Sacramento County, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

Under Sacramento County's Tree Preservation and Protection Ordinance (County Code Chapter 19.12, with definitions in Chapter 19.04), no person may destroy, kill, or remove a protected tree in the designated urban area of the unincorporated county without a tree permit. Protected trees include native oak trees (protected on both public and private property), landmark trees (defined as an especially prominent or stately tree on any land in the county), and all public trees. The Department of Planning and Environmental Review issues permits; an application requires a site sketch, photos, the trunk diameter measured 4.5 feet above the ground, and the reason for removal. Permits to remove protected trees are typically granted only when preservation methods have been exhausted, or where the tree is dead, an immediate safety hazard, severely diseased, or causing significant property damage. When a protected oak is approved for removal, replacement is generally required. Violations are treated as a misdemeanor and public nuisance under Chapter 19.12; penalties can include up to six months in jail, a fine, and a requirement to replace illegally removed oaks in-kind with specimen trees (no less than 15-gallon size) totaling the combined diameter of the removed trees, or to pay the retail cost into the County Tree Preservation Fund if the site cannot support replacements. This is distinct from formally designated heritage trees and from the dedicated tree-protection permit program (see tree-protection/tree-removal-permits).