Yuba County, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

There is no Yuba County ordinance that requires homeowners to trim healthy private trees on a set timetable. The clearest trimming mandate is a fire-safety one. In the State Responsibility Area lands that cover much of the foothills, Public Resources Code Section 4291 requires owners to maintain defensible space and, under Section 4291(a)(2), to remove the portion of any tree that extends within 10 feet of the outlet of a chimney or stovepipe, and to keep limbs from touching the structure. The County's 2030 General Plan, Policy NR10.1, prioritizes retaining existing native trees, and notes that the County's fire-safety standards may override tree retention in certain circumstances, which favors clearance trimming near homes. Separately, vegetation that obstructs a public road or sight lines, or that is dead and hazardous, can be addressed under the County's public-nuisance and right-of-way authority. Encroachment of a neighbor's branches over a property line is a civil matter under California law, not a County code violation. Trees in a County road right-of-way are managed by Public Works rather than by the adjacent owner.