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

There is no County-wide tree-removal permit for trees on private property in unincorporated Tulare County. The published review of Tulare County's tree rules finds the County has no specific tree-removal ordinance, no heritage-tree protection, no oak-canopy retention requirement, no oak-woodland conservation program, no riparian-vegetation protection ordinance, and no voluntary oak guidelines. Instead, tree protection is delivered two ways. First, through the road right-of-way: any planting, trimming, or removal of a tree within the Tulare County road right-of-way requires an encroachment permit from the County Road Commissioner. Second, through discretionary land-use review: the General Plan's Environmental Resources Management Element (policies ERM-1.1 through 1.12) directs the County to protect sensitive habitats - oak woodlands, riparian areas, wetlands - and to condition subdivision and building permits in foothill and mountain areas to control vegetation clearing and require careful construction. The County is also directed to protect the oak grove along Scenic Highway 198 via agreements and acquisition. When a developer seeks an entitlement, CEQA review and permit conditions can require tree retention, replacement plantings, or mitigation - that is the practical mechanism by which significant trees, especially oaks, get protected. For an existing rural home, routine removal of a tree on the parcel generally needs no County tree permit, though grading-related clearing can trigger the County's Grading and Erosion Control rules and fire-clearance work falls under Part IV, Chapter 11.