Tree Removal Permit in San Diego, CA
Permit Summary
Do You Need a Tree Removal Permit?
Exemptions
The Street Tree Permit requirement in San Diego Municipal Code section 62.0604 applies to trees and other plantings growing in City streets or other public highways. It is not a citywide permit requirement for every tree wholly on private property. Private-property removal can still require other approval when the property or tree is subject to a protection designation, dedicated open-space easement, environmentally sensitive lands regulations, or another development approval.
Protected Trees & Removal Eligibility
Protected Tree Rules
Council Policy 900-19 establishes Landmark Tree, Heritage Tree, Parkway Resource Tree, and Preservation Grove protection categories. Heritage Trees may qualify at 50 years or older or through a historic connection. The policy covers designated trees in public rights-of-way, City-owned open space, parks and other public lands, private land restricted by dedicated open-space easements, and voluntarily designated private trees that may be protected by deed restriction.
When Removal Is Allowed
Under Council Policy 200-05, a street tree may be removed at public expense if it is dead, is a hazard, or is damaging public improvements and the damage cannot be permanently corrected by trimming or root pruning, the fronting owner requests removal, and the tree is not part of a uniform tree planting or a significant neighborhood asset. A no-fee permit for removal at private expense is issued when the fronting owner requests it and the tree is not part of a uniform street-tree planting or significant neighborhood asset. For a tree with protection status under Council Policy 900-19, removal is limited to a clear, imminent and significant public-safety hazard or the policy's Urban Forester/certified-arborist review pathway with payment of the tree's assessed value.
Replacement Requirements
Replacement Rules
Council Policy 200-05 states that, when planting funds are available, the City will replace street trees removed under its removal policy. Council Policy 900-19 requires replacement, consistent with existing policies, when a protected tree damaging improvements or utility infrastructure is removed because the damage cannot reasonably be corrected. Roadway-widening work that cannot avoid protected-tree impacts may require protection during construction, transplanting, or replacement.
Arborist & Professional Requirements
Professional Requirements
For protected-tree removal under Council Policy 900-19 outside the immediate public-safety-hazard pathway, the City Urban Forester's decision is informed by a certified arborist's report and recommendations. The policy also requires protected-tree pruning or root pruning to occur under the guidance of a licensed arborist with written approval of the City Arborist, except root pruning necessary to protect water and sewer infrastructure.
Public Notice Requirements
Notice Rules
Council Policy 900-19 states that tree-removal permit requests are sent to Community Planning Groups, the Community Forest Advisory Board, and Council members. Reviewers have a normal 30-day period to request an extension if they believe the tree may qualify for one of the policy's protection categories.
Emergency Tree Removal
For City right-of-way trees, dead trees or trees deemed an immediate safety issue by City staff are removed as soon as possible. Council Policy 900-19 also allows removal of a protected tree when a clear, imminent and significant public-safety hazard exists. For emergency work affecting environmentally sensitive lands, San Diego Municipal Code section 143.0126 allows emergency authorization for the minimum work necessary; permanent impacts generally require a follow-up Neighborhood Development Permit or Site Development Permit application within 60 days of completion.
Development & Special Areas
Development-Related Rules
Tree or vegetation removal associated with construction or site work must be coordinated with applicable development approvals. The City directs applicants considering removal of any vegetation to determine whether the site contains environmentally sensitive lands before proceeding. Development encroaching into environmentally sensitive lands may require a Neighborhood Development Permit or Site Development Permit, and protected-tree status is considered in projects or permits that may call for tree removal.
Special Zone Rules
Where environmentally sensitive lands are present, the City's Environmentally Sensitive Lands Regulations can apply to vegetation removal and other development; encroachment may require a Neighborhood Development Permit or Site Development Permit unless an exemption applies. In the Coastal Overlay Zone, coastal development on environmentally sensitive lands also requires a Coastal Development Permit under the applicable code. Council Policy 900-19 additionally applies to private land restricted by dedicated open-space easements.
What You Need Before Applying
Requirements
For a tree in a City street or public right-of-way, submit a Tree Maintenance request through Get It Done and obtain City approval before removal. The City inspects and evaluates street-tree requests under Council Policy 200-05 and applicable protected-tree rules. Private-property vegetation removal can require Development Services approval when environmentally sensitive lands, open-space protections, or other development regulations apply.
Required Documents
Tree-removal requests are submitted through the Get It Done Tree Maintenance application. The City's published street-tree removal guidance does not list a fixed document package for an ordinary request. A protected-tree removal pathway under Council Policy 900-19 may require a certified arborist's report and recommendations; development-related vegetation removal may require plans or studies for the applicable Development Services permit.