Riverside, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Trees planted in the parkway (the City right-of-way between sidewalk and curb) are City property regardless of who originally planted them. The City's Trees & Landscaping Division (Public Works, Urban Forestry) maintains approximately 150,000 street trees and 30,000+ trees in open spaces / under utility lines under Riverside Municipal Code (RMC) Chapter 13.06, Vegetation Management. RMC §13.06 (and the City's Landscaping FAQ) provides that 'Trees, shrubs, hedges or other landscaping may not interfere with public convenience or safety in the use of streets, trails, paths and sidewalks,' and owners 'must prevent vegetation from obscuring traffic views, street signs, or projecting dangerously over public rights-of-way.' Residents may not remove or significantly prune a street tree without authorization; the City confirms that no person is allowed to remove trees growing along public streets and only the City may authorize removal (typically for pest infestation, disease, public-nuisance overhang, traffic obstruction, or utility-line conflict).

However, the City allows residents to hire their own licensed tree contractor by obtaining a 'no-fee permit' through the Trees & Landscaping Division. Private property tree disputes, including overhanging branches from a neighbor's tree, are explicitly classified by the City Landscaping FAQ as 'a civil matter, not a municipal responsibility'; California Civil Code §833 et seq. governs (the affected neighbor may self-help-trim branches up to the property line at their own expense). RMC Chapter 19.570 (Water Efficient Landscaping & Irrigation) imposes additional landscape standards for new/retrofit landscapes ≥500 sq ft.