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

Under Yolo County Code Sec. 8-2.1005 (Fences and walls, hedges, and trees), trees located within 20 feet of intersected street lines must have their main trunks trimmed free of branches to a height of seven and one-half feet above the curb grade so they do not obstruct sight distance at intersections. The same section regulates fence and hedge heights near corner-lot sight triangles (no fence, wall, or hedge over 3 feet within a 25-foot triangle from the sidewalk intersection). For fire-damaged hazard trees, Title 6 Chapter 22 (Hazard Tree Removal Program) was adopted following the LNU Lightning Complex Fire. Sec. 6-22.301 establishes a mandatory hazardous tree removal program identifying trees in immediate danger of falling onto an eligible road or parcel; Sec. 6-22.305 declares that 'Maintaining a hazard tree is prohibited and a public nuisance subject to this article. A violation of any provision of this article shall be deemed to be a public nuisance subject to any enforcement process available at law.' Sec. 6-22.307 lets an owner opt into a Private Hazard Tree Removal Program to identify and remove the tree at their own cost as an alternative to the government program. Yolo County also adopted the Yolo County Oak Woodland Conservation and Enhancement Plan (administered through Parks), a voluntary incentive-based program for protecting and growing oak woodlands; oak removal tied to a development project triggers CEQA review. Boundary-line tree trimming on private property between neighbors is governed by California Civil Code Sec. 833 and Sec. 3346 (treble damages for willful tree damage), not by Yolo County code.