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

Per Kern County Ordinance Code Chapter 8.46 (Weeds and Other Hazardous Growths), enforced by the Kern County Fire Department through the Fire Hazard Reduction Program (FHRP), property owners in unincorporated Kern County must annually trim trees and remove limbs as part of defensible space. The Kern County Fire Department's Hazard Reduction Clearance Requirements Checklist specifies: trees and limbs within 10 feet of stovepipe and chimney outlets must be removed; any dead limbs that overhang or are adjacent to structures must be removed; the roof must be cleared of all combustible vegetation including leaves and pine needles; and all non-ornamental trees should be limbed within 6 feet from the ground and have dead limbs removed. Tree planting in the public street right-of-way is separately controlled by Chapter 19.86 of the Zoning Ordinance, which prohibits plant material that will grow over 18 inches in height in the right-of-way unless authorized by the Kern County Roads Department.