---
title: Tree Rules by Jurisdiction: Reno, Carson City, Tahoe
url: https://battleborntreeservice.com/data/tree-rules-by-jurisdiction/
business: Battle Born Tree Service
address: 6301 US Highway 50 East, Carson City, NV 89701
phone: 775.232.8243
hours: Office Monday-Friday 8:30 am-5:00 pm; phones answered seven days a week; 24-hour emergency service
credentials: ISA Certified Arborist WE-11728A on staff; Nevada Business License # 20131580674; fully insured
type: Tree service (removal, crane work, pruning, stump grinding, defensible space, snow removal, firewood)
---

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- Tree rules by jurisdiction: permits, rights-of-way and Lake Tahoe

# Tree rules by jurisdiction: permits, rights-of-way and Lake Tahoe

In Reno you do not need a permit to remove a tree on your own property, but a city right-of-way tree needs a Tree Work Permit and a Certified Arborist. In the Lake Tahoe Basin, TRPA requires a permit to remove a live tree over 14 inches in diameter, and the agency decides.

| Place or topic | What the rule says | Who decides |
|---|---|---|
| Reno, private property | No permit is required to remove, prune or plant a tree on private property. | City of Reno Urban Forestry, 775-321-8373 |
| Reno, city right-of-way or city property | A Tree Work Permit is required, and a Certified Arborist must do the work. Development sites follow tree protection rules in Reno Municipal Code 18.12 Article V and chapter 8.32. | City of Reno Urban Forestry |
| Sparks | No permit for private trees was found. TMWA's summary says the city's urban forestry program ended in 2008. | City of Sparks |
| Carson City | Check with Carson City Public Works for trees in the right-of-way. Landscaping and tree standards for development sit in Title 18 Appendix, Development Standards, Division 3. | Carson City Public Works |
| Lake Tahoe Basin, live trees | A TRPA permit is needed to remove a live tree over 14 inches in diameter at breast height (4.5 feet). On lakeshore lots the limit is over 6 inches between the house and the lake. | Tahoe Regional Planning Agency |
| Lake Tahoe Basin, dead trees and branches | A dead tree that could fall on a house does not need a permit. Removing branches from the upper two-thirds of a tree needs a permit, with exceptions near structures, for utility conflicts and for dead wood. | TRPA; Incline Village and Crystal Bay: North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District; Nevada south shore: Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District |
| Defensible space | Owners within the State Forester Firewarden's jurisdiction must remove a fire hazard when directed (NRS 472.500). The statute gives no distance. Local fire districts adopt their own wildland-urban interface codes. | Fire district or the Nevada Division of Forestry |
| Power lines | NV Energy does not clear the service drop to a home; that is the owner's responsibility. Request line trimming at nvenergy.com/tree. Unqualified people must stay 10 feet from lines up to 50 kV. | NV Energy |
| Digging and stump grinding | Call 811 before digging or grinding below grade. | USA North 811 |

Source: [City of Reno Urban Forestry; TMWA Local Tree Ordinances; Carson City Municode; Tahoe Regional Planning Agency; Nevada Revised Statutes 472; NV Energy](https://tmwa.com/article/local-tree-ordinances/). General information as read on October 1, 2026. Confirm with the agency before you cut, and ask about HOA rules separately. [Download this table (CSV)](https://battleborntreeservice.com/data/tree-rules-by-jurisdiction/tree-rules-by-jurisdiction.csv)

Tree rules differ by city, by county and by which side of the Sierra crest you live on. The table collects the rules we found for the places we work, with who to ask. It is general information, not legal advice, and the agency decides.

## How this table was put together

Each row comes from a public source: the city's own tree FAQ for Reno, a summary of local tree ordinances from the Truckee Meadows Water Authority, the Carson City code and Public Works pages, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency's trees and defensible space page, the Nevada Revised Statutes and NV Energy's tree trimming page. The Reno government site answers scripted requests with an error, so its pages were read by a person and are cited as recorded. Where we found no rule, the table says so instead of guessing.

## What stands out

- Private property in Reno and Sparks has no removal permit that we found. The permit questions begin at the street and at the property line.
- In Reno the city right-of-way is the line that matters, and the work there must be done by a Certified Arborist. For a tree in the right-of-way, ask the city first.
- The Tahoe Basin is the strictest area. The 14 inch measure is taken at 4.5 feet above the ground, and it drops to 6 inches on lakeshore lots between the house and the lake. A dead tree that could fall on a house does not need a permit.
- Nevada's defensible space statute does not state a distance, so you will not find a 100 foot legal figure in it. The zones used in this region come from the UNR Extension Living With Fire guide: 0 to 5 feet, 5 to 30 feet and 30 to 100 feet.
- The line from the pole to your house belongs to you, not NV Energy. Anyone who is not qualified must stay at least 10 feet from power lines up to 50 kV.

## How to use it

Find your place in the table, read the rule, then call the contact named. If the tree is near a street, sidewalk or utility easement, assume the answer may be different from a tree in the middle of a back yard until the agency tells you otherwise. Fire district evaluations in the Tahoe Basin are free where offered. Homeowner associations and builders' covenants add rules of their own. For the detail, see [permits in Northern Nevada](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/tree-removal-permits-northern-nevada/), [Tahoe permits and the 14 inch rule](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/tahoe-tree-removal-permits-dbh/) and [HOA tree rules](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/hoa-tree-rules/).

## Limits of the data

Rules change, and this table is a snapshot. It does not cover every city, county or special district in our service area. For Carson City we found no permit for private trees and say only to check with Public Works about right-of-way trees. If a rule seems to apply to you, the agency decides, not this page, and for a legal question an attorney does.

### Sources

- [Tahoe Regional Planning Agency: Trees and Defensible Space](https://www.trpa.gov/trees-and-defensible-space/) (read October 1, 2026)
- [City of Reno: Urban Forestry tree FAQs](https://www.reno.gov/parks-and-recreation/parks-facilities/urban-forestry/tree-faqs.php) (read October 17, 2026)
- [Truckee Meadows Water Authority: Local Tree Ordinances](https://tmwa.com/article/local-tree-ordinances/) (read October 1, 2026)
- [Nevada Legislature: NRS Chapter 472, Forest and Brush Fires](https://www.leg.state.nv.us/nrs/NRS-472.html) (read October 1, 2026)
- [University of Nevada, Reno Extension: Living With Fire guide (SP-23-07)](https://extension.unr.edu/publication.aspx?PubID=5522) (read October 1, 2026)
- [NV Energy: Tree trimming and vegetation management](https://www.nvenergy.com/tree) (read October 1, 2026)

### Talk to the office

[775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243)

| Monday to Friday | 8:30 am - 5:00 pm |
|---|---|
| Saturday and Sunday | Office closed, phones answered |

Phones answered seven days a week. 24-hour emergency service.

[Free estimate](#quote)

### Keep reading

- [Do you need a permit to remove a tree in Northern Nevada?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/tree-removal-permits-northern-nevada/)
- [Tahoe tree removal permits: the 14-inch rule and how to measure DBH](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/tahoe-tree-removal-permits-dbh/)
- [Permits and rules questions](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/permits-and-rules/)
- [Trees and power lines in NV Energy territory](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/trees-and-power-lines-nv-energy/)
- [What is defensible space? Zones 0, 1 and 2](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/what-is-defensible-space/)

## Questions people ask

Still have a question? Call [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243). Phones are answered seven days a week.

### Do I need a permit to cut down a tree in Reno?

Not on private property. A Tree Work Permit is required for trees in the city right-of-way or on city property, and the work must be done by a Certified Arborist.

### Do I need a permit to remove a tree at Lake Tahoe?

In the Basin, TRPA requires a permit for live trees over 14 inches in diameter at breast height, or over 6 inches on lakeshore lots between the house and the lake. A dead tree that could fall on a house does not need one.

### Does Nevada law require 100 feet of defensible space?

The statute we checked, NRS 472.500, says owners must remove a fire hazard when the State Forester Firewarden directs it, and gives no distance. The 100 foot figure comes from extension guidance and local fire district codes.

### Who trims the tree touching the line to my house?

NV Energy does not clear the service drop to a home; that is the owner's responsibility. Stay at least 10 feet away yourself and call NV Energy or us before anyone climbs.