Ventura, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required for
- Plant, prune, deface, destroy or remove
- Issuing authority
- City parks manager
- Root-zone buffer
- 6 feet triggers improvement approval
- Replacement deadline
- 40 days after permit issuance
- Appeal window
- 15 calendar days
Summary
The City of Ventura requires a permit from the parks manager before anyone plants, prunes, trims, defaces, or removes a tree or shrub on a city street, under Municipal Code Section 20.150.210. A permittee who removes a tree under the permit must plant a replacement of the size and kind specified within 40 days.
It is unlawful for any person to plant, prune, deface, destroy, or remove or in any manner injure any tree or shrub on any street in the city without first obtaining a permit from the parks manager to do so. Whenever a tree is removed or destroyed pursuant to any tree permit, it will be unlawful for the permittee to fail, refuse, or neglect to plant another tree of the kind and size specified in the permit to replace the one destroyed or removed, within 40 days after the permit was issued.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-008, passed May 12, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Beyond the blanket permit requirement in Section 20.150.210, Section 20.150.220 lets the parks manager condition a tree permit on planting a replacement, using a particular species drawn from the city's approved street tree list that the parks manager selects, and signing a hold-harmless agreement indemnifying the city in a form the city attorney approves. Related permits cover adjacent activity: Section 20.150.230 requires a house-moving permit, and possibly a bond covering potential tree damage, before moving a building or object along a street in a way that could injure trees or shrubs.
Section 20.150.240 requires written parks manager approval before any improvement or earth removal within six feet of a street tree that could affect its root system. Permit fees are set by the parks manager subject to city council approval and are limited to covering the costs of investigation, supervision, or inspection under Section 20.150.250. The parks manager also holds a broader, permit-independent authority under Section 20.150.120(A) to direct how city crews trim, prune, and maintain trees along all public streets. If the parks manager denies a private tree permit application, Section 20.150.260 allows a written appeal within 15 calendar days, leading to a hearing before the tree advisory board within 60 days.
The current permit structure dates to Ordinance No. 2000-23, Section 3, effective September 18, 2000, with the appeal procedure added by Ordinance No. 2020-001 on January 13, 2020.
Violations & Fines
Pruning, trimming, or otherwise injuring a street tree without first obtaining a tree permit from the parks manager is unlawful under Section 20.150.210. A person moving a building or object along a Ventura street who injures trees or shrubs without the required house-moving permit under Section 20.150.230 is separately liable, and the parks manager can require a bond to cover the damage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I trim the street tree in front of my Ventura home myself?
Can the city condition my tree trimming permit on planting a specific species?
Does digging near a street tree's roots require a permit in Ventura?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ventura
California rules heatmap·Compare Ventura to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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Tree Trimming in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Ventura County handle tree trimming.