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San Rafael, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Some Restrictions

Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Duty holder: Adjoining owner or occupant (§ 8.12.120)
Trigger for city notice: Trees/hedges interfering with sidewalk use
Compliance deadline: 10 days after notice (§ 9.12.050)
If ignored: City trims and bills as property lien (§ 9.12.060)
Notice method: Mail to owner/occupant or posted on property
Trimming it yourself: Separate public works permit needed (§ 11.12.050)

Summary

San Rafael places the duty to trim sidewalk trees and hedges directly on the adjoining property owner or occupant, not the city, so growth does not block pedestrians. If an owner ignores a ten-day written notice from the superintendent of streets, the city does the trimming itself and puts the cost on the property as a lien collected with the owner's taxes.

Any owner or occupant of a building lot or premises shall keep all sidewalk trees and hedges properly trimmed in such a manner that the same shall not interfere with the free use of sidewalks. ... Whenever the owner or occupant of any property in the city fails to remove grass, weeds, poison oak, tin cans, ashes or any other refuse as provided in this chapter, or to trim trees or hedges as provided in Section 8.12.120, it shall be the duty of the superintendent of streets of the city to give written notice of such failure to comply with the provisions of this chapter to the owner...The notice shall briefly describe the work to be done and shall refer to this chapter and shall contain a notification that unless the work is done within ten days after the service or posting of said notice, the superintendent of streets will do same, and that the costs and expense thereof will be charged up and made a lien against the property.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 37).

Full Breakdown

110). 050). The notice must warn that unless the trimming is done within ten days of service or posting, the superintendent of streets will do the work directly and charge the cost, plus expenses, as a lien against the property. The superintendent keeps a record of every notice issued and of the work performed on each parcel. 060). 050).

Violations & Fines

Failure to comply with the ten-day trim notice does not lead to a criminal charge under Section 9.12.050; instead, the city performs the trimming and recovers its cost as a real-property lien collected alongside other city taxes (§ 9.12.060). Because that lien procedure sits inside the same abatement chapter that covers weeds, poison oak and refuse, a property can face several separate lien assessments in a single cycle if both sidewalk-tree trimming and other Chapter 9.12 nuisances lapse past the ten-day deadline.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is responsible for trimming the tree in front of my house in San Rafael?

You are. Section 8.12.120 places the duty on the owner or occupant of the adjoining lot to keep sidewalk trees and hedges trimmed so they do not interfere with the free use of the sidewalk. The city does not routinely trim private-adjacent sidewalk trees unless the owner ignores a formal notice.

What happens if I don't trim my sidewalk tree after San Rafael sends a notice?

The superintendent of streets will do the trimming for you and bill the cost, plus administrative expenses, as a lien against your property, collected the same way as other city taxes, under Section 9.12.060. You get ten days from the date the notice is mailed or posted to complete the work yourself before the city steps in, per Section 9.12.050.

Can I trim a tree growing in the sidewalk strip myself without asking the city?

Not without a permit. Even though Section 8.12.120 makes trimming your duty, Section 11.12.050 separately requires a written public works permit before anyone cuts, prunes, breaks or removes a tree growing in, upon or along a public street or sidewalk, because those trees sit in the public right-of-way the city manages.

Does San Rafael notify me before trimming my tree and charging me?

Yes. Section 9.12.050 requires the superintendent of streets to give written notice describing the required work, mailed to the owner if known or posted conspicuously on the property, before any city crew trims a sidewalk tree and bills the cost. The notice must state that inaction within ten days will result in the city doing the work and assessing the cost as a lien.

Sources & Official References

[1]San Rafael Municipal Code, §§ 8.12.120, 9.12.050-.060 (Municode)

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