Tree Removal Permit in Chicago, IL
Permit Summary
Do You Need a Tree Removal Permit?
Exemptions
Chicago Municipal Code § 10-32-060 does not require this permit for routine maintenance and replacement of vegetation where soil disturbance of six inches or less is required. The Forestry Permit provision applies to parkway trees and shrubs rather than ordinary tree removal wholly on private property, although nuisance, zoning, planned-development, landscaping, or other site-specific requirements can still apply to private-property trees.
Protected Trees & Removal Eligibility
Protected Tree Rules
A tree becomes and remains City property once planted on a parkway and is subject to Chapter 10-32. Nearby public trees must also be protected during building, demolition, repair, or excavation work. Chapter 10-32 directs the Urban Forestry Advisory Board to establish a Heritage Tree program, but the current code provisions reviewed do not state a separate heritage-tree removal-permit threshold.
When Removal Is Allowed
Chapter 10-32 does not state a separate trunk-size or tree-health eligibility threshold for issuance of a private Forestry Permit for parkway-tree work. A permit may issue only after the application is complete and the indemnity, insurance, and public-way-work-license conditions in § 10-32-080 are satisfied. City-managed removal and emergency requests are handled by the Bureau of Forestry.
Replacement Requirements
Replacement Rules
If a violation of Chapter 10-32 causes injury, mutilation, or death of a public tree or shrub, the violating party must bear the costs of repair, removal, or replacement, and replacement value is determined under the referenced International Society of Arboriculture evaluation guide. Separately, landscaping required by the Zoning Ordinance must be maintained, and damaged or dead required trees must be promptly replaced.
Arborist & Professional Requirements
Professional Requirements
For permitted parkway work, the person performing the work must provide proof of commercial general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence, with the City named as additional insured on a primary, noncontributory basis, and proof of a valid public way work license. The current Chapter 10-32 permit provisions reviewed do not state a general ISA-arborist certification requirement for this permit.
Emergency Tree Removal
For a fallen or hanging tree limb blocking the public way or obstructing traffic-control measures, Chicago 311 directs residents to call 311 immediately; the Tree Emergency request is not available through the CHI311 app or web portal, and the Bureau of Forestry dispatches an inspector and/or tree-trimming crew based on the emergency. Separately, if a tree or plant condition is declared a public nuisance under § 10-32-040, the property owner must remove the nuisance condition within 10 days after receiving notice.
Development & Special Areas
Development-Related Rules
During erection, alteration, repair, demolition, removal of a building or structure, or related excavation, the property owner must protect each nearby public tree's trunk, crown, and root system. A tree-protection device itself requires a permit. Zoning projects can also have required landscape trees that must be maintained and replaced if damaged or dead, and current City development plans direct applicants to obtain Bureau of Forestry permits for activity on or near parkway trees.
Special Zone Rules
Chicago Zoning Ordinance § 17-11-0400 allows City Council- or Plan Commission-adopted area-specific landscaping standards to control when they conflict with the general landscaping standards in Chapter 17-11 or tree provisions in Chapter 10-32. Planned developments and other area-specific approvals can therefore impose additional tree-preservation, replacement, or landscaping conditions.
What You Need Before Applying
Requirements
Before removing or otherwise affecting a parkway tree, obtain a Forestry Permit. The application must be complete, the applicant or permittee must indemnify the City, and the person performing the work must provide proof of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence in commercial general liability insurance naming the City as an additional insured on a primary, noncontributory basis and proof of a valid public way work license. Work must comply with the permit, Chapter 10-32, and applicable rules.
Required Documents
The permit application must provide the applicant's name and address, the address of the property adjacent to the parkway, the nature of the work, the name of the person who will perform the work, estimated start and completion dates, and any additional information required by the commissioner. The person performing the work must also provide proof of the required commercial general liability insurance and a valid public way work license.