Does Auburn Require a Tree Removal Permit?
Yes — with important nuances. Auburn has two separate bodies of tree law that regulate different situations, and knowing which one applies to your project is the first step. **The Zoning Ordinance (ACC Chapter 15.74)** regulates native trees on private property during development, construction, and regulated activities. If you are removing a native tree, significantly impacting its critical root zone, or doing work connected to a discretionary planning approval, this is the chapter that governs you. It requires either a Tree Permit or an Administrative Tree Permit depending on the scope of impact. **The Municipal Tree Ordinance** governs trees on or near public property — city streets, parks, and the right-of-way. It establishes Auburn's Tree Commission and sets standards for maintenance and removal of city-managed trees. If your tree is in the strip between the sidewalk and the curb, this is the governing framework and you will need a separate Street Tree Permit from Public Works. For most homeowners and contractors, the Zoning Ordinance's Chapter 15.74 is the relevant permit requirement. This guide focuses there.
What Is a Native Tree, and Which Trees Are Protected?
Auburn's Zoning Ordinance protects native trees — those native to the local California landscape — at a size threshold of six inches or more in diameter on the project site. The city's foothill location in the Sierra Nevada foothills gives Auburn's urban forest a distinctly Gold Country character. Common native species property owners encounter include: - Valley oak (Quercus lobata) - Blue oak (Quercus douglasii) - Interior live oak (Quercus wislizeni) - Canyon live oak (Quercus chrysolepis) - Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana) - Gray pine (Pinus sabiniana) - California buckeye (Aesculus californica) - California black walnut (Juglans californica) - Pacific madrone (Arbutus menziesii) If a native tree on your property measures six inches or more in diameter, it is protected under ACC 15.74 and regulated activities that affect it require a permit. For trees within 50 feet of proposed construction, the city also evaluates off-site trees whose critical root zone may extend onto the project area. **Critical Root Zone (CRZ):** The protected area around each tree extends to a radius equal to the largest dripline radius of the tree plus one foot. Impacts within the CRZ — not just impacts to the trunk — can trigger the permit requirement. A backhoe running through the root zone of an oak 20 feet away from the trunk is still a regulated activity.
Two Permit Types: Tree Permit vs. Administrative Tree Permit
The City of Auburn uses a two-tier system. Which permit you need depends on the severity of the proposed impact to the native tree.
For any permitted work, the application goes to the Planning Division. The non-refundable filing fee and required documents differ between the two types — contact the Planning Division at 530-823-4211 or via the online portal at cityofauburnca-energovweb.tylerhost.net for current fee amounts and submittal requirements, as fee schedules are subject to periodic updates.
| Permit Type | When Required | Approval Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Tree Permit | Removal of a native tree; significant impacts to a native tree's critical root zone; when tied to a related discretionary permit | Planning Commission |
| Administrative Tree Permit | Minor impacts within a native tree's critical root zone (no removal) | Community Development Department |
Exemptions Under ACC 15.74.050
The Auburn City Code includes explicit exemptions from the native tree permit requirement. The two most commonly applicable: **The six-tree annual allowance.** Removal of up to six trees per lot within any 12-month period is exempt from the Tree Permit requirement. For lots greater than one acre, the allowance is up to six trees per acre per 12-month period, with fractional acres of one-half acre or more counted as a whole acre. This exemption gives property owners flexibility for routine management without going through a full permit process — but it applies specifically to tree removal, not to regulated impacts to the critical root zone of a tree you are keeping. **The fall-hazard exemption on residential property.** Removal of a tree from property zoned residential is exempt when the tree endangers a permanent structure by being closer to the structure than the distance from the base of the tree to its top. In plain terms: if a tree's height is 40 feet and the tree sits 30 feet from your house, it falls within the exemption because its potential fall radius reaches the structure. This is a structural safety exemption, not a general 'dead tree' exemption — the geometric test must be met. **Street trees.** Trees located in the public right-of-way are not covered by ACC 15.74. They are managed under the Municipal Tree Ordinance, and any pruning or removal requires a separate Street Tree Permit from Public Works. For any situation where you are not certain whether an exemption applies, confirm with the Planning Division before proceeding. Relying on an exemption that does not fit your specific circumstances puts you in violation.
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Defensible Space, Fire Zones, and Native Oaks in Auburn
Auburn sits in the Sierra Nevada foothills — an area where fire risk, defensible space requirements, and tree preservation rules can appear to pull in opposite directions. Here is how they actually interact. **Auburn is in a Local Responsibility Area (LRA).** As an incorporated city, Auburn is not in a State Responsibility Area (SRA) where CAL FIRE has primary jurisdiction. The city manages its own fire protection and defensible space enforcement. Auburn has published its own defensible space requirements for residential properties, organized into the same Zone 0, Zone 1, and Zone 2 framework that aligns with California's statewide guidance under PRC 4291. **Defensible space work is fuel reduction, not tree removal.** Most defensible space work on a native oak — limbing up the lower branches, removing dead wood, thinning the canopy — is arboricultural work that does not require removing the tree. Proper crown maintenance improves both fire resistance and tree health. Healthy, well-pruned native oaks like blue oak and interior live oak are relatively fire-resistant species and generally worth preserving on foothill properties. **When removal is genuinely necessary for fire safety.** If a dead or structurally compromised native tree poses a fire or safety hazard, contact the Planning Division before removal to understand what documentation or process applies. The city's zoning code includes the fall-hazard exemption described above, and emergency or hazard situations may be handled differently — but verifying the correct process first prevents an enforcement problem. **Placer County rules are separate.** Placer County has its own woodland conservation provisions (Article 19.50 of the Placer County Zoning Ordinance) that apply in unincorporated areas of the county, including parts of the Auburn area outside city limits. Those provisions do not apply within Auburn's incorporated city limits, where ACC 15.74 governs. If your parcel is in unincorporated Placer County rather than within the City of Auburn, contact the Placer County Planning Department for the applicable rules.
The Application Process
Based on published city guidance, the general process for a Tree Permit or Administrative Tree Permit in Auburn works as follows. Confirm current requirements and timelines directly with the Planning Division, as procedures may be updated. 1. **Determine the correct permit type.** Are you removing a native tree or causing significant root-zone impact? That is a Tree Permit. Minor root-zone work only? That may qualify for an Administrative Tree Permit. If you are unsure, call 530-823-4211. 2. **Check for exemptions.** Review the six-tree annual allowance and the fall-hazard exemption against your specific situation before filing. 3. **Prepare your application package.** A completed application form and non-refundable filing fee are required. Full Tree Permits that go to the Planning Commission typically require site or grading plans (in multiple copies if associated with other permits), an Environmental Review Checklist, and mailing labels for property owners within 300 feet of the site for public hearing notification. 4. **Submit the application.** Online: cityofauburnca-energovweb.tylerhost.net. In person: the Planning Division is open Monday through Thursday and Friday mornings (8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.), with general inquiry hours on Wednesdays from 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Planning Director: Tia Klumpp (tklumpp@auburn.ca.gov). 5. **Attend the hearing if required.** Full Tree Permits go before the Planning Commission. Administrative Tree Permits are approved at the staff level. Plan your project timeline accordingly — commission hearings follow a set calendar. 6. **Comply with any conditions.** Approved permits may include replanting requirements, CRZ protection measures during construction, or other conditions. Follow them — post-approval compliance is part of the permit.
The same crew from estimate to cleanup.
No juggling separate contractors for one tree. Tell us the address and what you're dealing with, and we'll come back with a written, site-specific number.
- Removal, trimming, stumps, and cleanup handled by one crew
- Free, site-specific estimates — priced to your tree, not a flat rate
- Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado, and Yolo counties
How 916 Trees Helps Auburn Property Owners
We serve Auburn and the surrounding Placer County foothill communities. When a project involves native oaks or other protected species, we assess the trees on site before you commit to a timeline, identify which work falls under the permit requirement versus the exemptions, and help you plan around the process rather than into it. For defensible space projects in the Auburn foothills, we approach native oaks as assets to maintain, not obstacles to remove. Proper pruning — limbing up, removing dead wood, spacing canopies — satisfies fire-safety requirements while keeping mature trees that took decades to grow. When removal is genuinely necessary, we handle the documentation and permit coordination. Estimates are always free.
Official sources
- City of Auburn Planning Division — Administers Tree Permits and Administrative Tree Permits under ACC 15.74. Online portal: cityofauburnca-energovweb.tylerhost.net. Phone: 530-823-4211.
- Auburn City Code (ACC) Chapter 15.74 — Native Tree Preservation (Zoning Ordinance) — Governs permit requirements, critical root zone definition, two-permit-type structure, and exemptions including ACC 15.74.050. Available at auburn.ca.gov and via municipal code resources.
- City of Auburn — Defensible Space Requirements — City-published defensible space guidance for Auburn properties. auburn.ca.gov/627
- California Public Resources Code 4291 — State defensible space law establishing the 100-foot, three-zone framework applicable in designated fire hazard areas.
Permit rules in nearby cities
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit to remove an oak tree on my Auburn property?
- Most likely yes, unless an exemption applies. Auburn City Code Chapter 15.74 requires a Tree Permit for removal of a native tree six inches or more in diameter. Oak trees — valley oak, blue oak, interior live oak, canyon live oak — are native species protected under this ordinance. The six-tree annual allowance is the most common exemption: if you are removing six or fewer trees from your lot in a 12-month period, a permit may not be required. Confirm your situation with the Planning Division at 530-823-4211 before proceeding.
What counts as a 'native tree' under Auburn's ordinance?
- The ordinance protects trees native to the local California landscape. In Auburn's foothill setting, that includes the oaks most commonly found on residential and rural properties (valley, blue, interior live, canyon live, Oregon white), gray pine, California buckeye, Pacific madrone, and California black walnut, among others. Non-native ornamental trees — London plane, Chinese pistache, ornamental pear, most fruit trees — are generally not protected under ACC 15.74's native tree provisions. When in doubt about a specific species, ask the Planning Division.
What is the six-tree exemption in Auburn?
- ACC 15.74.050 exempts the removal of up to six trees per lot within any 12-month period from the Tree Permit requirement. For lots larger than one acre, the allowance is six trees per acre per year, with half-acre fractions counted as full acres. This gives property owners a meaningful management window for routine thinning and cleanup without a full permit process. The exemption applies to removal — it does not eliminate permit requirements for significant impacts to the critical root zone of a tree you are keeping.
Does the Auburn tree ordinance apply to street trees or trees in the right-of-way?
- No — ACC 15.74 applies to native trees on private property during regulated activities. Trees in the public right-of-way (the strip between the sidewalk and the street, or on other city-managed land) are governed by Auburn's Municipal Tree Ordinance, which is administered by the Tree Commission. Contact Auburn Public Works for work on street trees. Do not prune or remove a street tree without separate city approval.
How is the critical root zone calculated in Auburn?
- The Auburn Zoning Ordinance defines the Critical Root Zone (CRZ) as a radius equal to the largest dripline radius of the tree plus one foot. Measure from the trunk to the outermost edge of the canopy in the direction where it extends farthest, add one foot, and that radius defines the protected zone on the ground. Any grading, excavation, trenching, or compaction within that circle can constitute a regulated impact requiring a permit.
Can I remove a hazard tree without a permit in Auburn?
- A specific fall-hazard exemption exists under ACC 15.74.050: on residential-zoned property, removal is exempt if the tree is closer to a permanent structure than the distance from the tree's base to its top. That is a geometric test — tree height must be greater than the distance to the structure. This applies to structural fall risk, not to every dead or declining tree. For any dead or hazardous native tree that does not clearly meet the exemption criteria, contact the Planning Division at 530-823-4211 before removal to confirm the correct process.
Do Placer County tree ordinances apply within Auburn city limits?
- No. Placer County's woodland conservation provisions (Article 19.50 of the County Zoning Ordinance) apply in unincorporated Placer County. Within the incorporated City of Auburn, the city's own zoning code — particularly ACC Chapter 15.74 — is the governing authority for native tree protection. If your property is outside Auburn's city limits but in the Auburn area, you fall under Placer County's rules and should contact the Placer County Planning Department.