Do you need a permit?
No permit required for most private trees
Colorado Springs' tree ordinance covers trees on public ways and city property, not the one in your back yard — the city states plainly that trees on private property are the owner's responsibility. Working on a city tree, including the one in the parkway between your sidewalk and the curb, needs a free Forestry permit first, and the company you hire must hold a Colorado Springs tree service license if the tree is 15 feet or taller.
What's protected in Colorado Springs
- City trees — a tree planted in the right of way or on city property that has been approved by the City Forester
- Any tree or shrub upon a public way of the City (City Code § 4.4.101)
Fees, penalties, and the ordinance
- Fee
- Free. The Forestry permit for work on a city tree is issued free of charge, required "for record-keeping and liability reasons." You still pay for the work itself.
- Ordinance
- Colorado Springs City Code § 4.4.101 (Trees on Public Ways or Property); § 8-3-302 (tree service business license)
Worth knowing
- City Code § 4.4.101: "It shall be unlawful for any person to plant, prune, control insects and diseases, remove, destroy, cut, deface or in any way injure any tree or shrub upon a public way of the City without the approval of the City Forester." The prohibition is written against public ways, not private lots.
- The city's Forestry FAQ states: "City Forestry does not conduct maintenance of trees on private property. This is the responsibility of private property owners."
- Anyone paid to cut, train, prune, shape or remove trees 15 feet or higher must hold a city tree service business license, requiring a City Forestry exam plus $1,000,000 general liability and $100,000 workers' compensation coverage. Ask to see it before you hire.
- The right-of-way includes the parkway between sidewalk and curb. The city's SpringsView map shows where the private property line falls.
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 any tree on private property is separately protected — for example on a development site with an approved landscape plan.
- — Penalties for working on a city tree without the City Forester's approval.
- — The code text above was read via domain-restricted search because the code library blocks automated reads. Verify current wording before relying on it.