Do you need a permit?
No permit required for most private trees
Spokane is unusually clear about this. The city's Urban Forestry program states plainly: "If your tree is on your private property, you DO NOT need a tree permit." Permits apply to public trees — the ones in the right-of-way and on city property — and that work must be done by a licensed certified arborist.
What's protected in Spokane
- Trees in the public right-of-way and any public tree on City property
Worth knowing
- For a public tree, all pruning, planting and removal must be performed by an ISA Certified Arborist holding a current Commercial Tree License, under an approved Public Tree Permit.
- Two exceptions to the public tree permit: planting done with Urban Forestry's assistance, and minor pruning meeting all three conditions — branches under 2 inches diameter, less than 15% canopy loss, and more than 10 feet from power lines.
- The arborist, not the homeowner, files the Public Tree Permit application.
- If you are unsure whether the tree between your sidewalk and the curb is yours or the city's, call Urban Forestry before hiring anyone.
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.
- — Permit fee amounts — the Urban Forestry permits page does not publish them.
- — Spokane's code also contains SMC 12.02.970, "Tree Protection, Conservation, and Preservation." We did not verify what that section requires or whether it adds obligations on private property during development.
- — Penalties for removing a public tree without a permit.