Tree Removal Permits in Dearborn, MI

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

Do you need a permit?

Yes — a permit is required

Dearborn is the outlier in Michigan: it requires a permit to remove a tree on your own property, with no single-family exemption, and it charges 125 dollars for it. The code says the trigger is 12 inches; the city website and the code's own review standards say 16 inches, and both figures are reported below rather than reconciled. You also cannot lawfully hire an unlicensed cutter — any contractor removing a tree of 12 inches DBH or more for hire in Dearborn must hold a city tree removal license. Removing without a permit is a civil infraction at 250 dollars per tree.

Size threshold

The code contradicts itself and both figures are the city's own. Section 12-1104(a) sets the prohibition at 12 inches: "The removal or relocation of any tree with a DBH of 12 inches or greater on any property without first obtaining a tree removal permit shall be prohibited. A property owner may remove a tree located on their property subject to all applicable requirements of this article, including but not limited to the permit requirement of this section." Section 12-1104(e) then sets the review standard at 16 inches: "In residential zoning districts, the tree has a DBH of 16 inches or greater." The city website states the trigger as 16 inches. The measurement height also conflicts: Section 12-1101 defines DBH as "the diameter in inches of the tree measured at four feet above the existing grade," while the website says four and a half feet.

What's protected in Dearborn

There is no protected species list, no heritage or landmark tree category, and no species-by-species diameter table. Dearborn regulates by size alone and applies it to "any tree" on "any property." The only definition in the whole article is DBH.
Street and public place trees are separately and more strictly regulated. Section 17-251: "It shall be unlawful for any person to plant, trim, remove, injure, destroy, break, deface, disturb or care for any tree, shrub, plant or flower, except by watering the same, within the limits of any street or public place of the city, without first obtaining written permission from the director of public works." The city states flatly that "Residents and contractors are prohibited from trimming and removing City trees."

How to apply in Dearborn

1
Measure the trunk. If it is 12 inches or more, the code text says you need a permit; the city says 16 inches. Call 313-943-2150 if you are between the two.
2
Complete the Tree Removal Permit Application and pay the 125 dollar non-refundable fee by check or money order to the City of Dearborn.
3
Sign as the property owner. A copy of a signed removal contract satisfies the owner signature.
4
Attach a certified arborist report giving species, DBH, location (front yard or back yard), and overall health and condition. This is a website and form requirement; it does not appear in the ordinance.
5
If you are hiring someone, confirm the contractor is registered with the city. The application has a City Registration Number and expiration date field, so an unlicensed contractor cannot complete a valid application.
6
Email the packet to treepermits@dearborn.gov or submit it in person at the Dearborn Administrative Center lobby.
7
Allow five business days. An inspector assesses the trees against the removal criteria and the permit is emailed on approval.
8
To appeal a denial, Section 12-1104(g): "Appeal of denial of a tree removal permit shall be brought before the director of the Department of Economic Development... Appeal shall be made within 21 days of the denial of the tree removal permit."

Fees, penalties, and the ordinance

Fee: Section 12-1104(b): "A non-refundable fee of $125.00 shall be due at the time a permit application is submitted." The application form repeats it, payable by check or money order to the City of Dearborn. The contractor tree removal license is a separate 50 dollars a year under the Section 12-6 license fee schedule. There is no fee in lieu of replacement anywhere in the article.
Penalties: Section 12-1107: "A violation of this article shall be considered a civil infraction punishable by a civil fine of $250.00, plus costs imposed by the court... For each tree removed in violation of this article, a separate penalty may be invoked." A repeat violation on the same property within six months draws "a civil fine of $500.00 plus costs," and "A third violation committed by the same person, partnership, corporation or association within a twelve (12)-month period shall be a misdemeanor punishable by up to 93 days in jail, a fine of up to $500.00, or both." Section 12-1108 makes any violation "a nuisance per se," and Section 12-1109 lets the city issue a stop-work order or withhold a certificate of occupancy. Damaging a street tree is far worse: Section 17-258 sets the fine "in an amount equal to the total value of the trees, shrubbery, bushes, or other plant material that were unlawfully removed as computed from the International Society of Arboriculture shade tree value formula."
Ordinance: Dearborn Code of Ordinances Chapter 12 (Licenses and Business Regulations), Article XXIV — Tree Removal and Replacement, Sections 12-1100 through 12-1111. Enacted by Ordinance No. 09-1204, adopted February 2, 2009, and amended by Ordinance No. 16-1561 (November 15, 2016), Ordinance No. 22-1724 (February 8, 2022) and Ordinance No. 24-1823 (September 24, 2024), the last of which rewrote most of the article. Right-of-way trees are governed separately by Chapter 17, Article VI (Ordinance No. 81-140, November 4, 1981; Section 17-258 from Ordinance No. 05-1052, July 18, 2005). Code current through June 9, 2026 (version 2026 S-07).

Worth knowing

Check your tree company's license before you sign anything. Section 12-1103(a): "The removal of any tree with a DBH of 12 inches or greater by a contractor, for hire, on any property without first obtaining a tree removal license shall be prohibited." The license is filed with the City Clerk, costs 50 dollars, and requires "general liability insurance with limits of liability of not less than $1,000,000.00 per occurrence."
Doing it yourself is allowed but the liability is strict. Section 12-1104(h): "A property owner that removes a tree from their property without the use of a third-party contractor shall be strictly liable for any damage caused by the removal."
The stump is part of the job. Section 12-1104(f): "The stumps of trees shall be removed to six inches below the surface of the ground. The removal of the stump shall take place within 90 days of the removal of the tree."
Storms are covered. Section 12-1105 allows removal without a permit for "an emergency caused by the tree being in a hazardous or dangerous condition requiring immediate action for the safety of structures or human life," with the city "notified at the earliest opportunity in order to confirm the emergency situation." The application form adds a seven-day retroactive filing window and a photo-evidence requirement that the ordinance does not state.
Approved removals carry replacement. Section 12-1106 requires replacements to meet "the standards for landscape materials, section 5.04 of the zoning ordinance" and to be "located on the same parcel of land on which the activity is to be conducted, unless tree relocation or replacement is not possible on the same property." Trees of 2 to 3 inches DBH earn one-for-one credit.
The grounds for approval are narrower than the practice. Section 12-1104(e)(3) limits removal to instances "Where necessary for the location of a structure or site improvement and when a reasonable and prudent alternative location for such structure or improvement can be demonstrated to create an undue hardship" — which does not name a dead or diseased tree, even though the form and website plainly contemplate health-based removals.
Dearborn amended this article twice after the Sixth Circuit decided F.P. Development v. Charter Township of Canton in October 2021, and the current text contains no fee in lieu and no tree fund. Replacement under Section 12-1106 is in kind and on site.
Removing a city easement tree is free to you and the city replants automatically. Call 313-943-2150.

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.

— Which threshold actually governs, 12 inches or 16 inches. The operative prohibition in Section 12-1104(a) says 12; the review standards in 12-1104(e), the emergency clause in 12-1105, and every city communication say 16. A homeowner with a 12 to 15 inch tree cannot resolve this from published sources. Call 313-943-2150.
— Whether DBH is measured at four feet (the ordinance) or four and a half feet (the website).
— Whether the certified arborist report is legally required or only administratively imposed. It appears on the website and the form but in no ordinance section.
— Whether the seven-day retroactive emergency filing window on the form is enforceable. The codified Section 12-1105 says only "at the earliest opportunity."
— Which department actually issues the permit. The code says Economic Development; the website, the form and the email alias all say Public Works.
— Whether the 2022 and 2024 amendments were adopted specifically in response to F.P. Development v. Canton Township. The timing and the absence of any fee in lieu are consistent with it, but no city document states the reason.
— Whether the tree removal contractor license appears anywhere on the city's public licenses page. It does not; only the ordinance and the application form document it.

Sources

Who to contact in Dearborn

Tree Services, City of Dearborn Department of Public Works and Utilities (the ordinance assigns permits to the Department of Economic Development, but every public channel routes to Public Works)

313-943-2150, or 311. Contractor licensing is filed with the City Clerk, 313-943-2015. treepermits@dearborn.gov Official page

Dearborn Administrative Center, 16901 Michigan Ave., Ste. 7, Dearborn, MI 48126

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Size threshold

What's protected in Dearborn

There is no protected species list, no heritage or landmark tree category, and no species-by-species diameter table. Dearborn regulates by size alone and applies it to "any tree" on "any property." The only definition in the whole article is DBH.

Street and public place trees are separately and more strictly regulated. Section 17-251: "It shall be unlawful for any person to plant, trim, remove, injure, destroy, break, deface, disturb or care for any tree, shrub, plant or flower, except by watering the same, within the limits of any street or public place of the city, without first obtaining written permission from the director of public works." The city states flatly that "Residents and contractors are prohibited from trimming and removing City trees."

How to apply in Dearborn

1
Measure the trunk. If it is 12 inches or more, the code text says you need a permit; the city says 16 inches. Call 313-943-2150 if you are between the two.
2
Complete the Tree Removal Permit Application and pay the 125 dollar non-refundable fee by check or money order to the City of Dearborn.
3
Sign as the property owner. A copy of a signed removal contract satisfies the owner signature.
4
Attach a certified arborist report giving species, DBH, location (front yard or back yard), and overall health and condition. This is a website and form requirement; it does not appear in the ordinance.
5
If you are hiring someone, confirm the contractor is registered with the city. The application has a City Registration Number and expiration date field, so an unlicensed contractor cannot complete a valid application.
6
Email the packet to treepermits@dearborn.gov or submit it in person at the Dearborn Administrative Center lobby.
7
Allow five business days. An inspector assesses the trees against the removal criteria and the permit is emailed on approval.
8
To appeal a denial, Section 12-1104(g): "Appeal of denial of a tree removal permit shall be brought before the director of the Department of Economic Development... Appeal shall be made within 21 days of the denial of the tree removal permit."

Fees, penalties, and the ordinance

Fee

Section 12-1104(b): "A non-refundable fee of $125.00 shall be due at the time a permit application is submitted." The application form repeats it, payable by check or money order to the City of Dearborn. The contractor tree removal license is a separate 50 dollars a year under the Section 12-6 license fee schedule. There is no fee in lieu of replacement anywhere in the article.

Penalties

Section 12-1107: "A violation of this article shall be considered a civil infraction punishable by a civil fine of $250.00, plus costs imposed by the court... For each tree removed in violation of this article, a separate penalty may be invoked." A repeat violation on the same property within six months draws "a civil fine of $500.00 plus costs," and "A third violation committed by the same person, partnership, corporation or association within a twelve (12)-month period shall be a misdemeanor punishable by up to 93 days in jail, a fine of up to $500.00, or both." Section 12-1108 makes any violation "a nuisance per se," and Section 12-1109 lets the city issue a stop-work order or withhold a certificate of occupancy. Damaging a street tree is far worse: Section 17-258 sets the fine "in an amount equal to the total value of the trees, shrubbery, bushes, or other plant material that were unlawfully removed as computed from the International Society of Arboriculture shade tree value formula."

Ordinance

Dearborn Code of Ordinances Chapter 12 (Licenses and Business Regulations), Article XXIV — Tree Removal and Replacement, Sections 12-1100 through 12-1111. Enacted by Ordinance No. 09-1204, adopted February 2, 2009, and amended by Ordinance No. 16-1561 (November 15, 2016), Ordinance No. 22-1724 (February 8, 2022) and Ordinance No. 24-1823 (September 24, 2024), the last of which rewrote most of the article. Right-of-way trees are governed separately by Chapter 17, Article VI (Ordinance No. 81-140, November 4, 1981; Section 17-258 from Ordinance No. 05-1052, July 18, 2005). Code current through June 9, 2026 (version 2026 S-07).

Worth knowing

Check your tree company's license before you sign anything. Section 12-1103(a): "The removal of any tree with a DBH of 12 inches or greater by a contractor, for hire, on any property without first obtaining a tree removal license shall be prohibited." The license is filed with the City Clerk, costs 50 dollars, and requires "general liability insurance with limits of liability of not less than $1,000,000.00 per occurrence."
Doing it yourself is allowed but the liability is strict. Section 12-1104(h): "A property owner that removes a tree from their property without the use of a third-party contractor shall be strictly liable for any damage caused by the removal."
The stump is part of the job. Section 12-1104(f): "The stumps of trees shall be removed to six inches below the surface of the ground. The removal of the stump shall take place within 90 days of the removal of the tree."
Storms are covered. Section 12-1105 allows removal without a permit for "an emergency caused by the tree being in a hazardous or dangerous condition requiring immediate action for the safety of structures or human life," with the city "notified at the earliest opportunity in order to confirm the emergency situation." The application form adds a seven-day retroactive filing window and a photo-evidence requirement that the ordinance does not state.
Approved removals carry replacement. Section 12-1106 requires replacements to meet "the standards for landscape materials, section 5.04 of the zoning ordinance" and to be "located on the same parcel of land on which the activity is to be conducted, unless tree relocation or replacement is not possible on the same property." Trees of 2 to 3 inches DBH earn one-for-one credit.
The grounds for approval are narrower than the practice. Section 12-1104(e)(3) limits removal to instances "Where necessary for the location of a structure or site improvement and when a reasonable and prudent alternative location for such structure or improvement can be demonstrated to create an undue hardship" — which does not name a dead or diseased tree, even though the form and website plainly contemplate health-based removals.
Dearborn amended this article twice after the Sixth Circuit decided F.P. Development v. Charter Township of Canton in October 2021, and the current text contains no fee in lieu and no tree fund. Replacement under Section 12-1106 is in kind and on site.
Removing a city easement tree is free to you and the city replants automatically. Call 313-943-2150.

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.

— Which threshold actually governs, 12 inches or 16 inches. The operative prohibition in Section 12-1104(a) says 12; the review standards in 12-1104(e), the emergency clause in 12-1105, and every city communication say 16. A homeowner with a 12 to 15 inch tree cannot resolve this from published sources. Call 313-943-2150.
— Whether DBH is measured at four feet (the ordinance) or four and a half feet (the website).
— Whether the certified arborist report is legally required or only administratively imposed. It appears on the website and the form but in no ordinance section.
— Whether the seven-day retroactive emergency filing window on the form is enforceable. The codified Section 12-1105 says only "at the earliest opportunity."
— Which department actually issues the permit. The code says Economic Development; the website, the form and the email alias all say Public Works.
— Whether the 2022 and 2024 amendments were adopted specifically in response to F.P. Development v. Canton Township. The timing and the absence of any fee in lieu are consistent with it, but no city document states the reason.
— Whether the tree removal contractor license appears anywhere on the city's public licenses page. It does not; only the ordinance and the application form document it.