Tree rules in Sacramento: permits, protected trees and fees
What the City of Sacramento says about permits for City trees and private protected trees, the size thresholds in inches of DSH, the permit application fee and the penalty range under City Code chapter 12.56.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 9, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It describes three City of Sacramento documents read on October 9, 2026: the Tree Permits and Ordinances page and the Tree Questions page of the Urban Forestry section of the Public Works Department, and the City's Tree Permit Application form. The City Code text itself is not among the sources read, so section numbers below are those the City's pages name. The wider list of cities is on the guide to tree permits in the largest US cities.
Two kinds of tree that need a permit
The City's permits page says a permit is required to perform regulated work on a "City Tree" or a "Private Protected Tree". It describes City trees as trees partly or wholly in a City park, on City-owned property or in a public right-of-way, including any street, road, sidewalk, park strip, mow strip or alley. It describes private protected trees as trees on private property designated as having special historical value, special environmental value or significant community benefit, and says they include trees once called Heritage Trees. The Tree Questions page says private protected trees are defined in Sacramento City Code Title 12, chapter 12.56.
| Private protected tree | Size as the City writes it |
|---|---|
| Native trees: Coast, Interior, Valley and Blue Oaks, California sycamore and buckeye | 12 inches DSH |
| Any tree with an existing single family or duplex dwelling | 32 inches DSH |
| Any tree on undeveloped land or other property such as commercial, industrial and apartments | 24 inches DSH |
DSH stands for diameter standard height, and the City's page links a guide to measuring it. The Tree Questions page adds that trees which are not protected can be removed by the property owner without a permit, and tells readers unsure of a tree's status to review the code or call or email 311, where Urban Forestry staff can help identify a protected tree.
The permit and its fee
The permits page says approved permits are required before work can be performed, and that applications are generally processed within ten business days, a time that can vary with the request and volume. Applications go to the Urban Forestry office by email or post, with questions to 311. The application form states a fee of US$50 to cover arborist costs, invoiced after processing. The form lists proposed activities as prune, remove, plant, encroach into the tree protection zone, or other, and says the application may need to come with an arborist report, owner authorization, a landscape or planting plan, a replacement plan, a tree protection plan, a site map or proof of compliance with the California State License Board.
The form also says the permit cannot be transferred and must be kept on site while work described in it takes place. The City's FAQ says a City arborist inspects City trees and private protected trees when a pruning or removal permit is requested, and that a permit to remove a City street tree comes with provision for replacing the tree. It says the City generally removes City trees only for public safety.
Penalties
The Tree Questions page says it is a violation of Sacramento City Code 12.56.050 to remove or prune a City tree or private protected tree without a permit, and that administrative penalties ranging from US$250 to US$25,000 may apply, with civil actions or criminal sanctions also possible. The application form says anyone who violates any provision of chapter 12.56 is subject to criminal sanctions, civil actions and administrative penalties of up to US$25,000 for each day the violation continues.
Other points on the City's pages
The permits page notes that City Code 12.56 was amended by ordinance 2016-0026, adopted on August 4, 2016, and that chapter 17.612.040 requires trees planted and maintained to give a minimum of 50 per cent shade over a parking lot, with a few exceptions. The FAQ says the City cares for trees on public property only, that private tree work is for trained tree care professionals, and that a street tree cannot be trimmed without a permit.