---
title: TRPA: The Tahoe Tree Permit Rules in Plain English
url: https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/trpa/
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)
---

- [Home](https://battleborntreeservice.com/)
- [Arborist glossary](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/)
- TRPA (Tahoe Regional Planning Agency)

# What is TRPA?

TRPA is the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, the bi-state agency that sets land use rules in the Lake Tahoe Basin, including the rules for removing trees. On the Nevada side that covers Incline Village, Crystal Bay, and the south shore towns of Glenbrook, Zephyr Cove, Stateline and Kingsbury.

## The rules, as TRPA publishes them

TRPA requires a permit to remove a live tree larger than 14 inches DBH, measured at [DBH](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/dbh/) (4.5 feet above the ground). On lakeshore lots the threshold is lower: over 6 inches DBH for trees between the house and the lake. Removing branches from the upper two-thirds of a tree also needs a permit, with exceptions for work near structures, utility conflicts and dead wood. A dead tree that could fall on a house does not need a permit.

Fire protection districts handle defensible space tree permits with a free evaluation: North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District for Incline Village and Crystal Bay, and Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District for the Nevada south shore. TRPA decides, not us, and rules can change.

## Why it matters here

The Basin is the one part of the service area where measuring a trunk is a legal step. A tree that looks like a routine removal on a Carson City lot can need a permit across the ridge. Tahoe sits above 6,000 feet, so trees are conifers more often than not, and cutting one is a decision a neighbourhood notices. Use the diameter checker on our [Lake Tahoe diameter guide](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/tahoe-tree-removal-permits-dbh/).

We serve the Nevada side only. We do not do work in California or in South Lake Tahoe, CA.

## What an arborist does about it

The arborist measures the DBH, notes the lot position and condition of the tree, and tells you what the paperwork looks like. The permit conversation is with TRPA or the fire district; Battle Born does not issue it. For a hazardous tree, say so early, because condition changes which rule applies.

### Sources

- [Tahoe Regional Planning Agency: Trees and defensible space](https://www.trpa.gov/trees-and-defensible-space/) (read October 17, 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

- [Arborist glossary](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/)
- [Tahoe tree removal permits: the 14-inch rule and how to measure DBH](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/tahoe-tree-removal-permits-dbh/)
- [Lake Tahoe tree work questions](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/lake-tahoe/)
- [Lake Tahoe, Nevada side](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/lake-tahoe-nevada/)

## See also

[DBH (diameter at breast height)](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/dbh/) [Right-of-way](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/right-of-way/) [Wildland-urban interface (WUI)](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/wildland-urban-interface/)

## Pages that use this term

[When a pine turns brown](https://battleborntreeservice.com/blog/when-a-pine-turns-brown/) [HOA tree rules: what to check first](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/hoa-tree-rules/) [Tahoe tree removal permits: the 14-inch rule and how to measure DBH](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/tahoe-tree-removal-permits-dbh/)