Do you need a permit?
No permit required for most private trees
In Denver, most trees on private property can be removed by the owner without a permit. The City Forester's permit requirement applies to public and protected trees — including the street trees between the sidewalk and the curb, which are regulated by the city even though the adjacent owner maintains them. The permit itself is free.
What's protected in Denver
- Street trees in the public right-of-way (regulated by the City Forester even though the adjacent property owner maintains them)
- Any tree the city classifies as public or protected
- Trees within the front and side setbacks when a property is undergoing demolition or construction — zoning code gives the City Forester authority over these
Fees, penalties, and the ordinance
- Fee
- Free. Denver states a permit "is required from the Office of the City Forester for tree planting and removal" and that permits "are free but must be approved and issued."
- Ordinance
- Denver Municipal Code Chapter 57 (tree service company licensing); city zoning code for construction/demolition setbacks
Worth knowing
- Denver requires a free permit for "tree removal, tree planting, tree injection, or attaching material to any public or protected tree."
- Anyone doing tree care work for hire in Denver — pruning or removal — must be licensed as a "Tree Service Company" under Chapter 57 of the municipal code. Ask to see it before you hire.
- If your property is being demolished or built on, the exemption for private trees narrows: the City Forester gains authority over trees in the front and side setbacks.
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.
- — Penalties for removing a public or protected tree without a permit.
- — Whether any private-property tree is individually designated as "protected" outside of the construction/demolition case.