Tree Removal Permits in Baltimore, MD

Verified against Baltimore city sources · last checked 2026-08-06

Do you need a permit?

No permit required for most private trees

Baltimore City does not require a permit to remove a tree standing entirely on your own private land, at any trunk diameter. The city tree permit exists, but read the heading: section 53-15 is "Tree removal - Street" and section 53-16 is "Tree removal - Parks," and the ordinance that created them in 2024 is titled "An Ordinance Concerning Tree Removal on City Property." Three things still catch people. In rowhouse Baltimore the tree "in your front yard" is very often in the public right-of-way, which needs both a city permit and a Maryland DNR permit. Waterfront property inside the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area is a completely different and much stricter regime. And whoever you hire must hold a Maryland Licensed Tree Expert licence.

Size threshold

None on private property, because no private-property permit exists. The diameter figures in Baltimore law all sit elsewhere. Street-tree mitigation starts at "A tree greater than 1 inch diameter at breast height." Park-tree mitigation starts where "the tree measures 8 inches or greater in diameter at breast height; or the tree was deliberately planted and measures 1 inch or greater in diameter." Section 53-1 defines the yardsticks: "'Breast height' means 4.5 feet off of the ground" and "'Caliper inch' means 6 inches off of the ground." A specimen tree under the Forest Conservation division is one "having a diameter measured at 4.5 feet above the ground of 20 inches or more or trees having 75% or more of the diameter of the current state champion tree of that species."

What's protected in Baltimore

Street trees. Section 53-15(a)(1): "a person may not remove a tree in or along a public street without first having been issued a written permit to do so by the Department of Recreation and Parks." Baltimore has roughly 200,000 of them.
Park trees. Section 53-16(a)(1) uses identical language for "a tree in a public park."
Trees anywhere in the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area, including private back yards. The city's adopted CAMP Manual: "Within Baltimore's Critical Area and Buffer, no tree or woody plant may be cut, removed, or destroyed unless approved in advance by the Director of Planning. Any clearing of forest or woody vegetation must be replaced and maintained by the property owner."
Trees in the Critical Area Buffer, which is at least 100 feet from tidal water and 200 feet in Resource Conservation Areas approved on or after July 1, 2008. COMAR 27.01.09.01-7A(1): "Except as authorized under section A(2) of this regulation, a person may not cut or clear trees within the buffer."
Forest on a development site. Article 7 section 41-4 reaches "any person making application for a grading or building permit on a parcel or parcels of land for a total area of 5,000 square feet or greater" — far stricter than the 40,000 square foot state default.
Trees and root zones generally, under a stray provision worth knowing about. Section 53-21(d): "Nor shall any person remove, damage, injure, or otherwise harm any tree or the root zone of a tree beneath the ground." Unlike the subsections around it, (d) carries no location limiter, and unlike sections 53-15 and 53-16 it IS covered by the penalty section.
Protected Trees under the Landscape Manual — but note that "Single-family detached and semi-detached dwellings are exempt from the requirements of the Landscape Manual."

How to apply in Baltimore

1
For a tree entirely on your own land, outside the Critical Area, with no grading or building permit involved, there is nothing to apply for. Baltimore publishes no private-property tree removal application.
2
If you are not certain the tree is yours rather than the city's, call Forestry at (410) 396-6109 before anything else. In rowhouse blocks the sidewalk pit and the front strip are usually right-of-way.
3
For a street or park tree, request a written permit from Recreation and Parks. Section 53-15(a)(2): "Within 20 business days of receiving a request for a permit under this section, the Department of Recreation and Parks shall: (i) approve, deny, or request additional information regarding the permit; (ii) determine whether mitigation under subsection (d) is required; and (iii) notify the applicant."
4
Post notice. Section 53-5(b) requires "a durable and legible statement of the intent, affixed to and easily visible on the tree for not less than 5 days immediately preceding the contemplated removal," giving the reason and a contact for protests.
5
Use a licensed professional. Section 53-15(b): "Any tree removal permitted under this section must be completed by a licensed tree expert in accordance with Title 5, Subtitle 4, Part III {'Tree Experts'} of the State Natural Resources Article." Section 53-14 gives you 30 days from the permit date to finish.
6
For a right-of-way tree you also need the state permit. Mail or deliver a DNR Roadside Tree Permit application with the precise location and full street address, owner name and address, a description of the work and the reason, and a site plan for construction work. DNR notes its online portal is currently unavailable. A Forest Ranger inspects, permits are valid for one year, and a copy must stay on site.
7
In the Critical Area, get written approval from the Director of Planning BEFORE cutting, and file a Buffer Management Plan if the tree is in the Buffer. A Simplified plan covers, among other things, "Cutting a tree that is in imminent danger of falling, except when actions are necessary in emergency situations. In such instances, a Simplified Buffer Management Plan shall be submitted at the earliest possible time."

Fees, penalties, and the ordinance

Fee: No fee is published for the city street or park tree permit. The Code sets fee-in-lieu of mitigation "in an amount approved by the Board of Estimates" without stating the amount. What is priced: the Forest Conservation fee-in-lieu under section 46-3 is "$300 per inch of required mitigation, or at a rate as determined and adjusted periodically by the Planning Commission and approved by the Board of Estimates." The Maryland DNR Roadside Tree Project Permit is $25.00 — "If the applicant is not a public agency, a payment of $25.00 made payable to MD DNR must accompany this application."
Penalties: Section 53-26: "Any person who violates any provision of sections 53-11, 53-12, 53-13, 53-21, or 53-22 of this subtitle is guilty of a misdemeanor and, on conviction, is subject to a fine of not more than $500 for each offense." Section 53-22 adds that a violator "may be required to replace any such tree or trees." Forest conservation is far heavier: section 48-2 provides that a person in noncompliance "shall be fined a penalty of $120,000 per acre of the area found to be in noncompliance with required forest conservation," plus "a penalty not exceeding $1,000 per violation, which may be recovered in a civil action brought by the City." The state roadside tree penalty under NR section 5-406(e) is "Not exceeding $2,000 for a first offense; and Not exceeding $5,000 for a second or subsequent offense."
Ordinance: Baltimore City Code, Article 7 (Natural Resources), Division V (City Parks and Trees), Subtitle 53, sections 53-1 through 53-26. Sections 53-15 and 53-16 were added by Ordinance 24-331, Bill 23-0465, "Tree Removal on City Property - Permits and Procedure," introduced December 4, 2023, enacted April 24, 2024, effective May 24, 2024. Forest conservation is separate: Article 7, Division IV (Forest and Tree Conservation), sections 41-1 through 48-4, originally Ord. 93-170, and the Code's own editor's note records that "This Division IV was substantially amended by Ordinance 20-401, effective December 28, 2020." The Critical Area overlay is Article 32 (Zoning), Title 7, Subtitle 4, sections 7-401 through 7-415, enacted by Ord. 16-581 and amended by Ord. 24-322 (Bill 24-0494), effective April 16, 2024. Code currency, verbatim from the publisher: "Current through July 17, 2026 / Last codified ordinance City of Balt., Md., Ord. 26-129."

Worth knowing

The right-of-way trap is the single biggest practical risk in Baltimore. NR section 5-401 defines a roadside tree as "any tree or shrub growing within the right-of-way of any public road," and section 5-406(c) says "A person may not cut down, trim, mutilate, or in any manner injure any roadside tree, except as authorized by this section, without a permit from the Department." A right-of-way tree needs a city permit AND a state permit.
A roadside tree can also stop your building permit cold. NR section 5-406(d): "A county or municipality may not issue a building permit to an applicant for any clearing, construction, or development that will result in the trimming, cutting, removal, or injury of a roadside tree until the applicant first obtains a permit from the Department."
The Critical Area switches the Forest Conservation ordinance off rather than stacking on top of it. Section 41-5(b)(7): "This Division IV does not apply to: ... areas covered by the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Protection Law." On waterfront property the CAMP Manual governs, not the 5,000 square foot threshold. Anyone summarising Baltimore tree rules generically gets this backwards.
Storms are genuinely exempt. NR section 5-406(b)(1) lets you remove a tree or branches without a permit "if the tree is unrooted or its branches broken so as to contact telephone, telegraph, electric power, or other wires carrying electric current, or if the tree or its branches endanger persons or property." City section 53-5(c)(1) waives the five-day posting in an emergency. Forestry's FAQ: "A tree or portion of a tree that is blocking a road or has fallen on private property, such as a car or a house, is considered an emergency. The Forestry Division will respond immediately."
The tree company you hire must be licensed by the state. NR section 5-417(a)(1): "A person may not engage in the work or business of a tree expert without a license issued under the provisions of this part." The licence attaches to work "for compensation," so a homeowner working on their own tree is not covered, but anyone they hire is. DNR: "any commercial entity performing the actual tree work must have at least one Licensed Tree Expert on staff, in compliance with state law."
TreeBaltimore is a planting programme, not a permitting body. It gives trees away: "Each spring and fall, TreeBaltimore offers residents FREE 1-gallon trees for their homes and businesses."
The city will not remove a street tree because it lifted your sidewalk. Forestry: "We will NOT remove a tree because it conflicts with a sidewalk." Report the sidewalk to 311 instead. On sewer lines: "Many people incur the unnecessary expense of removing trees around their property only to find that the problem still exists. Tree removal permits are issued only if doing so is required to repair a leaking sewer."
You have an affirmative duty to deal with hazards. Property Maintenance Code section 305.3: "All trees and shrubbery that are dangerous to life and property or that create a fire or traffic hazard must be pruned or removed to eliminate the danger or hazard."
The Critical Area in Baltimore runs along the harbour and the Middle Branch — Canton, Locust Point, Fells Point, Federal Hill, Riverside, Westport, Port Covington, Curtis Bay, Brooklyn, Cherry Hill, Hawkins Point and Fairfield among others. Only the CAMP Map is determinative: section 7-405(d)(2) says "Any other representation of the Critical Area, Buffer, or Development Areas, regardless of the source of publication, are illustrative only."
The street tree law is no longer in Article 26 despite what older references say. It was recodified into Article 7, Division V. Article 26 now retains only a sidewalk-damage cost provision.

What we could not confirm

We would rather tell you what we don't know than guess. Call the office below to confirm these before you cut.

— Whether Baltimore City holds a delegated or blanket Maryland Roadside Tree Permit from DNR. The DNR Roadside Tree Program page names only Montgomery County as delegated and does not mention Baltimore City in either direction, and DNR publishes no list of blanket permit holders. Assume a state permit is needed for right-of-way work and call (410) 260-8510 to confirm.
— The fee and the application form for the city section 53-15 and 53-16 permits. Neither is published on the Forestry page, the Forestry FAQ, or the Recreation and Parks permits page, which lists only event permits. The Code sets fee-in-lieu "in an amount approved by the Board of Estimates" and the Board action setting that amount could not be located.
— Two official city sources give different Critical Area penalties. Article 32 section 7-415(b) sets "a civil fine of up to $1,000 for each offense," while the CAMP Manual states "a fine not to exceed $25,000." Both are official and both are reported rather than reconciled.
— The scope of section 53-21(d). As enacted it has no location limiter while every neighbouring subsection is confined to streets, lanes, alleys or parks. No city source explains how the provision is read, so the text is reported without inferring a meaning.
— Sections 53-15 and 53-16 — the sections that actually create the permits — are not listed in the section 53-26 penalty provision. Ordinance 24-331 created the permits without adding them to the penalty section, so enforcement presumably runs through section 53-21 or 53-22.
— Whether a standalone tree removal with no accompanying building or grading permit is enforced in practice inside the Critical Area. The CAMP language is unambiguous, but the review hook at Article 32 section 4-303 is framed around permit issuance, and no standalone Critical Area tree removal form or fee was found.
— Article 32 section 7-405 references the "CAMP Map (2020 Edition)" while the operative manual is the 2024 Edition. Whether the Code citation was updated could not be confirmed.

Sources

Who to contact in Baltimore

Forestry Division, Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks

(410) 396-6109 (fax 410-396-6645). Service requests: 311, or (410) 396-3100, or (443) 263-2220 from outside the city. Critical Area and waterfront: Department of Planning, Office of Sustainability, 410-396-7526. Roadside trees, state permit: Maryland DNR Forest Service, (410) 260-8510. treesplease@baltimorecity.gov (City Arborist Matt Rescott, Matthew.Rescott@baltimorecity.gov) Official page

2600 Madison Ave., Baltimore, MD 21217

Cost Calculators

Find Tree Services

Browse tree trimming and removal companies in Baltimore.

View tree services

Related Permits

Get weekly cost & permit updates

Join homeowners who get free insights on project costs, permit changes, and money-saving tips. No spam — unsubscribe anytime.

Free forever. No credit card. Unsubscribe in one click.

Size threshold

What's protected in Baltimore

Street trees. Section 53-15(a)(1): "a person may not remove a tree in or along a public street without first having been issued a written permit to do so by the Department of Recreation and Parks." Baltimore has roughly 200,000 of them.

Park trees. Section 53-16(a)(1) uses identical language for "a tree in a public park."

Trees anywhere in the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area, including private back yards. The city's adopted CAMP Manual: "Within Baltimore's Critical Area and Buffer, no tree or woody plant may be cut, removed, or destroyed unless approved in advance by the Director of Planning. Any clearing of forest or woody vegetation must be replaced and maintained by the property owner."

Trees in the Critical Area Buffer, which is at least 100 feet from tidal water and 200 feet in Resource Conservation Areas approved on or after July 1, 2008. COMAR 27.01.09.01-7A(1): "Except as authorized under section A(2) of this regulation, a person may not cut or clear trees within the buffer."

Forest on a development site. Article 7 section 41-4 reaches "any person making application for a grading or building permit on a parcel or parcels of land for a total area of 5,000 square feet or greater" — far stricter than the 40,000 square foot state default.

Trees and root zones generally, under a stray provision worth knowing about. Section 53-21(d): "Nor shall any person remove, damage, injure, or otherwise harm any tree or the root zone of a tree beneath the ground." Unlike the subsections around it, (d) carries no location limiter, and unlike sections 53-15 and 53-16 it IS covered by the penalty section.

Protected Trees under the Landscape Manual — but note that "Single-family detached and semi-detached dwellings are exempt from the requirements of the Landscape Manual."

How to apply in Baltimore

1
For a tree entirely on your own land, outside the Critical Area, with no grading or building permit involved, there is nothing to apply for. Baltimore publishes no private-property tree removal application.
2
If you are not certain the tree is yours rather than the city's, call Forestry at (410) 396-6109 before anything else. In rowhouse blocks the sidewalk pit and the front strip are usually right-of-way.
3
For a street or park tree, request a written permit from Recreation and Parks. Section 53-15(a)(2): "Within 20 business days of receiving a request for a permit under this section, the Department of Recreation and Parks shall: (i) approve, deny, or request additional information regarding the permit; (ii) determine whether mitigation under subsection (d) is required; and (iii) notify the applicant."
4
Post notice. Section 53-5(b) requires "a durable and legible statement of the intent, affixed to and easily visible on the tree for not less than 5 days immediately preceding the contemplated removal," giving the reason and a contact for protests.
5
Use a licensed professional. Section 53-15(b): "Any tree removal permitted under this section must be completed by a licensed tree expert in accordance with Title 5, Subtitle 4, Part III {'Tree Experts'} of the State Natural Resources Article." Section 53-14 gives you 30 days from the permit date to finish.
6
For a right-of-way tree you also need the state permit. Mail or deliver a DNR Roadside Tree Permit application with the precise location and full street address, owner name and address, a description of the work and the reason, and a site plan for construction work. DNR notes its online portal is currently unavailable. A Forest Ranger inspects, permits are valid for one year, and a copy must stay on site.
7
In the Critical Area, get written approval from the Director of Planning BEFORE cutting, and file a Buffer Management Plan if the tree is in the Buffer. A Simplified plan covers, among other things, "Cutting a tree that is in imminent danger of falling, except when actions are necessary in emergency situations. In such instances, a Simplified Buffer Management Plan shall be submitted at the earliest possible time."

Fees, penalties, and the ordinance

Fee

No fee is published for the city street or park tree permit. The Code sets fee-in-lieu of mitigation "in an amount approved by the Board of Estimates" without stating the amount. What is priced: the Forest Conservation fee-in-lieu under section 46-3 is "$300 per inch of required mitigation, or at a rate as determined and adjusted periodically by the Planning Commission and approved by the Board of Estimates." The Maryland DNR Roadside Tree Project Permit is $25.00 — "If the applicant is not a public agency, a payment of $25.00 made payable to MD DNR must accompany this application."

Penalties

Section 53-26: "Any person who violates any provision of sections 53-11, 53-12, 53-13, 53-21, or 53-22 of this subtitle is guilty of a misdemeanor and, on conviction, is subject to a fine of not more than $500 for each offense." Section 53-22 adds that a violator "may be required to replace any such tree or trees." Forest conservation is far heavier: section 48-2 provides that a person in noncompliance "shall be fined a penalty of $120,000 per acre of the area found to be in noncompliance with required forest conservation," plus "a penalty not exceeding $1,000 per violation, which may be recovered in a civil action brought by the City." The state roadside tree penalty under NR section 5-406(e) is "Not exceeding $2,000 for a first offense; and Not exceeding $5,000 for a second or subsequent offense."

Ordinance

Baltimore City Code, Article 7 (Natural Resources), Division V (City Parks and Trees), Subtitle 53, sections 53-1 through 53-26. Sections 53-15 and 53-16 were added by Ordinance 24-331, Bill 23-0465, "Tree Removal on City Property - Permits and Procedure," introduced December 4, 2023, enacted April 24, 2024, effective May 24, 2024. Forest conservation is separate: Article 7, Division IV (Forest and Tree Conservation), sections 41-1 through 48-4, originally Ord. 93-170, and the Code's own editor's note records that "This Division IV was substantially amended by Ordinance 20-401, effective December 28, 2020." The Critical Area overlay is Article 32 (Zoning), Title 7, Subtitle 4, sections 7-401 through 7-415, enacted by Ord. 16-581 and amended by Ord. 24-322 (Bill 24-0494), effective April 16, 2024. Code currency, verbatim from the publisher: "Current through July 17, 2026 / Last codified ordinance City of Balt., Md., Ord. 26-129."

Worth knowing

The right-of-way trap is the single biggest practical risk in Baltimore. NR section 5-401 defines a roadside tree as "any tree or shrub growing within the right-of-way of any public road," and section 5-406(c) says "A person may not cut down, trim, mutilate, or in any manner injure any roadside tree, except as authorized by this section, without a permit from the Department." A right-of-way tree needs a city permit AND a state permit.
A roadside tree can also stop your building permit cold. NR section 5-406(d): "A county or municipality may not issue a building permit to an applicant for any clearing, construction, or development that will result in the trimming, cutting, removal, or injury of a roadside tree until the applicant first obtains a permit from the Department."
The Critical Area switches the Forest Conservation ordinance off rather than stacking on top of it. Section 41-5(b)(7): "This Division IV does not apply to: ... areas covered by the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Protection Law." On waterfront property the CAMP Manual governs, not the 5,000 square foot threshold. Anyone summarising Baltimore tree rules generically gets this backwards.
Storms are genuinely exempt. NR section 5-406(b)(1) lets you remove a tree or branches without a permit "if the tree is unrooted or its branches broken so as to contact telephone, telegraph, electric power, or other wires carrying electric current, or if the tree or its branches endanger persons or property." City section 53-5(c)(1) waives the five-day posting in an emergency. Forestry's FAQ: "A tree or portion of a tree that is blocking a road or has fallen on private property, such as a car or a house, is considered an emergency. The Forestry Division will respond immediately."
The tree company you hire must be licensed by the state. NR section 5-417(a)(1): "A person may not engage in the work or business of a tree expert without a license issued under the provisions of this part." The licence attaches to work "for compensation," so a homeowner working on their own tree is not covered, but anyone they hire is. DNR: "any commercial entity performing the actual tree work must have at least one Licensed Tree Expert on staff, in compliance with state law."
TreeBaltimore is a planting programme, not a permitting body. It gives trees away: "Each spring and fall, TreeBaltimore offers residents FREE 1-gallon trees for their homes and businesses."
The city will not remove a street tree because it lifted your sidewalk. Forestry: "We will NOT remove a tree because it conflicts with a sidewalk." Report the sidewalk to 311 instead. On sewer lines: "Many people incur the unnecessary expense of removing trees around their property only to find that the problem still exists. Tree removal permits are issued only if doing so is required to repair a leaking sewer."
You have an affirmative duty to deal with hazards. Property Maintenance Code section 305.3: "All trees and shrubbery that are dangerous to life and property or that create a fire or traffic hazard must be pruned or removed to eliminate the danger or hazard."
The Critical Area in Baltimore runs along the harbour and the Middle Branch — Canton, Locust Point, Fells Point, Federal Hill, Riverside, Westport, Port Covington, Curtis Bay, Brooklyn, Cherry Hill, Hawkins Point and Fairfield among others. Only the CAMP Map is determinative: section 7-405(d)(2) says "Any other representation of the Critical Area, Buffer, or Development Areas, regardless of the source of publication, are illustrative only."
The street tree law is no longer in Article 26 despite what older references say. It was recodified into Article 7, Division V. Article 26 now retains only a sidewalk-damage cost provision.

What we could not confirm

We would rather tell you what we don't know than guess. Call the office below to confirm these before you cut.

— Whether Baltimore City holds a delegated or blanket Maryland Roadside Tree Permit from DNR. The DNR Roadside Tree Program page names only Montgomery County as delegated and does not mention Baltimore City in either direction, and DNR publishes no list of blanket permit holders. Assume a state permit is needed for right-of-way work and call (410) 260-8510 to confirm.
— The fee and the application form for the city section 53-15 and 53-16 permits. Neither is published on the Forestry page, the Forestry FAQ, or the Recreation and Parks permits page, which lists only event permits. The Code sets fee-in-lieu "in an amount approved by the Board of Estimates" and the Board action setting that amount could not be located.
— Two official city sources give different Critical Area penalties. Article 32 section 7-415(b) sets "a civil fine of up to $1,000 for each offense," while the CAMP Manual states "a fine not to exceed $25,000." Both are official and both are reported rather than reconciled.
— The scope of section 53-21(d). As enacted it has no location limiter while every neighbouring subsection is confined to streets, lanes, alleys or parks. No city source explains how the provision is read, so the text is reported without inferring a meaning.
— Sections 53-15 and 53-16 — the sections that actually create the permits — are not listed in the section 53-26 penalty provision. Ordinance 24-331 created the permits without adding them to the penalty section, so enforcement presumably runs through section 53-21 or 53-22.
— Whether a standalone tree removal with no accompanying building or grading permit is enforced in practice inside the Critical Area. The CAMP language is unambiguous, but the review hook at Article 32 section 4-303 is framed around permit issuance, and no standalone Critical Area tree removal form or fee was found.
— Article 32 section 7-405 references the "CAMP Map (2020 Edition)" while the operative manual is the 2024 Edition. Whether the Code citation was updated could not be confirmed.