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

Nevada County does not require a permit to trim a tree on your own unincorporated parcel for normal maintenance. The County's enforceable trimming rules are fire- and access-driven, set out in the Hazardous Vegetation Abatement ordinance (Article 7, Chapter IV of the General Code). Within the defensible-space area, Sec. G-IV 7.4.C requires owners to: prune and remove 'ladder fuels' up to ten (10) feet (Sec. G-IV 7.3.K); 'remove the portion of a tree that extends within ten (10') feet of the outline of a chimney or stovepipe'; remove climbing vines from trees and structures; and keep any tree, shrub, or plant adjacent to or overhanging a building free of dead or dying wood. For roads, Sec. G-IV 7.4.C.d requires a minimum ten (10-foot) wide strip of land beyond the shoulder of a roadway serving as primary ingress and egress, cleared to a height of fifteen (15') feet along the parcel boundary. Sec. G-IV 7.4.G adds that no owner may let vegetation interfere with street or emergency-vehicle access on public or private roads, and a Public Official may require additional trimming in writing. Note: trimming or removing larger or heritage trees can separately trigger the County's tree-preservation rules in Title 12 zoning (see tree-removal permits).