Tree Removal Permits in New Orleans, LA

Verified against New Orleans city sources · last checked 2026-08-06

Do you need a permit?

No permit required for most private trees

New Orleans rewrote its entire tree ordinance on March 27, 2025, and the new law is aimed squarely at CITY trees - it defines a "city tree" as "a tree located on any city property or right-of-way" and regulates that, not your back yard. There is no citywide permit and no diameter threshold for a tree on private property. The catch in New Orleans is geography: the neutral ground, the sidewalk strip and much of what looks like a front yard is city right-of-way, and a tree there may not be cut, pruned or removed by you at all - only by a Louisiana-licensed arborist holding a free Tree Work Permit. The zoning code has a tree preservation rule too, but it expressly does not reach single-family or two-family homes.

Size threshold

None for private trees. The 2025 ordinance sets no diameter trigger for private property at all. For measurement, Section 106-211 defines "Diameter at breast height or DBH" as "the method used to measure caliper by the timber industry, which is taken approximately four and one-half feet high on the trunk of a tree above the ground line," and defines "Caliper" separately as "a measurement of a nursery grown tree trunk taken six inches above the ground up to and including four-inch caliper size. If the caliper at six inches above the ground exceeds four inches, the caliper should be measured at 12 inches above the ground." The zoning code, CZO Section 23.10.A, uses six inches DBH but only for right-of-way and street trees inside an approved landscape plan.

What's protected in New Orleans

City trees, defined at Section 106-211 as "a tree located on any city property or right-of-way." Section 106-213(b): "No person is permitted to remove, cut, disturb, or interfere in any way with any city tree without prior written approval from the department." Section 106-213(a) adds that "Only arborists with prior written approval from the department may perform work on city trees."
City trees next to your own house. Section 106-219(d) is explicit and is the provision most likely to catch a homeowner: "No party shall be permitted to personally cut, trim, or remove any city tree adjoining, adjacent to, or abutting their property without prior written permission from the department."
City vegetation, defined at Section 106-211 as "shrubs, plants, or groundcover on any city property or right-of-way."
Right-of-way and street trees over six inches DBH on a site that needs a landscape plan. CZO Section 23.10.A: "Approval of a landscape plan requires preservation of all public right-of-way or street trees with a diameter at breast height of over six (6) inches, subject to the exceptions granted in this ordinance."
Forests, on any land. CZO Section 23.10.E: "Clear-cutting of forests is prohibited, unless the property owner has an forest management plan, prepared by a licensed forester, which includes a replanting plan. The forest management plan shall be approved by the State Department of Agriculture."

How to apply in New Orleans

1
For a tree entirely on your own private lot, there is no city application.
2
For a city tree, a neutral-ground tree or a tree in the right-of-way, you do not apply yourself - your arborist does. The city: "A Louisiana licensed arborist must submit a description of the requested work, a copy of their license, and an insurance certificate with the City of New Orleans as certificate holder."
3
The arborist emails three documents to forestry@nola.gov: a "Written contract that specifies services to be performed with property address," a "Copy of current Louisiana arborist license," and an "Insurance certificate showing the City of New Orleans as certificate holder."
4
The permit is free and lasts 60 days.
5
Section 106-219(c)(1) separately requires at least ten working days advance notice of the date and time contemplated for the work.
6
To ask the city to prune or remove a city tree at the city's expense rather than yours, submit a 311 service request. Section 106-219(a): if a city tree "substantially causes loss, damage, or deprivation of the lawful use of such property, then the department may cut, prune, or remove such tree."

Fees, penalties, and the ordinance

Fee: The Tree Work Permit is free. The city states it plainly: "A Tree Maintenance permit is required to do any work on any City tree... The permit is free of charge and lasts for 60 days."
Penalties: Section 106-220(a) routes violations to the general penalty at Section 1-13, which sets a first violation at "the greater of (i) a fine not to exceed $1,000.00 or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or both, or (ii) the maximum penalty authorized by state law," and a second or subsequent offense at up to 2,000 dollars. Each day is a separate offense. The replacement liability is the heavier half: Section 106-220(c) makes anyone who willfully destroys a city tree "liable for the actual cost of repair or replacement," requires replacement "with a specimen(s) of equal size and caliper... including a one-year watering contract and a five-year warranty," and where in-kind replacement is impossible sets damages by "the current edition of the Guide for Plant Appraisal, published by the council of tree and landscape appraisers." Section 106-220(b) requires a stop work order for unpermitted work.
Ordinance: New Orleans Code of Ordinances chapter 106 (Parks and Recreation), Article IV - Protection of Vegetation, Sections 106-211 through 106-221. The city calls it the Tree Protection Ordinance. M.C.S., Ord. No. 30255, Section 1, adopted March 27, 2025, "amended Art. IV in its entirety to read as herein set out"; the department published a first draft on October 7, 2024, a second draft December 17, 2024, took public comment until January 31, 2025, and says the City Council "unanimously approved the final draft" on March 27, 2025. The former Article IV derived from the 1956 Code and from Ord. Nos. 18,382 (8-21-97) and 18,689 (4-16-98). Private-property tree preservation, where it exists, is in the separate Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, Article 23 (Landscape, Stormwater Management, and Screening), Sections 23.10 and 23.11, adopted by Ord. 27,683 MCS, Section 6, March 6, 2018, Zoning Docket 086-17. Code current through Ordinance No. 30653, adopted May 7, 2026 (Supp. No. 116, Update 1).

Worth knowing

The reason the private-property answer is clean is CZO Section 23.3.A.1, and it is worth reading in full: "A landscape plan is required for all developments, with the exception of single-family dwellings, two-family dwellings, and multi-family dwellings of six (6) units or less." Tree preservation under Section 23.10 hangs entirely off landscape plan approval, so it does not reach an ordinary house.
Tree topping is flatly prohibited on permitted work. Section 106-218(d): "Tree topping is prohibited." Section 106-211 defines it as "the removal of a tree's top, large branches or trunk."
The critical root zone is generous and it is a real constraint on construction. Section 106-211: the CRZ "is an equidistant circular area which has a radius calculated at one-foot to every one-inch DBH or is defined as the outer edge of the dripline, whichever distance is furthest." Section 106-214(m) prohibits trenching within it. Section 106-213(e) prohibits excavation and fill greater than two inches deep within it.
Historic district approval does NOT extend to trees. Code Section 84-106(a) puts the Historic District Landmarks Commission in charge of "the exterior architectural features... of a structure," subsection (b) says the commission "shall not consider interior arrangement or use" and "shall regulate those outside surfaces of a building that can be viewed from a public right-of-way," and the word "tree" appears in the chapter only in the commission's advisory duty at Section 84-105(7) to "Render advice with reference to sidewalk construction and repair, tree planting, street improvements."
Utility crews get an emergency carve-out but owe a report. Section 106-216(h): "In an emergency, public utility companies may perform minimum pruning or digging measures without a permit only to a degree necessary to restore or to avoid the loss of service or to abate imminent endangerment to human life... The department shall be notified of the emergency work in a timely manner."
The ordinance defers to state licensing twice. Section 106-211 defines an Arborist as a specialist "who is currently licensed by the State of Louisiana," and Section 106-216(b) requires utility contractors to "abide by the requirements set forth in the Louisiana Revised Statutes Chapter 24: Horticulture, and the Louisiana Administrative Code 7: XXIX.117 (H)."
Your ongoing duty as an owner is about growth, not trees. Code Section 66-312(a) requires every owner to "cut and mow the grass, weeds, or other deleterious or unhealthful growths on their respective property and in the space between the property line and the curbline in front, rear and alongside thereof, so that neither grass nor weeds shall rise above the height of ten inches." Fines run 75 dollars initially, 150 after 30 days, 200 after 60 days under Section 66-313(b), up to 1,000 dollars under Section 66-312(f).
The city is planting, not just protecting. Parks and Parkways says it manages "Over 150,000 street trees," and on July 7, 2026 awarded 146,500 dollars in Tree Planting Grants to nine nonprofits toward "the City's goal of planting 40,000 new trees by 2030."

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 an ordinary private tree in New Orleans is truly unregulated. The 2025 ordinance is scoped to city trees and the CZO exempts one- and two-family homes, so nothing found reaches a back-yard tree - but the code says that by silence rather than by an affirmative "no permit required" statement, and the city publishes no homeowner-facing page answering the question directly. Silence is what is reported here.
— Where the city right-of-way line actually falls on your block. In New Orleans this is the whole question, and the city publishes no general rule - Parks and Parkways determines it case by case. Call (504) 658-3200 before you cut anything near the sidewalk or neutral ground.
— Whether the Vieux Carre Commission, which is separate from the HDLC, regulates trees in the French Quarter. Chapter 84 was checked and contains no tree provision; the VCC design guidelines were not examined.
— Whether Ord. No. 30255 carries an effective date different from its March 27, 2025 adoption date. Municode prints only the adoption date.
— The amount of any monetary compensation the city charges under Section 106-214(f)(2) when a construction project removes a city tree. The ordinance says the amount is "based upon current market conditions and the DBH, condition, and height of the tree" and publishes no schedule.
— Whether Orleans Levee District, Sewerage and Water Board, Audubon Commission or City Park Improvement Association land carries separate tree rules. All are governed separately from the Department of Parks and Parkways.

Sources

Who to contact in New Orleans

Department of Parks and Parkways, City of New Orleans. Tree and neutral-ground service requests are routed through the 311 system. Landscape plan and CZO questions go to the City Planning Commission instead.

(504) 658-3200, or dial 311. The 311 line from outside the parish is (504) 539-3266. City Hall main: (504) 658-4000. forestry@nola.gov Official page

1 Green Parade Lane, New Orleans, LA 70122

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Size threshold

What's protected in New Orleans

City trees, defined at Section 106-211 as "a tree located on any city property or right-of-way." Section 106-213(b): "No person is permitted to remove, cut, disturb, or interfere in any way with any city tree without prior written approval from the department." Section 106-213(a) adds that "Only arborists with prior written approval from the department may perform work on city trees."

City trees next to your own house. Section 106-219(d) is explicit and is the provision most likely to catch a homeowner: "No party shall be permitted to personally cut, trim, or remove any city tree adjoining, adjacent to, or abutting their property without prior written permission from the department."

City vegetation, defined at Section 106-211 as "shrubs, plants, or groundcover on any city property or right-of-way."

Right-of-way and street trees over six inches DBH on a site that needs a landscape plan. CZO Section 23.10.A: "Approval of a landscape plan requires preservation of all public right-of-way or street trees with a diameter at breast height of over six (6) inches, subject to the exceptions granted in this ordinance."

Forests, on any land. CZO Section 23.10.E: "Clear-cutting of forests is prohibited, unless the property owner has an forest management plan, prepared by a licensed forester, which includes a replanting plan. The forest management plan shall be approved by the State Department of Agriculture."

How to apply in New Orleans

1
For a tree entirely on your own private lot, there is no city application.
2
For a city tree, a neutral-ground tree or a tree in the right-of-way, you do not apply yourself - your arborist does. The city: "A Louisiana licensed arborist must submit a description of the requested work, a copy of their license, and an insurance certificate with the City of New Orleans as certificate holder."
3
The arborist emails three documents to forestry@nola.gov: a "Written contract that specifies services to be performed with property address," a "Copy of current Louisiana arborist license," and an "Insurance certificate showing the City of New Orleans as certificate holder."
4
The permit is free and lasts 60 days.
5
Section 106-219(c)(1) separately requires at least ten working days advance notice of the date and time contemplated for the work.
6
To ask the city to prune or remove a city tree at the city's expense rather than yours, submit a 311 service request. Section 106-219(a): if a city tree "substantially causes loss, damage, or deprivation of the lawful use of such property, then the department may cut, prune, or remove such tree."

Fees, penalties, and the ordinance

Fee

The Tree Work Permit is free. The city states it plainly: "A Tree Maintenance permit is required to do any work on any City tree... The permit is free of charge and lasts for 60 days."

Penalties

Section 106-220(a) routes violations to the general penalty at Section 1-13, which sets a first violation at "the greater of (i) a fine not to exceed $1,000.00 or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or both, or (ii) the maximum penalty authorized by state law," and a second or subsequent offense at up to 2,000 dollars. Each day is a separate offense. The replacement liability is the heavier half: Section 106-220(c) makes anyone who willfully destroys a city tree "liable for the actual cost of repair or replacement," requires replacement "with a specimen(s) of equal size and caliper... including a one-year watering contract and a five-year warranty," and where in-kind replacement is impossible sets damages by "the current edition of the Guide for Plant Appraisal, published by the council of tree and landscape appraisers." Section 106-220(b) requires a stop work order for unpermitted work.

Ordinance

New Orleans Code of Ordinances chapter 106 (Parks and Recreation), Article IV - Protection of Vegetation, Sections 106-211 through 106-221. The city calls it the Tree Protection Ordinance. M.C.S., Ord. No. 30255, Section 1, adopted March 27, 2025, "amended Art. IV in its entirety to read as herein set out"; the department published a first draft on October 7, 2024, a second draft December 17, 2024, took public comment until January 31, 2025, and says the City Council "unanimously approved the final draft" on March 27, 2025. The former Article IV derived from the 1956 Code and from Ord. Nos. 18,382 (8-21-97) and 18,689 (4-16-98). Private-property tree preservation, where it exists, is in the separate Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, Article 23 (Landscape, Stormwater Management, and Screening), Sections 23.10 and 23.11, adopted by Ord. 27,683 MCS, Section 6, March 6, 2018, Zoning Docket 086-17. Code current through Ordinance No. 30653, adopted May 7, 2026 (Supp. No. 116, Update 1).

Worth knowing

The reason the private-property answer is clean is CZO Section 23.3.A.1, and it is worth reading in full: "A landscape plan is required for all developments, with the exception of single-family dwellings, two-family dwellings, and multi-family dwellings of six (6) units or less." Tree preservation under Section 23.10 hangs entirely off landscape plan approval, so it does not reach an ordinary house.
Tree topping is flatly prohibited on permitted work. Section 106-218(d): "Tree topping is prohibited." Section 106-211 defines it as "the removal of a tree's top, large branches or trunk."
The critical root zone is generous and it is a real constraint on construction. Section 106-211: the CRZ "is an equidistant circular area which has a radius calculated at one-foot to every one-inch DBH or is defined as the outer edge of the dripline, whichever distance is furthest." Section 106-214(m) prohibits trenching within it. Section 106-213(e) prohibits excavation and fill greater than two inches deep within it.
Historic district approval does NOT extend to trees. Code Section 84-106(a) puts the Historic District Landmarks Commission in charge of "the exterior architectural features... of a structure," subsection (b) says the commission "shall not consider interior arrangement or use" and "shall regulate those outside surfaces of a building that can be viewed from a public right-of-way," and the word "tree" appears in the chapter only in the commission's advisory duty at Section 84-105(7) to "Render advice with reference to sidewalk construction and repair, tree planting, street improvements."
Utility crews get an emergency carve-out but owe a report. Section 106-216(h): "In an emergency, public utility companies may perform minimum pruning or digging measures without a permit only to a degree necessary to restore or to avoid the loss of service or to abate imminent endangerment to human life... The department shall be notified of the emergency work in a timely manner."
The ordinance defers to state licensing twice. Section 106-211 defines an Arborist as a specialist "who is currently licensed by the State of Louisiana," and Section 106-216(b) requires utility contractors to "abide by the requirements set forth in the Louisiana Revised Statutes Chapter 24: Horticulture, and the Louisiana Administrative Code 7: XXIX.117 (H)."
Your ongoing duty as an owner is about growth, not trees. Code Section 66-312(a) requires every owner to "cut and mow the grass, weeds, or other deleterious or unhealthful growths on their respective property and in the space between the property line and the curbline in front, rear and alongside thereof, so that neither grass nor weeds shall rise above the height of ten inches." Fines run 75 dollars initially, 150 after 30 days, 200 after 60 days under Section 66-313(b), up to 1,000 dollars under Section 66-312(f).
The city is planting, not just protecting. Parks and Parkways says it manages "Over 150,000 street trees," and on July 7, 2026 awarded 146,500 dollars in Tree Planting Grants to nine nonprofits toward "the City's goal of planting 40,000 new trees by 2030."

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 an ordinary private tree in New Orleans is truly unregulated. The 2025 ordinance is scoped to city trees and the CZO exempts one- and two-family homes, so nothing found reaches a back-yard tree - but the code says that by silence rather than by an affirmative "no permit required" statement, and the city publishes no homeowner-facing page answering the question directly. Silence is what is reported here.
— Where the city right-of-way line actually falls on your block. In New Orleans this is the whole question, and the city publishes no general rule - Parks and Parkways determines it case by case. Call (504) 658-3200 before you cut anything near the sidewalk or neutral ground.
— Whether the Vieux Carre Commission, which is separate from the HDLC, regulates trees in the French Quarter. Chapter 84 was checked and contains no tree provision; the VCC design guidelines were not examined.
— Whether Ord. No. 30255 carries an effective date different from its March 27, 2025 adoption date. Municode prints only the adoption date.
— The amount of any monetary compensation the city charges under Section 106-214(f)(2) when a construction project removes a city tree. The ordinance says the amount is "based upon current market conditions and the DBH, condition, and height of the tree" and publishes no schedule.
— Whether Orleans Levee District, Sewerage and Water Board, Audubon Commission or City Park Improvement Association land carries separate tree rules. All are governed separately from the Department of Parks and Parkways.