Do you need a permit to cut down a tree in Town of Los Gatos, CA? Enter your address for Town of Los Gatos tree removal and pruning rules, size thresholds and how to apply.
The 2022 adopted private-tree ordinance supports a permit when an ordinary developed residential tree has any trunk of at least 12 inches or a multi-trunk sum of at least 18 inches, with lower sizes on hillsides and for listed species. Exceptions have to be applied first. The post-2022 codification ledger was not verified, and a Town FAQ that says a 12-inch sum or pruning over 25 percent does not match the ordinance text (18 inches and at least 25 percent). This checker does not automate a permit or a no-permit answer. Checked November 6, 2026.
How to apply: Check with the Town of Los Gatos before removing a private tree. Do not rely on a shortened FAQ in place of the adopted ordinance.
Boundary: Santa Clara County LAFCO city limits (NAME LOS GATOS), checked November 6, 2026, and Census place GEOID 0644112. The Los Gatos Hillside overlay is separate from the town limits.
How to measure: most Bay Area cities measure trunk diameter (or circumference) at 4.5 ft (54") above natural grade, but some measure elsewhere: Berkeley at 4 ft, Redwood City at the widest point between 6" and 36". Where a city sets its limit by circumference, we show the diameter (circumference ÷ 3.14).
Official sources: mcclibraryfunctions.azurewebsites.us/api/ordinanceDownload/1 · losgatosca.gov/2252/Private-Trees · losgatosca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/40478/TreeRemovalApplicat