San Luis Obispo County, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

County Land Use Ordinance Chapter 22.56 requires that trees proposed for removal be identified by flagging, staking, or paint spotting prior to inspection, and approval is conditioned on findings that the tree obstructs proposed improvements that cannot reasonably be redesigned, blocks needed solar access, or presents a hazard (Sec. 22.56.030). Chapter 22.58 (Oak Woodland Ordinance) further protects native oak woodlands: removal of 1-3 acres over a 10-year period requires a Minor Use Permit, more than 3 acres requires a Conditional Use Permit, clear-cutting cannot exceed 5% of a site's total Oak Woodland Canopy (Sec. 22.58.060), and clear-cutting of contiguous oaks of 1 acre or more is prohibited on slopes of 30% or greater. A 'Heritage Oak' - an individual oak with a diameter at breast height of 48 inches or greater, separated from stands by at least 500 feet - requires a Minor Use Permit to remove. Exemptions include single-family residential development, conservation easements, public utility work, fence-line establishment, emergencies, and the creation of fire breaks. Routine pruning, trimming, and maintenance of non-protected trees and of trees on residential parcels is generally not regulated by the County; California Civil Code Sec. 833-834 governs boundary trees and a neighbor's right to trim encroaching branches to the property line.