Newport Beach, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

060 puts the maintenance burden squarely on the adjacent property: the occupant in charge, or the owner if there is no occupant, must maintain everything in the parkway, including landscaping, plants and grass between the property line and the curb, and must trim the branches of any tree, shrub, or plant on the property (plus anything growing in the parkway strip itself) so that growth does not encroach on the sidewalk or street in a way that impedes traffic or blocks streetlight illumination onto the roadway or walkway.

The obligation runs separately from the City's own duty: the same section states the City itself trims and prunes all trees actually located within the public street right-of-way, so a resident's duty covers the strip abutting their lot while City crews handle right-of-way trees proper. This split matters for enforcement, because a resident cannot avoid a trim-clearance violation for parkway growth by pointing to the City's separate right-of-way tree duty; the section imposes both duties independently. 040 backs this up from the other direction: no person may trim, cut, damage, remove, or destroy any tree, shrub, or plant growing in a public park, beach, playground, on public building grounds, or on a street right-of-way without written permission of the City Manager, except that an owner or occupant may trim shrubs and plants in the parkway adjoining their own property.

050 separately bars tying ropes, wires, signs or posters to right-of-way trees, depositing anything detrimental to their growth, or removing protective guard devices, and requires written permission from the Municipal Operations Director before cutting a tree, shrub or plant to make room for electric wires.