Tree Removal Permits in Hopkinsville, KY

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

Do you need a permit?

No permit required for most private trees

Hopkinsville does not permit private tree removal - it polices neglect instead. Chapter 102 is titled "Public Tree Care" and its definitions confine it to park trees and street trees, both on public land or in the right-of-way. The one section that mentions private land, Section 102.06, creates no permit at all; it reads in its entirety "Dead or diseased tree removal on private property shall be subject to the provisions of Chapter 93 of the Hopkinsville Code of Ordinances," and Chapter 93 is a nuisance chapter that makes you cut, never one that makes you ask. The zoning landscaping subchapter expressly exempts "one and two-family developments," so a house lot is outside it. Two things still bite: the right-of-way strip out front, which often runs several feet behind the sidewalk into what looks like your yard, and ground disturbance of 2,000 square feet or more, which triggers a Grading and Clearing Permit.

Size threshold

None for removal. The only numeric tree dimension in the regulatory text is definitional, at Section 93.01: "OVERGROWTH VEGETATION. All vegetation, except grass, agricultural crops and trees with a diameter larger than one and one-half inches." Note what that does and does not say - it says "diameter" and specifies no measurement height at all, not four and a half feet, not four feet, not ground level, and it does not say DBH. Its effect is to sort woody growth: at an inch and a half or less it is overgrowth vegetation you can be ordered to cut, and above that it is a tree governed only by the hazard and clearance rules. The other numbers in Chapter 93 are HEIGHT limits on grass, weeds and saplings, not tree thresholds: eight inches on improved property, 24 inches on agricultural property not in actual agricultural use, twelve inches on unimproved property. Planting standards on regulated sites use caliper, not DBH: "All shade trees shall be a minimum of 2.0" caliper; ornamental trees shall be 1.0" caliper; evergreen trees shall be 5' tall, when planted."

What's protected in Hopkinsville

Park trees. Section 102.01: "PARK TREES. Trees, shrubs, bushes and all other woody vegetation in public parks having individual names, and all areas owned by the city, or to which the public has free access as a park."
Street trees. Section 102.01: "STREET TREES. Trees, shrubs, bushes, and all other woody vegetation on land lying within the right-of-way of all public streets or public ways within the city."
Previously approved landscape material on regulated sites. Section 158.222: "The removal or destruction of landscape material previously approved by the City shall constitute a violation of the zoning ordinance. Replacement of landscape material shall be of like type as that which was removed or destroyed." That binds commercial, industrial, multi-family, PUD and zero-lot-line sites, not ordinary houses.
There is no heritage, specimen or landmark tree list in Hopkinsville and no protected species list.

How to apply in Hopkinsville

1
There is no application for a private tree - no form, no fee, no queue. What follows are the steps the city's own documents actually impose.
2
Establish whether the tree is in the right-of-way, which commonly extends behind the sidewalk into apparent front yard. Section 102.01 defines street trees as woody vegetation "on land lying within the right-of-way." Call Public Works at (270) 890-0600 to confirm the line before cutting.
3
If it is in the right-of-way, contact Public Works rather than self-performing. Section 102.04 vests removal authority in the department, and Section 99.04(A) separately requires a permit for "any construction, excavation or work in a right-of-way."
4
If the tree is wholly on private property, measure the ground disturbance rather than the tree. The Grading and Clearing Permit form requires a permit if you answer yes to any of: disturbance in the public right-of-way, within 20 feet of a public roadway, within 10 feet of a ditch, or within a drainage easement; more than 3,350 square feet of impervious surface added; or disturbance of 2,000 square feet or greater. Felling one tree will not reach these; stump grinding plus regrading a yard can.
5
If you will disturb an acre or more, add an Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control plan and file a Notice of Intent. Five acres or more goes to the Kentucky Division of Water.
6
If the property is commercial, industrial, multi-family, PUD or zero lot line, check whether the tree is on an approved landscape plan before touching it. Call Community Development Services at (270) 887-4285.

Fees, penalties, and the ordinance

Fee: There is no tree removal permit and therefore no fee. The point is confirmed negatively: the adopted fee schedule at Appendix D of Chapter 158 (Ordinance 26-2007) has fifteen line items - dimensional variance, conditional use, interpretation, BZA rehearing, street closing, stormwater management plan review, flood safety and protection plan review, site plan review, rezoning, minor subdivision plat review, major subdivision plat review, preliminary plat, final plat, plan amendment and home occupation - and no tree, landscape or vegetation entry. Be careful with any dollar figure from that schedule: it carries the note "Effective 07/10/2010: All fees contained above are adjusted annually for the Consumer Price Index, per Kentucky Governor's Office for Local Development, applicable to the preceding year," so the printed 2007 to 2009 amounts are not current and are not reproduced here.
Penalties: The provision that reaches private-property trees is Section 93.99. Subsection (A) lets the city choose its forum: "The provisions of this chapter may be enforced by the Code of Ordinance Enforcement Board established in Sections 33.180 et seq., or in the alternative, the Christian County District Court, as a misdemeanor and/or violation. The decision on where the ordinance will be enforced shall be at the city's discretion." Subsection (B): "Any owner who fails to properly cure or remedy a violation within the time prescribed... shall be subject to a fine. A first offense shall result in a fine not greater than $400. A second offense shall result in a fine not greater than $600. All other offenses shall result in a fine not greater than $1,000. If enforcing through District Court, each day that a violation continues shall constitute a separate offense." Subsection (C) doubles fines for neglected properties, which Section 93.01 defines as "Parcels of land which have received two notices of violations and/or citations per calendar year in consecutive years which have not paid corresponding fines and abatement fees." On the zoning side, Ordinance 24-2007 makes a landscaping violation grounds for the Zoning Inspector "to refuse a certificate of occupancy permit, require replacement of landscape material, and will subject those in violation to established fines and penalties of this chapter."
Ordinance: Hopkinsville Code of Ordinances Chapter 102 - Public Tree Care, Sections 102.01 through 102.06, all six adopted by Ordinance 17-2018, passed August 7, 2018. The nuisance chapter that actually reaches private trees is Chapter 93, Sections 93.01 and 93.03, from Ordinance 25-98 (12-29-1998) as amended by Ordinance 01-2012 (2-21-2012) and Ordinance 06-2012 (8-7-2012); the penalty section 93.99 was most recently amended by Ordinance 25-2023, passed July 18, 2023. The zoning landscaping subchapter at Sections 158.211 and 158.215 comes from Ordinance 11-85 (12-3-1985) as substantially amended by Ordinance 24-2007, passed August 21, 2007. Right-of-way rules are Sections 99.04 and 99.21, from Ordinance 40-2006 (10-17-2006) and Ordinance 02-2018 (2-20-2018). Code edition 2026 S-18: "Supplement contains: Local legislation current through December 2, 2025."

Worth knowing

The duty runs the other way, and that is the whole shape of Hopkinsville tree law. Section 93.03(C)(2)(l): "It shall be unlawful for the owner to permit any dead or deteriorating tree or overgrowth vegetation to interfere with a normal sidewalk located on his or her property or on a public right-of-way adjoining his or her property, or street traffic, so as to pose a threat to public safety or public rights-of-way due to obstruction of view, obstruction of passage, falling of all or any part thereof, or in any other manner."
Hard clearance numbers for live trees, Section 93.03(C)(2)(k): "The minimum clearance of any overhanging portion thereof shall be seven feet over sidewalks and 12 feet over all streets, except truck routes which shall have a clearance of 14 feet."
You maintain the right-of-way strip but Public Works controls the trees in it. Section 93.03(A): "Passive maintenance of the right-of-way including mowing, trimming, erosion prevention and sowing of grass is the responsibility of the homeowner and/or lot owner." That split surprises people.
The one-and-two-family exemption is worth quoting because it is load-bearing. Section 158.211(A) applies the landscaping subchapter to site-plan-review developments, multi-family structures, PUDs, zero lot line developments and industrial or commercial developments, "with the exception of one and two-family developments not classified as a planned unit development (PUD) or zero lot line (ZLL)." Everything in the Central Business District except parking lots and vehicular use areas is also exempt.
Planting in the right-of-way needs a permit even though removing does not. Section 99.21(A): "A permit shall be obtained prior to any vegetative planting excluding grass seeding/sodding within the right-of-way." Subsection (B) adds that any planting near the right-of-way "deemed to be a risk to public safety may be removed by the city at any time."
Hopkinsville has no tree board as such. Section 102.02 assigns the job to the City Beautification Commission, which works with Public Works "to study, investigate, counsel, develop and/or update annually, and administer a written plan for the care, preservation, pruning, planting, replanting, removal or disposition of trees and shrubs in parks, along streets, and in other public areas."
An ISA certified arborist governs the street tree species list. Section 102.03: "The Public Works Department shall maintain an official street tree species list for the city under the direction of an arborist certified by the International Society of Arboriculture."
Historic districts do not regulate tree removal here. Both district guidelines state that "A COA is not required for exterior paint colors, landscaping, use of a property or for interior changes and alterations," and the Mount Pleasant guidelines say outright that "Landscape elements in Mt. Pleasant are not restricted." The two districts are Mount Pleasant on South Main Street and South Virginia Street Alumni-Latham-Mooreland. The Mount Pleasant guidelines do recommend, without requiring, that "If it becomes necessary to remove a mature tree, the stump should be cut to ground level. New trees not less than five feet (5') tall should be planted to replace older trees that have been removed."
Ash is on the city's undesirable planting list. Section 158.228 names Fraxinus (all) alongside Bradford Pear, Tree of Heaven, Silver Maple, Norway Maple, Sweetgum, Mimosa and Osage Orange. That is consistent with emerald ash borer, though the ordinance states no reason and none is claimed here.
Volunteer seedlings become a citable nuisance long before they become trees. Improved property may not have saplings exceeding eight inches in height, and anything an inch and a half in diameter or under is overgrowth vegetation.
Hopkinsville does not license tree services. Title XI, Business Regulations, runs Chapters 110 through 119 - general licensing, alcoholic beverages, community antenna television, patrol service, peddlers and itinerant merchants, precious metals and gems, limited cable service providers, pawnbrokers, amusements and entertainment, and sexually oriented businesses - and contains no arborist or tree service chapter. Nothing makes it unlawful to hire an unregistered tree service.
Do not quote the Subdivision Regulations PDF the planning agency publishes. It is a low-quality scan whose OCR is badly corrupted, rendering "waterways, marshes, wooded area, isolated preservable trees" as garbage text. Its actual requirement is that preservable trees be shown on the sketch plan, which is a plat-drawing duty at subdivision stage, not a homeowner permit.

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 removing an existing tree from the right-of-way requires a Section 99.04 right-of-way permit. Section 99.04 requires a permit for "any construction, excavation or work in a right-of-way" and Section 99.21(A) expressly requires one to PLANT, but no section says removal needs one. The code does not say. Call Public Works at (270) 890-0600 first.
— A currency contradiction between two official statements. The planning agency's ordinances page says "The American Legal Publishing Online Library website contains local legislation through Ordinance 25-2011." American Legal's own banner says December 2, 2025. The agency statement is demonstrably stale - Chapter 102 was created by Ordinance 17-2018 and is present in the online code - but both are recorded rather than resolved.
— Whether Hopkinsville currently holds Tree City USA designation and for how long. Chapter 102's structure and the Beautification Commission role are consistent with the program requirements, but the designation could not be confirmed from a source.
— Whether Chapter 151 (Flood Damage Prevention), Chapter 155 (Storm Water Management and Control) or Chapter 164 (Post-Construction Water Quality) impose any stream buffer or floodplain vegetation restriction relevant to the Little River. The ordinance PDF the planning agency publishes is a scanned image with no extractable text layer.
— The exact penalty amounts under Section 158.999 (zoning) and Section 99.99 (streets and sidewalks). Both are cross-referenced by sections that were read, but their text was not retrieved.
— Whether any fee attaches to the Grading and Clearing Permit. The permit form states none and Appendix D has no matching line item.
— Which office receives a nuisance tree complaint. The city department directory lists Code Enforcement under Fire and EMS at (270) 890-1400, while Community Development Services separately employs two Code Enforcement Officers at (270) 887-4285. Neither source says which one handles trees.
— Whether Hopkinsville has any seasonal oak wilt rule. None appears in Chapter 102, Chapter 93 or the landscaping subchapter. Section 102.05, headed "Pruning, corner clearance," contains no substantive rule at all - only the cross-reference "Pruning and corner clearance shall be subject to the provisions of Chapter 158 and Chapter 93." The code is silent, and silence is what is reported here.
— Whether any tree ordinance amendment has been adopted since December 2, 2025. The published supplement is roughly eight months behind.

Sources

Who to contact in Hopkinsville

There is no tree permit office because there is no tree permit. Right-of-way and city trees go to the Hopkinsville Public Works Department (Director Mike Perry; City Grounds Maintenance Superintendent Blane Ezell). Zoning, land disturbance and code enforcement go to Community Development Services, the joint Hopkinsville-Christian County planning agency - the City of Hopkinsville has no in-house planning or zoning department.

(270) 890-0600 (Public Works). Grounds Maintenance direct: (270) 890-0710. Community Development Services: (270) 887-4285. City of Hopkinsville general: (270) 887-4000. info-pw@h-ky.us for Public Works. Community Development Services executive director: tbritton@comdev-services.com. Official page

705 North Main Street, Hopkinsville, KY 42240 (Public Works). Community Development Services: 710 South Main Street, P.O. Box 1125, Hopkinsville, KY 42240. City Hall: 715 South Virginia Street.

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Size threshold

What's protected in Hopkinsville

Park trees. Section 102.01: "PARK TREES. Trees, shrubs, bushes and all other woody vegetation in public parks having individual names, and all areas owned by the city, or to which the public has free access as a park."

Street trees. Section 102.01: "STREET TREES. Trees, shrubs, bushes, and all other woody vegetation on land lying within the right-of-way of all public streets or public ways within the city."

Previously approved landscape material on regulated sites. Section 158.222: "The removal or destruction of landscape material previously approved by the City shall constitute a violation of the zoning ordinance. Replacement of landscape material shall be of like type as that which was removed or destroyed." That binds commercial, industrial, multi-family, PUD and zero-lot-line sites, not ordinary houses.

There is no heritage, specimen or landmark tree list in Hopkinsville and no protected species list.

How to apply in Hopkinsville

1
There is no application for a private tree - no form, no fee, no queue. What follows are the steps the city's own documents actually impose.
2
Establish whether the tree is in the right-of-way, which commonly extends behind the sidewalk into apparent front yard. Section 102.01 defines street trees as woody vegetation "on land lying within the right-of-way." Call Public Works at (270) 890-0600 to confirm the line before cutting.
3
If it is in the right-of-way, contact Public Works rather than self-performing. Section 102.04 vests removal authority in the department, and Section 99.04(A) separately requires a permit for "any construction, excavation or work in a right-of-way."
4
If the tree is wholly on private property, measure the ground disturbance rather than the tree. The Grading and Clearing Permit form requires a permit if you answer yes to any of: disturbance in the public right-of-way, within 20 feet of a public roadway, within 10 feet of a ditch, or within a drainage easement; more than 3,350 square feet of impervious surface added; or disturbance of 2,000 square feet or greater. Felling one tree will not reach these; stump grinding plus regrading a yard can.
5
If you will disturb an acre or more, add an Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control plan and file a Notice of Intent. Five acres or more goes to the Kentucky Division of Water.
6
If the property is commercial, industrial, multi-family, PUD or zero lot line, check whether the tree is on an approved landscape plan before touching it. Call Community Development Services at (270) 887-4285.

Fees, penalties, and the ordinance

Fee

There is no tree removal permit and therefore no fee. The point is confirmed negatively: the adopted fee schedule at Appendix D of Chapter 158 (Ordinance 26-2007) has fifteen line items - dimensional variance, conditional use, interpretation, BZA rehearing, street closing, stormwater management plan review, flood safety and protection plan review, site plan review, rezoning, minor subdivision plat review, major subdivision plat review, preliminary plat, final plat, plan amendment and home occupation - and no tree, landscape or vegetation entry. Be careful with any dollar figure from that schedule: it carries the note "Effective 07/10/2010: All fees contained above are adjusted annually for the Consumer Price Index, per Kentucky Governor's Office for Local Development, applicable to the preceding year," so the printed 2007 to 2009 amounts are not current and are not reproduced here.

Penalties

The provision that reaches private-property trees is Section 93.99. Subsection (A) lets the city choose its forum: "The provisions of this chapter may be enforced by the Code of Ordinance Enforcement Board established in Sections 33.180 et seq., or in the alternative, the Christian County District Court, as a misdemeanor and/or violation. The decision on where the ordinance will be enforced shall be at the city's discretion." Subsection (B): "Any owner who fails to properly cure or remedy a violation within the time prescribed... shall be subject to a fine. A first offense shall result in a fine not greater than $400. A second offense shall result in a fine not greater than $600. All other offenses shall result in a fine not greater than $1,000. If enforcing through District Court, each day that a violation continues shall constitute a separate offense." Subsection (C) doubles fines for neglected properties, which Section 93.01 defines as "Parcels of land which have received two notices of violations and/or citations per calendar year in consecutive years which have not paid corresponding fines and abatement fees." On the zoning side, Ordinance 24-2007 makes a landscaping violation grounds for the Zoning Inspector "to refuse a certificate of occupancy permit, require replacement of landscape material, and will subject those in violation to established fines and penalties of this chapter."

Ordinance

Hopkinsville Code of Ordinances Chapter 102 - Public Tree Care, Sections 102.01 through 102.06, all six adopted by Ordinance 17-2018, passed August 7, 2018. The nuisance chapter that actually reaches private trees is Chapter 93, Sections 93.01 and 93.03, from Ordinance 25-98 (12-29-1998) as amended by Ordinance 01-2012 (2-21-2012) and Ordinance 06-2012 (8-7-2012); the penalty section 93.99 was most recently amended by Ordinance 25-2023, passed July 18, 2023. The zoning landscaping subchapter at Sections 158.211 and 158.215 comes from Ordinance 11-85 (12-3-1985) as substantially amended by Ordinance 24-2007, passed August 21, 2007. Right-of-way rules are Sections 99.04 and 99.21, from Ordinance 40-2006 (10-17-2006) and Ordinance 02-2018 (2-20-2018). Code edition 2026 S-18: "Supplement contains: Local legislation current through December 2, 2025."

Worth knowing

The duty runs the other way, and that is the whole shape of Hopkinsville tree law. Section 93.03(C)(2)(l): "It shall be unlawful for the owner to permit any dead or deteriorating tree or overgrowth vegetation to interfere with a normal sidewalk located on his or her property or on a public right-of-way adjoining his or her property, or street traffic, so as to pose a threat to public safety or public rights-of-way due to obstruction of view, obstruction of passage, falling of all or any part thereof, or in any other manner."
Hard clearance numbers for live trees, Section 93.03(C)(2)(k): "The minimum clearance of any overhanging portion thereof shall be seven feet over sidewalks and 12 feet over all streets, except truck routes which shall have a clearance of 14 feet."
You maintain the right-of-way strip but Public Works controls the trees in it. Section 93.03(A): "Passive maintenance of the right-of-way including mowing, trimming, erosion prevention and sowing of grass is the responsibility of the homeowner and/or lot owner." That split surprises people.
The one-and-two-family exemption is worth quoting because it is load-bearing. Section 158.211(A) applies the landscaping subchapter to site-plan-review developments, multi-family structures, PUDs, zero lot line developments and industrial or commercial developments, "with the exception of one and two-family developments not classified as a planned unit development (PUD) or zero lot line (ZLL)." Everything in the Central Business District except parking lots and vehicular use areas is also exempt.
Planting in the right-of-way needs a permit even though removing does not. Section 99.21(A): "A permit shall be obtained prior to any vegetative planting excluding grass seeding/sodding within the right-of-way." Subsection (B) adds that any planting near the right-of-way "deemed to be a risk to public safety may be removed by the city at any time."
Hopkinsville has no tree board as such. Section 102.02 assigns the job to the City Beautification Commission, which works with Public Works "to study, investigate, counsel, develop and/or update annually, and administer a written plan for the care, preservation, pruning, planting, replanting, removal or disposition of trees and shrubs in parks, along streets, and in other public areas."
An ISA certified arborist governs the street tree species list. Section 102.03: "The Public Works Department shall maintain an official street tree species list for the city under the direction of an arborist certified by the International Society of Arboriculture."
Historic districts do not regulate tree removal here. Both district guidelines state that "A COA is not required for exterior paint colors, landscaping, use of a property or for interior changes and alterations," and the Mount Pleasant guidelines say outright that "Landscape elements in Mt. Pleasant are not restricted." The two districts are Mount Pleasant on South Main Street and South Virginia Street Alumni-Latham-Mooreland. The Mount Pleasant guidelines do recommend, without requiring, that "If it becomes necessary to remove a mature tree, the stump should be cut to ground level. New trees not less than five feet (5') tall should be planted to replace older trees that have been removed."
Ash is on the city's undesirable planting list. Section 158.228 names Fraxinus (all) alongside Bradford Pear, Tree of Heaven, Silver Maple, Norway Maple, Sweetgum, Mimosa and Osage Orange. That is consistent with emerald ash borer, though the ordinance states no reason and none is claimed here.
Volunteer seedlings become a citable nuisance long before they become trees. Improved property may not have saplings exceeding eight inches in height, and anything an inch and a half in diameter or under is overgrowth vegetation.
Hopkinsville does not license tree services. Title XI, Business Regulations, runs Chapters 110 through 119 - general licensing, alcoholic beverages, community antenna television, patrol service, peddlers and itinerant merchants, precious metals and gems, limited cable service providers, pawnbrokers, amusements and entertainment, and sexually oriented businesses - and contains no arborist or tree service chapter. Nothing makes it unlawful to hire an unregistered tree service.
Do not quote the Subdivision Regulations PDF the planning agency publishes. It is a low-quality scan whose OCR is badly corrupted, rendering "waterways, marshes, wooded area, isolated preservable trees" as garbage text. Its actual requirement is that preservable trees be shown on the sketch plan, which is a plat-drawing duty at subdivision stage, not a homeowner permit.

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 removing an existing tree from the right-of-way requires a Section 99.04 right-of-way permit. Section 99.04 requires a permit for "any construction, excavation or work in a right-of-way" and Section 99.21(A) expressly requires one to PLANT, but no section says removal needs one. The code does not say. Call Public Works at (270) 890-0600 first.
— A currency contradiction between two official statements. The planning agency's ordinances page says "The American Legal Publishing Online Library website contains local legislation through Ordinance 25-2011." American Legal's own banner says December 2, 2025. The agency statement is demonstrably stale - Chapter 102 was created by Ordinance 17-2018 and is present in the online code - but both are recorded rather than resolved.
— Whether Hopkinsville currently holds Tree City USA designation and for how long. Chapter 102's structure and the Beautification Commission role are consistent with the program requirements, but the designation could not be confirmed from a source.
— Whether Chapter 151 (Flood Damage Prevention), Chapter 155 (Storm Water Management and Control) or Chapter 164 (Post-Construction Water Quality) impose any stream buffer or floodplain vegetation restriction relevant to the Little River. The ordinance PDF the planning agency publishes is a scanned image with no extractable text layer.
— The exact penalty amounts under Section 158.999 (zoning) and Section 99.99 (streets and sidewalks). Both are cross-referenced by sections that were read, but their text was not retrieved.
— Whether any fee attaches to the Grading and Clearing Permit. The permit form states none and Appendix D has no matching line item.
— Which office receives a nuisance tree complaint. The city department directory lists Code Enforcement under Fire and EMS at (270) 890-1400, while Community Development Services separately employs two Code Enforcement Officers at (270) 887-4285. Neither source says which one handles trees.
— Whether Hopkinsville has any seasonal oak wilt rule. None appears in Chapter 102, Chapter 93 or the landscaping subchapter. Section 102.05, headed "Pruning, corner clearance," contains no substantive rule at all - only the cross-reference "Pruning and corner clearance shall be subject to the provisions of Chapter 158 and Chapter 93." The code is silent, and silence is what is reported here.
— Whether any tree ordinance amendment has been adopted since December 2, 2025. The published supplement is roughly eight months behind.