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

Garden Grove's Municipal Code addresses tree protection primarily through its public property maintenance provisions. Street trees planted in the public right-of-way and parkways are city property maintained by the Public Works Department. Residents may not remove, prune, damage, or attach anything to city street trees without written authorization from Public Works. Requests for street tree removal or pruning should be directed to the Public Works Department at (714) 741-5375. The city may remove or replace street trees that are dead, diseased, or causing infrastructure damage such as sidewalk uplift. For private property, Garden Grove does not have a comprehensive private tree preservation ordinance requiring permits for tree removal on residential lots in most zoning districts. However, trees that were planted as a condition of a development approval, site plan, or conditional use permit may be protected and require city approval before removal. Properties within specific plan areas or planned development zones may have additional landscape requirements. Orange County does not impose countywide tree removal permit requirements. When trees are removed from private property, the property owner is responsible for ensuring no protected species (birds nesting per the Migratory Bird Treaty Act) are disturbed. Removal of trees near property lines should consider neighbor notification as a courtesy.