Tree Removal Permit in Los Angeles, CA
Permit Summary
Do You Need a Tree Removal Permit?
Exemptions
A private tree that is not a protected tree or shrub is not subject to the LAMC Article 6 protected-tree permit solely because it is on private property, although development approvals or other rules may still apply. LAMC 46.02 exempts a separate protected-tree permit where removal or relocation was approved by the Advisory Agency under the applicable subdivision rules, where an effective City Planning/City Council/Zoning Administrator/Area Planning Commission determination permits removal, or where an effective building permit necessitates removal or relocation. Trees or shrubs grown or held for sale by a licensed nursery, or grown as part of a planting program, are excluded from the protected-tree definition. There is no comparable general exemption for street trees under LAMC 62.169.
Protected Trees & Removal Eligibility
Protected Tree Rules
Protected trees are indigenous California oaks other than Scrub Oak, Southern California Black Walnut, Western Sycamore, and California Bay. Protected shrubs are Mexican Elderberry and Toyon. The protection applies at the 4-inch cumulative-diameter threshold. 'Removal' includes acts that cause the protected tree or shrub to die, including root-system damage, toxic substances, machinery damage, or grade changes within the drip-line area. Licensed-nursery stock and trees or shrubs grown as part of a planting program are excluded from the protected definition.
When Removal Is Allowed
For protected private trees or shrubs reviewed under LAMC 46.02, the Board may approve removal or relocation when the action will not cause unmitigable undesirable irreversible soil erosion and the protected vegetation prevents reasonable development, has substantially declined so that economically reasonable restoration is not advisable, or is in danger of falling because of an irreversible adverse condition. For parkway/street trees, StreetsLA policy prioritizes preservation and considers removal when the tree is dead or cannot be made safe by trimming/root pruning, or where conflicts such as sidewalk, sewer, utility, driveway, or structure work justify removal; UFD may deny removal when redesign can preserve the tree.
Replacement Requirements
Replacement Rules
For a protected tree or shrub removal permit, the Board may require replacement within the same property by at least four protected specimens. Protected trees are replaced with protected tree varieties and protected shrubs with protected shrub varieties, to the extent feasible. Each protected replacement tree is generally at least 15-gallon size, at least 1 inch in diameter one foot above the base, and at least 7 feet high; unavailable sizes/species may be substituted with a greater number as approved. When replacement concerns more than two protected trees or shrubs, the permit is considered at a full public hearing before the Board. For street-tree removals, LAMC 62.170 allows the permit to require a replacement tree of specified type and size within 40 days, and LAMC 62.177 provides an in-lieu fee when a required tree cannot feasibly be planted on site.
Arborist & Professional Requirements
Professional Requirements
Where a Tree Expert report is required, current Los Angeles code defines a Tree Expert as a person with at least four years of experience transplanting, moving, caring for, and maintaining trees who is an ISA Certified Arborist holding a valid California agricultural pest control advisor license, a landscape architect, or a Registered Consulting Arborist with the American Society of Consulting Arborists.
Public Notice Requirements
Notice Rules
Los Angeles maintains an online Tree Removal Notification System for posted removal notices and Board hearing dates. Public process is required in specified cases: protected-tree/shrub permits involving replacement of more than two protected trees or shrubs are considered at a full public hearing before the Board, and StreetsLA policy for Historic-Cultural Monument street trees requires public posting, notice of intent to the historic-preservation commission, and a Board of Public Works public hearing unless removal is needed for public safety after inspection by a Division Certified Arborist.
Emergency Tree Removal
For a street-tree emergency where a tree or limb has fallen or is in danger of falling and the public right-of-way is blocked or affected, StreetsLA directs users to submit a MyLA311 tree-emergency service request. Under LAMC 62.168, the Board may immediately cut or remove a dangerous street tree without the otherwise required 10-day written notice when immediate action is necessary to protect the public. For a protected private tree or shrub, an irreversible condition creating danger of falling is a statutory basis for permit approval, not a general exemption from the permit requirement.
Development & Special Areas
Development-Related Rules
Development projects receive additional tree review. StreetsLA requires clearance when building work may disturb/remove protected trees or impact/remove parkway trees, and a tree-removal permit is ultimately required if regulated trees are to be removed. City Planning requires a Tree Disclosure Statement for discretionary applications involving a building-footprint change, demolition, or grading; if protected trees/shrubs on site or trees in the adjacent public right-of-way may be impacted or removed, a qualified Tree Expert must prepare a Tree Report. Subdivision or other land-use approvals can regulate protected vegetation directly and may satisfy one of the statutory exemptions from a separate LAMC 46.02 permit.
Special Zone Rules
Historic resources receive added protection. StreetsLA states that Historic-Cultural Monument street trees generally may not be removed without public posting, notice to the historic-preservation commission, and a public hearing before the Board of Public Works, except for public-safety removal after inspection by a Division Certified Arborist. Protected trees or shrubs that are officially designated as a Historical Monument or are part of a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone are also subject to the stricter limitations in LAMC 46.02.
What You Need Before Applying
Requirements
Determine whether the tree is in the public right-of-way or is a protected tree or shrub on private property, and obtain approval before removal or destructive work. UFD reviews the application and inspects the location. Street-tree removal requires UFD/Board approval; removal of three or more street trees requires Board of Public Works approval. Protected private trees and shrubs are reviewed under the Protected Tree and Shrub Ordinance unless a stated statutory exemption or development approval applies.
Required Documents
Submit the online tree-removal application and project information requested by UFD. For protected trees or shrubs, the application must show each protected tree or shrub by number on a plot plan and identify those to be retained, relocated, or removed; if grading may affect them, include the applicable grading permit plan. A qualified Tree Expert report is required for protected-tree/shrub impacts and for development projects where protected trees/shrubs or adjacent public-right-of-way trees may be impacted or removed. Discretionary projects involving changes to a building footprint, demolition, or grading also require City Planning's Tree Disclosure Statement.