Elk Grove, CA Tree Protection: Tree Removal Permits (2026)

The dedicated permit program for protected trees in unincorporated Sacramento County is the Tree Preservation and Protection Ordinance (County Code Chapter 19.12), with key definitions in Chapter 19.04. In the designated urban area, no person may trench, grade, or fill within the dripline of, or destroy, kill, or remove, a protected tree without a tree permit. Protected categories include native oak trees (protected on both public and private property), landmark trees (an especially prominent or stately tree on any land in the county), and public trees on County land, parks, and right-of-way. The Department of Planning and Environmental Review administers permits. An application requires a property sketch showing tree locations, photographs (full tree, trunk from about 10 feet, and any damage), the trunk diameter measured 4.5 feet above the ground, the reason for the work, and the owner's written consent (plus the neighbor's if the tree is on adjacent property). The permit fee is approximately $31.95 (increased from $31.35 on July 1, 2025), and processing typically takes under ten working days. For work on branches, limbs, or roots exceeding two inches in diameter, an ISA Certified Arborist or Certified Tree Worker must be used. Permits to remove protected trees are generally approved only when the tree is dead, an immediate safety hazard, severely diseased or damaged, causing significant property damage, or when preservation alternatives have been exhausted. Violations are a misdemeanor and public nuisance, with in-kind replacement (specimen trees no less than 15-gallon size matching the removed diameter) or payment to the Tree Preservation Fund.