Tree removal permit rules in Santa Barbara County, CA — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Removing protected native deciduous oaks (valley and blue oaks four inches or larger) in the inland rural unincorporated County can require an Oak Tree Removal Permit once cumulative thresholds are exceeded. Most other trees on private land are not subject to a countywide removal permit unless tied to a development or grading permit.
Santa Barbara County's strongest tree-removal control is the Deciduous Oak Tree Protection and Regeneration ordinance (Article IX of Chapter 35, Ordinance No. 4490, adopted April 15, 2003). It applies in the unincorporated inland rural areas outside the coastal zone and urban boundaries, in specified agricultural and resource-management zones (AG-I, AG-II, RES, MT-GOL and Ordinance 661 agricultural zones). A "protected oak" is a valley oak (Quercus lobata) or blue oak (Quercus douglasii) four inches or greater in diameter at breast height. Within a 30-year tracking period, removals are exempt up to acreage-based thresholds (for non-agricultural removal, only 2 oaks on lots under 50 acres, scaling up with acreage); exceeding the threshold requires an Oak Tree Removal Permit from the Planning Commission. Naturally dead or uprooted oaks, oaks within 50 feet of an existing residence, and oaks posing an immediate safety threat are exempt and not counted. Removals associated with a development or grading permit are handled under those permits and the Grading Ordinance (Chapter 14) instead. Outside these oak provisions, the County does not impose a general private-property tree-removal permit, though coastal-zone and development projects carry their own tree-protection conditions.
Removing protected oaks above the thresholds without a permit, or violating Grading Ordinance oak guidelines, is an enforceable violation of Article IX. A determination by the Agricultural Commissioner that a permit was required converts the unpermitted removal into a code violation, subject to the enforcement, legal proceedings, and penalty provisions of Sec. 35-920, plus required replacement planting at the standards in Sec. 35-911.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Santa Barbara County, CA
Curb colors in unincorporated Santa Barbara County follow California Vehicle Code 21458: red means no stopping, yellow is loading only, white is brief passen...
Santa Barbara County, CA
Santa Barbara County may establish loading zones by Board resolution and regulates truck loading zones under County Code (Sec. 23-11 and Sec. 23-305). Califo...
Santa Barbara County, CA
Santa Barbara County Ordinance 5163 (Sec. 12A-25) makes it unlawful to park in a designated EV charging stall in a County parking lot unless the vehicle is a...
Santa Barbara County, CA
California Vehicle Code 22507 lets Santa Barbara County restrict parking of vehicles six feet or more in height within 100 feet of an intersection, but only ...
Santa Barbara County, CA
A vehicle left on a county road more than 72 hours can be removed as abandoned under California Vehicle Code 22651(k). State law (CVC 22660-22669) lets the C...
Santa Barbara County, CA
Fences in unincorporated Santa Barbara County must comply with LUDC Section 35.30.070: stay within the height thresholds for their location, never exceed the...
See how Santa Barbara County's tree removal & heritage trees rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.