitted removal also triggers mandatory tree replacement under Section 8178-7.6.1's ratios rather than excusing the mitigation requirement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to remove a tree on my unincorporated Ventura County coastal property?
Can I remove a dead or fallen tree without a permit?
What happens if I remove a protected tree without applying first?
Does this rule apply if I live in Oxnard or Thousand Oaks?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ventura County
California rules heatmap·Compare Ventura County to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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