Glendale, CA Tree Protection: Protected Tree Species (2026)
Key Facts
- Protected trunk size
- 6 inches diameter at 54 inches
- Protected species
- Oak, bay and sycamore natives
- Misdemeanor fine cap
- Up to $1,000 plus 6 months jail
- Civil penalty
- Up to $1,000 per violation
- Appeal deadline
- 15 calendar days
- Enforcing office
- Director of Public Works
Summary
Glendale protects California live oak, scrub oak, San Gabriel oak, valley oak, mesa oak, California bay and California sycamore trees with a trunk six inches or more in diameter. A director's permit is required to cut, remove, encroach on, or relocate one, and violations can bring a $1,000 civil penalty per tree plus restitution.
Except as provided in Sections 12.44.030 and 12.44.060, a permit shall be required of any person who proposes to cut, remove, encroach upon, or relocate a protected indigenous tree. ... b. If charged as a misdemeanor, the penalty upon conviction of such person shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $1,000, or imprisonment for a term not to exceed six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment, plus restitution in full or in part, as deemed appropriate by the court.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4983441; v20 updated 2026-05-19).
Full Breakdown
44 of the Glendale Municipal Code protects seven native Southern California tree species once a trunk reaches six inches in diameter measured 54 inches above grade: California Live Oak, Scrub Oak, San Gabriel Oak, Valley Oak, Mesa Oak, California Bay, and California Sycamore. 030 exempts routine pruning of dead, dying or diseased branches up to two inches in diameter. 050 separately makes it unlawful to damage a protected tree by fire or heat, toxic substances, hat racking or topping, over- or under-watering, girdling ties, irrigation within three feet of the trunk, or unpermitted paving or storage within the tree's protected zone, defined as the drip line plus one foot, or one foot per inch of trunk diameter, whichever is larger.
080, including whether the tree blocks reasonable development or is in irreversible decline. 090. 130 layers criminal, civil and restitution remedies: a misdemeanor conviction carries up to a $1,000 fine or six months in jail or both, a court may separately impose a civil penalty up to $1,000 per violation, and restitution is calculated per tree destroyed at the cost of the largest available nursery replacement specimen plus planting and establishment costs, deposited into the city's urban forestry fund. 140 authorizes withholding or revoking building permits on the property for up to ten years after a violation is discovered.
Violations & Fines
Damaging, removing or encroaching on a protected indigenous tree without a permit is a misdemeanor or infraction under Section 12.44.130, punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail plus restitution, with each tree a separate offense; a civil penalty up to $1,000 per violation may also apply, and a prior permit denial triples the underlying fine under Section 12.44.120(C).
Frequently Asked Questions
What size oak or sycamore is protected in Glendale?
Can I trim a protected tree myself without a permit?
What happens if I remove a protected tree without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Glendale
California rules heatmap·Compare Glendale to another location·View the California tree protection overview
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Protected Tree Species in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle protected tree species.