Merced County, CA Tree Protection: Tree Removal Permits (2026)

Merced County does not operate a tree-removal permit counter for ordinary private trees. Unlike some California jurisdictions with heritage-tree or protected-oak permit ordinances, Merced County's Unified Development Ordinance (Title 18) does not establish a standalone permit you must obtain before cutting a tree on your residential lot. The clearest tree obligation in the code is UDO Section 18.36.050(H)(4): a required street tree (in M-H, R-1, R-1-5000 and R-2 subdivisions) that is removed must be replaced with another street tree, with species and location approved by Planning and Public Works. Protection of larger tree resources is handled through land-use planning rather than a permit form: the 2030 Merced County General Plan Conservation/Natural Resources policies identify oak woodland and sensitive habitat, and removal connected to discretionary development is reviewed under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which can require avoidance, mitigation or replacement plantings. Trees within the public right-of-way are controlled by the Department of Public Works, not the adjacent owner, so right-of-way removal or heavy pruning requires Public Works coordination. Because protection is policy- and CEQA-driven, the safest course before removing a significant number of trees, working in mapped habitat, or removing trees as part of a permitted project is to contact Merced County Planning to confirm whether environmental review, a development condition, or street-tree replacement applies.