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

Mono County does not impose a city-style tree-pruning permit for healthy private trees on private land. The trimming obligations that do exist come from wildfire fuel modification. Mono County's Chapter 22 Fire Safe Regulation (Section 22.150) requires that 'tree branches must be 10+ feet from chimney outlets,' prohibits dead or dying branches overhanging buildings, and bars accumulation of leaves or needles on roofs; within the 0-30 foot firebreak, single specimens of well-pruned, well-maintained trees may remain only if they do not transmit fire. These rules align with California Public Resources Code 4291, which requires horizontal and vertical spacing between tree crowns and removal of dead branches as part of defensible space in the State Responsibility Area. The County's Conservation/Open Space Element also directs proactive management of trees on County parks and open space and encourages retaining healthy native vegetation, but that is a land-management policy, not a private-property pruning permit. Trees in the public right-of-way, or trimming that affects utility lines or scenic roadway plantings, may require coordination with the County Public Works Department or the utility.