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

For a typical single-family homeowner in unincorporated Yuba County, removing a tree in the yard generally does not require a dedicated County tree-removal permit. Tree protection instead operates at the project level. The 2030 General Plan, Policy NR10.1, directs that building placement, grading and circulation be planned to retain native vegetation, prioritizing oak trees of 6 inches diameter at breast height (dbh) or greater and other trees 30 inches dbh or greater, though fire-safety standards may override retention. Action NR10.1 committed the County to adopt a tree preservation and mitigation ordinance covering native oaks 6 inches dbh and larger and other trees over 30 inches dbh, and implementing the state oak-woodland mitigation mandate in Public Resources Code Section 21083.4. Under that state law, a discretionary project that may significantly affect oak woodlands must mitigate through conservation easements, planting (up to 50 percent of the requirement), restoration, payment into the Oak Woodlands Conservation Fund, or equally effective measures. So a permit-style review is triggered when tree removal is part of a grading plan, subdivision, or other discretionary entitlement, not by routine yard maintenance. Because Yuba County's adopted code provisions may differ from these General Plan commitments, applicants should confirm current requirements with Community Development before removing significant or oak-woodland trees.