Riverside County, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Riverside 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
- Permit required
- Above 5,000 ft, parcels over 0.5 acre
- Applies to
- Living native trees, unincorporated county only
- Review time
- 60 days for planning director decision
- Violation penalty
- Ordinance 725 fine plus replacement tree
- Governing law
- Riverside County Code § 12.24
Summary
Removing a living native tree from land over half an acre above 5,000 feet elevation in unincorporated Riverside County requires a planning department permit, with narrow exemptions for hazard, dead, or already-permitted removals.
No person shall remove any living native tree on any parcel or property greater than one-half acre in size, located in an area above five thousand (5,000) feet in elevation and within the unincorporated area of the county, without first obtaining a permit to do so, unless exempted by the provisions of Section 12.24.040.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 84 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Riverside County Code § 12.24.010 bans removing any living native tree, species reaching 30 feet tall and 12 inches in diameter, from parcels larger than half an acre sited above 5,000 feet elevation in the unincorporated county, unless the planning director issues a removal permit. Applications go to the planning department with a CEQA review and a filing fee set by Ordinance 671; the director has 60 days to approve, conditionally approve, or deny. Exemptions cover dead, diseased, or hazardous trees, utility clearance, and trees within 20 feet of a permitted structure. Illegal removal requires planting a replacement tree within six months, on top of penalties under Ordinance 725.
Violations & Fines
Cutting, burning, poisoning, or over-pruning a protected tree without a permit triggers Ordinance 725 penalties plus a mandatory five-gallon replacement tree of the same species within six months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the tree removal permit apply inside Riverside, Temecula, or other cities?
What trees are exempt from the permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Riverside County
California rules heatmap·Compare Riverside County to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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