Tree Removal Permits in Richmond, KY

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

Do you need a permit?

It depends on the tree

For an ordinary tree on an ordinary Richmond lot there is no permit and no size threshold - Code Section 97.16(D)(1) reaches only "any public tree in the right-of-way." Two things change that answer. If your property sits in an overlay district, the Development Ordinance requires a no-cost city permit before you "clear a parcel or lot of trees or other major vegetation," and the two overlays are large: the Downtown Historic District and the Transportation Corridor district running 750 feet either side of the Robert R. Martin Bypass centerline. And the strip between your sidewalk and the street holds a public tree that you maintain but may not remove without written notice and Tree Board approval. Richmond is also more likely to make you cut than to stop you: Section 94.01(B) makes a tree that "appears likely to fall" a nuisance you are obliged to abate.

Size threshold

None for removal. Every diameter figure in Richmond's regulations governs planting or defines topping. Section 157.044(L)(15): "Residential lots must have a minimum of two trees per lot in R1-B and R1-C zones and a minimum of three trees per lot in R1-A zones, with a minimum diameter of two and a half inches." Section 157.044(L)(8): "each lot shall have on shade tree planted for each 50 feet of street frontage. Unless otherwise specified, trees shall have a minimum trunk size of two inches in diameter." Section 97.16(B) defines topping by "stubs larger than three inches in diameter within the tree's crown." Important gap: Richmond states NO measurement height for any of those three figures. It does not say DBH, does not say four and a half feet, does not say four feet, and does not say caliper. Do not treat any of them as DBH.

What's protected in Richmond

Public trees in the right-of-way. Section 97.16(D)(1): "No person shall remove, cut above the ground or disturb any public tree in the right-of-way without approval of the city. The city shall be notified in writing of the intent to make any changes to trees in the public right-of-way. The Tree Board shall determine if the action is warranted."
Any public tree, against topping. Section 97.16(B): "It shall be unlawful as a normal practice for any person, firm or city department to top any public tree... Trees severely damaged by storms or other causes, or certain trees under utility wires or other obstructions where other pruning practices are impractical may be exempted from this subchapter at the determination of the Public Works Department."
Trees anywhere in an overlay district. Development Ordinance Section 406.3.7.1(e): "Upon the effective date of the establishment of an overlay district, no person shall begin any significant structural change or any ordinary repairs to any building or structure, change or create any surface parking lot, or clear a parcel or lot of trees or other major vegetation, or change the appearance to signage within an overlay district until the city has issued a permit, without cost, certifying that the person has complied with the provisions of these regulations. This prohibition shall not apply to emergency repairs."
Trees in a stream buffer. Development Ordinance Section 514.4 sets a buffer beginning "at the edge of the stream bank of the active channel and extend[ing] a minimum of 25 feet from the top of the bank," inside which clearing of existing vegetation is restricted - though "Individual trees within the forest buffer that are in danger of falling, causing damage to dwellings or other structures, or causing blockage of the stream may be removed."
Trees you must keep. Section 157.044(L)(15) sets a floor of two trees per lot in R1-B and R1-C and three in R1-A, so clearing your whole yard puts you out of zoning compliance even where no removal permit applies.

How to apply in Richmond

1
For a tree on ordinary private property outside an overlay, there is no application and none is published.
2
For a right-of-way tree, Section 97.16(D) requires you to notify the city in writing of the intent to make any changes to trees in the public right-of-way. The Tree Board then determines whether the action is warranted.
3
Meet the removal standards in the same subsection: the entire tree including the stump is removed; the area is refilled to ground level with soil so as to prevent a hole; the area is re-seeded or planted appropriately; no damage is done to city or third-party property; the removal can be done "without danger or inconvenience to the public"; and "Tree replacement is encouraged where possible and appropriate."
4
Know who gets the ticket. Section 97.16(D)(2): "It shall specifically be the responsibility of the landowner to comply with the foregoing. Citations shall be issued to the landowner for any violation or damages resulting from improper tree removal." Not your contractor - you.
5
If you are in the Downtown Historic District or within 750 feet of the Robert R. Martin Bypass centerline, apply to the city for the no-cost overlay certifying permit before clearing. In the Downtown Historic District, exterior changes also run through the Board of Architectural Review certificate of appropriateness process on a form provided by the Codes and Planning Office.
6
Richmond routes general permitting through the Accela Citizen Access portal.

Fees, penalties, and the ordinance

Fee: There is no tree removal permit fee in Richmond, and the overlay-district clearing permit is issued "without cost" by the terms of Development Ordinance Section 406.3.7.1(e). The codified fee schedule at Section 157.077 (Ord. passed 4-8-25, amended by Ord. 25-26, passed 10-28-25) lists 24 items and contains no tree entry. Nearby figures: right of way encroachment permit 100 dollars; land disturbance permit for a commercial site under one acre 100 dollars; over one acre 400 dollars; flood plain or flood zone permit 200 dollars. Note that both land disturbance permits are expressly commercial.
Penalties: Section 97.99(A): "Any person failing or refusing to trim or remove his said trees or to allow them to be trimmed or removed after five days written notice from the City Manager or Chief of Police, shall be guilty of a violation and shall be fined not less than $5, nor more than $250 for each offense; and in addition thereto, the city authorities shall have the right to have said trees trimmed or moved at the expense of the owner." Section 97.99(B)(1) adds that a violation resulting in "the injury, mutilation or death of a public tree" makes the violator "responsible for the cost of repair or replacement of such tree." The civil fine schedule at Section 97.99(B)(2) runs per day from the first day after the correction period: uncontested, 100 dollars first offense, 200 dollars second, 400 dollars for all others; contested and heard by the Board, 150, 250 and 450 dollars. Section 97.19 gives the city a lien recorded with the County Clerk bearing interest "at 12% per annum thereafter until paid." Development Ordinance Section 306 makes zoning violations a misdemeanor fined 10 to 500 dollars per conviction, each day a separate offense.
Ordinance: Code of Ordinances of the City of Richmond, Kentucky, Title IX, Chapter 97 - Trees and Weeds, Sections 97.01, 97.15 through 97.19 and 97.99. The tree program was adopted by Ordinance 06-45, passed December 12, 2006, which is stamped on Sections 97.15, 97.16, 97.17, 97.18, 97.19 and 97.99; Section 97.15 was amended by Ordinance 09-10, passed June 9, 2009; Section 97.01 carries the older citation "('79 Code, Section 14-25)". Nuisance duties are Chapter 94, Sections 94.01 and 94.02, from Ordinance 16-05, passed February 9, 2016. The codified Development Ordinance is Chapter 157, from an ordinance passed April 8, 2025, with the fee schedule amended by Ordinance 25-26 on October 28, 2025. Code current through Supplement 2026 S-31: "Local legislation current through Ord. 25-27, passed 12-9-25." The standalone Development Ordinance PDF the city publishes states on its cover "As Adopted by the City Commission on September 23, 2025" while its own Section 209 Effective Date is stamped "Ordinance 25-06, February 11, 2025."

Worth knowing

The reverse-permit trap is the real Richmond risk. Section 94.01(B) declares a nuisance "Any tree or other object in such a condition that it appears likely to fall, either in whole or in part, and which if it does fall may cause injury to persons or property upon the public streets or public ways of the city or to persons or property on adjoining properties," and Section 94.02 makes it unlawful to "create or permit the continued existence of a nuisance."
You maintain the street tree but you do not own the decision. Section 97.16(C)(2): "The owner of the property upon which public trees are planted shall be responsible for all care and maintenance of said trees." Removing it still needs written notice and Tree Board approval.
The city disclaims vetting your contractor. Section 97.16(E): "The city does not endorse or certify the expertise of tree care and removal companies. These companies must possess and maintain current contractor and occupational licenses. The companies must have all insurance in place." There is no tree-service licensing chapter in Richmond; verify the license and insurance yourself.
Planting in the right-of-way needs no permit, only species screening. Section 97.16(A) lets any person or group plant a tree in the right-of-way adjacent to their property provided it is not an undesirable species, and lists eight disqualifying traits including "Weak-wooded apt to lose large branches in wind or with age" and "Unsafe, thorny or poisonous trees."
You have an affirmative trimming duty for streetlights. Section 97.01: "Property owners shall keep their trees trimmed and growing in such a manner and in such places as will permit the free reflection of the public lights of the city... In addition, property owners are to remove all limbs or brush from streets."
Sight triangles are a nuisance issue here. Section 94.01(E) reaches "Trees or shrubbery on premises which in any way interferes with the use or maintenance of streets or sidewalks, which cause injury to streets or sidewalks, or which constitutes a safety hazard by obstructing the vision of a motorist, bicyclist, or pedestrian."
Check the Bypass distance before you clear. The Transportation Corridor district TC-1 extends "a depth of 750 feet on either side of centerline" under Section 157.045(B)(3). That is a wide band through a lot of residential Richmond.
Public Works runs curbside pickup for tree limbs and yard waste at 859-625-6435.
Enforcement is complaint driven and the clock is short. The Code and Ordinance Enforcement Board meets the second Wednesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, and Section 97.17(G) gives you seven days to pay or request a hearing. Paying does not excuse fixing the violation.
Topping is banned on public trees only. Private trees are not covered by Section 97.16(B).

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.

— A direct conflict between the two documents the city publishes. The codified Section 157.045 (Overlay Districts, ordinance passed April 8, 2025) does NOT contain the tree-clearing permit clause that appears at Section 406.3.7.1(e) of the standalone Development Ordinance PDF the city currently posts (adopted September 23, 2025). The code claims currency through Ordinance 25-27 of December 9, 2025, so the two should agree and do not. Both are reported rather than resolved.
— Whether Richmond's Community Tree Advisory Board is currently seated. Section 97.15 creates it and Section 97.16(D)(1) gives it the decision on right-of-way removals, but the city's Boards and Commissions page lists thirteen bodies and no tree board.
— The definition of PUBLIC TREE. The term governs the entire removal rule and the fine schedule and is never defined in Chapter 97 or anywhere else in the code.
— The measurement height for every tree diameter in Richmond's regulations. No provision states DBH, four and a half feet, four feet, or caliper.
— Whether the two names for the same body are in fact the same body. Chapter 97 calls it the "Tree Advisory Board" in Section 97.15 and the "Tree Board" in Section 97.16(D)(1) without saying so.
— Whether felling a tree inside a mapped Special Flood Hazard Area triggers the Section 152.08 development or land disturbance permit. Section 152.05 defines DEVELOPMENT as "Any manmade change to improved or unimproved real estate, including, but not limited to, buildings or other structures, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavating, drilling operations, or permanent storage of materials or equipment." Tree removal is not enumerated, but the list is expressly non-exhaustive. Ask the Floodplain Administrator.
— Fee figures in the standalone Development Ordinance PDF conflict with the codified Section 157.077 - land disturbance under one acre appears as 50 dollars in the PDF against 100 dollars codified. The codified schedule is treated as authoritative here and the PDF figures are not quoted.
— Whether Richmond holds Tree City USA status. Section 97.15(C) tasks the board with Arbor Day celebrations, which is suggestive but not proof.
— Whether any Kentucky rule imposes a seasonal oak wilt pruning prohibition. No oak wilt or seasonal pruning provision of any kind appears in Richmond's code or Development Ordinance, and no Richmond rule restricts when you may cut.
— Whether city tree rules reach the Eastern Kentucky University campus. EKU is a state institution and Section 157.044 elsewhere requires written consent from the university for street activity on campus, but no provision addresses jurisdiction over campus trees.
— Whether a tree-related application form exists inside the Accela portal. The Codes Enforcement and Planning and Zoning applications pages render empty form sections and Accela requires a session.

Sources

Who to contact in Richmond

City of Richmond Codes Enforcement, which Section 97.17(A) names as the office that initiates enforcement. Overlay district and land use questions go to City of Richmond Planning and Zoning. Street trees, limb and brush pickup, and the topping exemption determination go to Public Works.

859-625-6404 (Codes Enforcement). Planning and Zoning: (859) 625-6426. Public Works: 859-625-6435. City Hall: 859-623-1000, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. kcausey@richmondky.gov (City Planner). Public Works Director: jfarthing@richmond.ky.us - note the city uses two domains and this one is on the legacy richmond.ky.us. Official page

239 W. Main Street, Richmond, KY 40475 for Codes Enforcement, Planning and Zoning and Public Works alike.

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Size threshold

What's protected in Richmond

Public trees in the right-of-way. Section 97.16(D)(1): "No person shall remove, cut above the ground or disturb any public tree in the right-of-way without approval of the city. The city shall be notified in writing of the intent to make any changes to trees in the public right-of-way. The Tree Board shall determine if the action is warranted."

Any public tree, against topping. Section 97.16(B): "It shall be unlawful as a normal practice for any person, firm or city department to top any public tree... Trees severely damaged by storms or other causes, or certain trees under utility wires or other obstructions where other pruning practices are impractical may be exempted from this subchapter at the determination of the Public Works Department."

Trees anywhere in an overlay district. Development Ordinance Section 406.3.7.1(e): "Upon the effective date of the establishment of an overlay district, no person shall begin any significant structural change or any ordinary repairs to any building or structure, change or create any surface parking lot, or clear a parcel or lot of trees or other major vegetation, or change the appearance to signage within an overlay district until the city has issued a permit, without cost, certifying that the person has complied with the provisions of these regulations. This prohibition shall not apply to emergency repairs."

Trees in a stream buffer. Development Ordinance Section 514.4 sets a buffer beginning "at the edge of the stream bank of the active channel and extend[ing] a minimum of 25 feet from the top of the bank," inside which clearing of existing vegetation is restricted - though "Individual trees within the forest buffer that are in danger of falling, causing damage to dwellings or other structures, or causing blockage of the stream may be removed."

Trees you must keep. Section 157.044(L)(15) sets a floor of two trees per lot in R1-B and R1-C and three in R1-A, so clearing your whole yard puts you out of zoning compliance even where no removal permit applies.

How to apply in Richmond

1
For a tree on ordinary private property outside an overlay, there is no application and none is published.
2
For a right-of-way tree, Section 97.16(D) requires you to notify the city in writing of the intent to make any changes to trees in the public right-of-way. The Tree Board then determines whether the action is warranted.
3
Meet the removal standards in the same subsection: the entire tree including the stump is removed; the area is refilled to ground level with soil so as to prevent a hole; the area is re-seeded or planted appropriately; no damage is done to city or third-party property; the removal can be done "without danger or inconvenience to the public"; and "Tree replacement is encouraged where possible and appropriate."
4
Know who gets the ticket. Section 97.16(D)(2): "It shall specifically be the responsibility of the landowner to comply with the foregoing. Citations shall be issued to the landowner for any violation or damages resulting from improper tree removal." Not your contractor - you.
5
If you are in the Downtown Historic District or within 750 feet of the Robert R. Martin Bypass centerline, apply to the city for the no-cost overlay certifying permit before clearing. In the Downtown Historic District, exterior changes also run through the Board of Architectural Review certificate of appropriateness process on a form provided by the Codes and Planning Office.
6
Richmond routes general permitting through the Accela Citizen Access portal.

Fees, penalties, and the ordinance

Fee

There is no tree removal permit fee in Richmond, and the overlay-district clearing permit is issued "without cost" by the terms of Development Ordinance Section 406.3.7.1(e). The codified fee schedule at Section 157.077 (Ord. passed 4-8-25, amended by Ord. 25-26, passed 10-28-25) lists 24 items and contains no tree entry. Nearby figures: right of way encroachment permit 100 dollars; land disturbance permit for a commercial site under one acre 100 dollars; over one acre 400 dollars; flood plain or flood zone permit 200 dollars. Note that both land disturbance permits are expressly commercial.

Penalties

Section 97.99(A): "Any person failing or refusing to trim or remove his said trees or to allow them to be trimmed or removed after five days written notice from the City Manager or Chief of Police, shall be guilty of a violation and shall be fined not less than $5, nor more than $250 for each offense; and in addition thereto, the city authorities shall have the right to have said trees trimmed or moved at the expense of the owner." Section 97.99(B)(1) adds that a violation resulting in "the injury, mutilation or death of a public tree" makes the violator "responsible for the cost of repair or replacement of such tree." The civil fine schedule at Section 97.99(B)(2) runs per day from the first day after the correction period: uncontested, 100 dollars first offense, 200 dollars second, 400 dollars for all others; contested and heard by the Board, 150, 250 and 450 dollars. Section 97.19 gives the city a lien recorded with the County Clerk bearing interest "at 12% per annum thereafter until paid." Development Ordinance Section 306 makes zoning violations a misdemeanor fined 10 to 500 dollars per conviction, each day a separate offense.

Ordinance

Code of Ordinances of the City of Richmond, Kentucky, Title IX, Chapter 97 - Trees and Weeds, Sections 97.01, 97.15 through 97.19 and 97.99. The tree program was adopted by Ordinance 06-45, passed December 12, 2006, which is stamped on Sections 97.15, 97.16, 97.17, 97.18, 97.19 and 97.99; Section 97.15 was amended by Ordinance 09-10, passed June 9, 2009; Section 97.01 carries the older citation "('79 Code, Section 14-25)". Nuisance duties are Chapter 94, Sections 94.01 and 94.02, from Ordinance 16-05, passed February 9, 2016. The codified Development Ordinance is Chapter 157, from an ordinance passed April 8, 2025, with the fee schedule amended by Ordinance 25-26 on October 28, 2025. Code current through Supplement 2026 S-31: "Local legislation current through Ord. 25-27, passed 12-9-25." The standalone Development Ordinance PDF the city publishes states on its cover "As Adopted by the City Commission on September 23, 2025" while its own Section 209 Effective Date is stamped "Ordinance 25-06, February 11, 2025."

Worth knowing

The reverse-permit trap is the real Richmond risk. Section 94.01(B) declares a nuisance "Any tree or other object in such a condition that it appears likely to fall, either in whole or in part, and which if it does fall may cause injury to persons or property upon the public streets or public ways of the city or to persons or property on adjoining properties," and Section 94.02 makes it unlawful to "create or permit the continued existence of a nuisance."
You maintain the street tree but you do not own the decision. Section 97.16(C)(2): "The owner of the property upon which public trees are planted shall be responsible for all care and maintenance of said trees." Removing it still needs written notice and Tree Board approval.
The city disclaims vetting your contractor. Section 97.16(E): "The city does not endorse or certify the expertise of tree care and removal companies. These companies must possess and maintain current contractor and occupational licenses. The companies must have all insurance in place." There is no tree-service licensing chapter in Richmond; verify the license and insurance yourself.
Planting in the right-of-way needs no permit, only species screening. Section 97.16(A) lets any person or group plant a tree in the right-of-way adjacent to their property provided it is not an undesirable species, and lists eight disqualifying traits including "Weak-wooded apt to lose large branches in wind or with age" and "Unsafe, thorny or poisonous trees."
You have an affirmative trimming duty for streetlights. Section 97.01: "Property owners shall keep their trees trimmed and growing in such a manner and in such places as will permit the free reflection of the public lights of the city... In addition, property owners are to remove all limbs or brush from streets."
Sight triangles are a nuisance issue here. Section 94.01(E) reaches "Trees or shrubbery on premises which in any way interferes with the use or maintenance of streets or sidewalks, which cause injury to streets or sidewalks, or which constitutes a safety hazard by obstructing the vision of a motorist, bicyclist, or pedestrian."
Check the Bypass distance before you clear. The Transportation Corridor district TC-1 extends "a depth of 750 feet on either side of centerline" under Section 157.045(B)(3). That is a wide band through a lot of residential Richmond.
Public Works runs curbside pickup for tree limbs and yard waste at 859-625-6435.
Enforcement is complaint driven and the clock is short. The Code and Ordinance Enforcement Board meets the second Wednesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, and Section 97.17(G) gives you seven days to pay or request a hearing. Paying does not excuse fixing the violation.
Topping is banned on public trees only. Private trees are not covered by Section 97.16(B).

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.

— A direct conflict between the two documents the city publishes. The codified Section 157.045 (Overlay Districts, ordinance passed April 8, 2025) does NOT contain the tree-clearing permit clause that appears at Section 406.3.7.1(e) of the standalone Development Ordinance PDF the city currently posts (adopted September 23, 2025). The code claims currency through Ordinance 25-27 of December 9, 2025, so the two should agree and do not. Both are reported rather than resolved.
— Whether Richmond's Community Tree Advisory Board is currently seated. Section 97.15 creates it and Section 97.16(D)(1) gives it the decision on right-of-way removals, but the city's Boards and Commissions page lists thirteen bodies and no tree board.
— The definition of PUBLIC TREE. The term governs the entire removal rule and the fine schedule and is never defined in Chapter 97 or anywhere else in the code.
— The measurement height for every tree diameter in Richmond's regulations. No provision states DBH, four and a half feet, four feet, or caliper.
— Whether the two names for the same body are in fact the same body. Chapter 97 calls it the "Tree Advisory Board" in Section 97.15 and the "Tree Board" in Section 97.16(D)(1) without saying so.
— Whether felling a tree inside a mapped Special Flood Hazard Area triggers the Section 152.08 development or land disturbance permit. Section 152.05 defines DEVELOPMENT as "Any manmade change to improved or unimproved real estate, including, but not limited to, buildings or other structures, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavating, drilling operations, or permanent storage of materials or equipment." Tree removal is not enumerated, but the list is expressly non-exhaustive. Ask the Floodplain Administrator.
— Fee figures in the standalone Development Ordinance PDF conflict with the codified Section 157.077 - land disturbance under one acre appears as 50 dollars in the PDF against 100 dollars codified. The codified schedule is treated as authoritative here and the PDF figures are not quoted.
— Whether Richmond holds Tree City USA status. Section 97.15(C) tasks the board with Arbor Day celebrations, which is suggestive but not proof.
— Whether any Kentucky rule imposes a seasonal oak wilt pruning prohibition. No oak wilt or seasonal pruning provision of any kind appears in Richmond's code or Development Ordinance, and no Richmond rule restricts when you may cut.
— Whether city tree rules reach the Eastern Kentucky University campus. EKU is a state institution and Section 157.044 elsewhere requires written consent from the university for street activity on campus, but no provision addresses jurisdiction over campus trees.
— Whether a tree-related application form exists inside the Accela portal. The Codes Enforcement and Planning and Zoning applications pages render empty form sections and Accela requires a session.