Hayward, CA Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Written permit from Landscape Maintenance Manager
- Species restriction
- Must be on Official Street Tree List
- List location
- Filed with City Clerk and Public Works
- Appeal window
- 10 days to City Council
- Enforcing office
- Landscape Maintenance Manager, Public Works Dept.
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor or infraction under Sec. 1-3.00
Summary
Hayward requires a written permit from the Landscape Maintenance Manager before anyone plants a tree or shrub in a public street, planting strip, or other public place. The permit must specify the location and species, and only trees from the city's Official Street Tree List qualify. Planting without one violates Municipal Code Section 7-2.57.
SEC. 7-2.57 - PERMISSION TO PLANT STREET TREES. It shall be unlawful for any person to plant or cause to be planted any tree or shrub in or upon any public street or other public place in the City of Hayward without first having obtained a written permit from the Landscape Maintenance Manager. Said permit shall specify the location and species of trees or shrubs to be planted and provide that the individual planting such tree shall be responsible for any damage caused by such planting.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 28 Update 1 | Charter: Supplement 1).
Full Breakdown
50. 55. 57 requires the planter to first obtain a written permit from the Landscape Maintenance Manager. That permit must specify the exact location and species, and it makes the person planting responsible for any resulting damage. 56 directs the Landscape Maintenance Manager to prepare an Official Street Tree List of botanical and common names of trees and shrubs suited to Hayward's varied planting-strip widths, filed with the City Clerk and the Department of Public Works, and every tree planted in a public street or place must conform to that list. 62 bars blocking water or air to its roots without the Landscape Maintenance Manager's approval. 65. 00.
Violations & Fines
Planting a street tree without a Landscape Maintenance Manager permit, using a species outside the Official Street Tree List, or damaging an established parkway tree violates Sections 7-2.57 through 7-2.62. Under the Code's general penalty clause, Section 1-3.00, an uncorrected violation is a misdemeanor or infraction, with fines capped by Government Code Sections 36900 and 36901; a third infraction in twelve months can be charged as a misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I plant a tree in the parkway strip in front of my Hayward home?
Who decides which tree species I can plant in the parkway?
What happens if my planting permit is denied?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hayward
California rules heatmap·Compare Hayward to another location·View the California tree protection overview
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Parkway Planting in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Alameda County handle parkway planting.