Oxnard, CA Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Encroachment permit from city engineer
- Covered right-of-way
- Curbs, gutters and parkways
- Permit duration
- Usually 30 days from issuance
- No-permit consequence
- Review fee equals permit + inspection fees
- Issuing office
- City Engineer / Public Works
- Adopting ordinance
- Ord. No. 2444
- Citywide penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine or 6 months (Sec. 1-10)
Summary
Planting a tree in an Oxnard street parkway is regulated as work within the public right-of-way. Sec. 19-206(C) of the Municipal Code requires an encroachment permit from the city engineer before anyone plants, removes or otherwise permanently affects a tree, shrub or other plant life within a right-of-way, and Sec. 19-205(D) defines right-of-way to include curbs, gutters and parkways.
SEC. 19-205. DEFINITIONS.
(D) RIGHT-OF-WAY - Any real property or interest therein owned by or under the jurisdiction of the city, located within the city, and used or reserved for a public purpose, including any public road, street or alley (including curbs, gutters and parkways), any public waterway, and any public easement, parking lot, park or landscaped area.
SEC. 19-206. PERMIT REQUIRED. A person shall obtain an encroachment permit from the city before doing any of the following:
(C) Plant, remove or permanently affect in any manner a tree, a shrub or other plant life within a right-of-way;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Contains Supplement current through 1-26-2026).
Full Breakdown
Oxnard's encroachment ordinance, Article III, Division 1 of the Municipal Code (Sec. 19-205 through 19-220, adopted by Ord. No. 2444), governs work in the public right-of-way. Sec. ' Sec. 19-206 lists the activities that trigger the permit requirement, and subsection (C) specifically reaches anyone who wants to 'plant, remove or permanently affect in any manner a tree, a shrub or other plant life within a right-of-way,' language that covers the parkway strip between the curb and the sidewalk. The city engineer, a role Sec. 19-205(B) defines to include city inspectors and the city streets superintendent, provides the permit application, and Sec.
19-207(B) directs the engineer to grant the permit once the proposed work is found to be in the public interest and not contrary to public health, safety or welfare. An encroachment permit is valid for the period stated on its face, ordinarily 30 days under Sec. 19-209(A). Anyone who plants, removes or alters a parkway tree before securing the permit does not avoid the process: Sec. 19-208 still requires the engineer to review the completed work and charge a review fee equal to the standard permit and inspection fees set under Sec.
19-220, on top of whatever permit fee ultimately applies, whether or not a permit is issued after the fact. Property owners who want a parkway tree removed, trimmed or replaced apply through this same encroachment process rather than doing the work on their own.
Violations & Fines
Planting or removing a parkway tree without first obtaining the encroachment permit triggers the review-and-fee process in Sec. 19-208, charged on top of the standard permit fee. Because encroachment work is governed by the general Municipal Code, an uncorrected violation is also punishable under the citywide penalty in Sec. 1-10: a general misdemeanor carrying up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail, or, if the city attorney elects to charge it as an infraction, escalating fines of $100, $200 and $500 for repeat violations within a year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to plant a tree in the parkway strip in front of my Oxnard house?
Who issues the encroachment permit for a parkway tree in Oxnard?
How long does an Oxnard encroachment permit last?
What if I already planted a parkway tree without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Oxnard
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