How to tell whether a tree is in it
Don't judge by the sidewalk. The right-of-way boundary is a surveyed line, and on many streets it sits behind the sidewalk, not at the curb. Your county assessor's parcel map shows your lot, and the city or county public works office can tell you the width of the street's right-of-way. If a trunk straddles the line it is shared. An attorney, or the agency, decides who owns it.
The word shows up in other settings too: the utility corridor along a power line is a right-of-way, and so is a drainage or access easement.
What the local rules say
Reno: no permit is needed for work on a tree on private property, but a Tree Work Permit is required in City rights-of-way or on City property, and a Certified Arborist is required for that work. Carson City: check with Carson City Public Works before work on trees in the right-of-way. Sparks: we found no private-tree permit, and a city urban forestry program ended in 2008 according to the Truckee Meadows Water Authority summary. Power lines are a separate case: NV Energy handles its own primary lines.
Rules change, and an agency decides what applies to your tree. Our guide to permits across Northern Nevada lists the sources and phone numbers.
How Battle Born uses the term
When the arborist assesses a street tree or a tree that overhangs a sidewalk, the first question is whether the tree is yours. If it sits in the public strip, the next step is the agency, not the saw. For private trees near the line, the arborist notes where the drop zone will fall.
Sources
- Truckee Meadows Water Authority: Local tree ordinances (read October 1, 2026)
- NV Energy: Tree trimming near power lines (read October 17, 2026)