Huntington Beach, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- State highway/arterial clearance
- 13 feet 6 inches minimum
- Local street clearance
- 11 feet minimum
- Sidewalk/parkway clearance
- 9 feet minimum
- Correction window
- 10 days from notice
- Enforcing officer
- Director of Public Works
Summary
Huntington Beach requires trees, bushes, and vines that overhang a public street or sidewalk to be trimmed to a minimum vertical clearance under Municipal Code Section 8.17.010: 13 feet 6 inches over state highways and arterials, 11 feet over local streets, and 9 feet over sidewalks and parkways. Owners who fail to comply face a nuisance abatement notice from the Director of Public Works.
Trees, bushes, vines or any other vegetation growing in, upon, or overhanging any public right-of-way shall be deemed to interfere with and obstruct the vision or free passage of pedestrians or vehicles upon said public right-of-way, within the meaning of this section, unless the lower limbs, twigs or leaves of such trees, bushes, vines or vegetation are kept removed at all times so as to provide an unobstructed clearance, including a minimum vertical clearance of: 1. Thirteen feet six inches over that portion of state highways and arterials improved, designed or ordinarily used for vehicular traffic; 2. Eleven feet over that portion of local streets improved, designed, or ordinarily used for vehicular traffic; 3. Nine feet over the sidewalk and parkway area of all streets.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4954605; v17 updated 2026-06-16).
Full Breakdown
17, Public Rights-of-Way, targets vegetation that blocks sight lines or passage on streets and sidewalks. 010(A) makes it unlawful for any owner, lessee, or occupant of a lot abutting a street or sidewalk to let limbs, twigs, or leaves interfere with pedestrian or vehicle passage. Subsection B sets exact minimum vertical clearances that trees, bushes, vines, and other vegetation overhanging a public right-of-way must maintain at all times: 13 feet 6 inches over the portion of state highways and arterial streets used for vehicle traffic, 11 feet over local streets used for vehicle traffic, and 9 feet over the sidewalk and parkway area of any street.
Falling short of any of these clearances is deemed, by the ordinance's own language, to obstruct vision or free passage. 015, separately bars vegetation from a lot abutting a flood control or drainage channel from interfering with water flow, though it sets no specific clearance figure. 020. 040). If the owner does not trim the vegetation within the 10-day window, the City may remove the obstruction itself and bill the property owner for the cost.
Violations & Fines
Vegetation that falls below the 13-foot-6-inch, 11-foot, or 9-foot clearance thresholds is a declared nuisance under Section 8.17.020. After a 10-day correction notice goes unanswered, the Director of Public Works may send a crew to trim or remove the obstruction and charge the cost to the property owner, following the same estimate-and-assessment process used for weed abatement in Chapter 8.16.
Frequently Asked Questions
How high must I trim my tree over the sidewalk in Huntington Beach?
Is the clearance requirement different for a busy arterial street?
What happens if I ignore a tree-trimming notice?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Huntington Beach
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