Stockton, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Stockton, 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
- Protected trunk size
- 16 inches diameter at 24 inches above grade
- Review authority
- Community Development Director
- Public notice radius
- 300 feet of the tree
- Replacement ratio
- 3-for-1, minimum 15-gallon stock
- Appeal path
- City Council under Chapter 16.100
Summary
Stockton bans harming or removing a heritage tree, defined by species and trunk size, without a Heritage Tree Permit from the Community Development Department. Applications go through a public-notice review, and removing one without a permit draws a fine under the Council's fee resolution.
It is unlawful for a heritage tree that is located in the City to be: 1. Harmed, injured, defaced, or destroyed; and 2. Removed, cause to be removed, effectively removed (as defined in Division 8 (Glossary)), without first obtaining a permit from the Department in compliance with Chapter 16.130 (Heritage Tree Permit), except for emergencies in compliance with Section 16.130.050 (Emergency).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4970744; v11 updated 2026-07-07).
Full Breakdown
130 (Heritage Tree Permit), except in an emergency. A heritage tree is any Valley Oak (Quercus lobata), Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia), or Interior Live Oak (Quercus wislizenii) with a trunk diameter of 16 inches or more measured 24 inches above grade; multi-trunk oaks count trunks of six inches or more toward the combined total. 84, pays the fee set by Council resolution, and submits the tree count, circumference, location, removal reason, and a scaled site drawing. The Director decides based on the tree's disease or fall risk, proximity to structures or utilities, whether the removal is necessary to build proposed improvements (and whether plans could be revised to save the tree instead), erosion and drainage effects, and how many similar trees exist nearby.
100. Emergency removals for trees posing an imminent public-safety threat skip the hearing but still need a Director-signed permit before the work, and no fee or replacement is required. Every other approved or unauthorized removal triggers mandatory replacement at a three-to-one ratio, with replacement stock at least 15-gallon container size, planted on the same parcel where feasible or otherwise in a City park or Director-designated site.
Violations & Fines
Removing, effectively removing, or otherwise harming, injuring, or defacing a heritage tree without a permit is a violation of § 16.130.030 and triggers a fine under the City Council's fee resolution, plus mandatory three-for-one replacement planting under § 16.130.060. Emergency removals are exempt from the fine and replacement only if a Director-signed emergency permit was obtained beforehand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which trees in Stockton need a removal permit?
What happens if I remove a heritage tree without a permit in Stockton?
Can I remove a hazardous heritage tree immediately?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Stockton
California rules heatmap·Compare Stockton to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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Tree Removal & Heritage Trees in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Joaquin County handle tree removal & heritage trees.