Tree Removal Permit in Seattle, WA
Permit Summary
Do You Need a Tree Removal Permit?
Exemptions
Trees under 6 inches DSH that are not otherwise Tier 1 or Tier 2 are not regulated by SMC 25.11, although separate environmentally critical area, shoreline, or right-of-way rules can still apply. When no development is proposed on a developed lot, SMC 25.11.050 allows no more than two Tier 4 trees to be removed in any three-year period in Neighborhood Residential, Lowrise, Midrise, commercial, and Seattle Mixed zones, and no more than three combined Tier 3 and Tier 4 trees in any one-year period in all other zones. Emergency action does not require advance SDCI approval, but notification and an after-the-fact application are required.
Protected Trees & Removal Eligibility
Protected Tree Rules
Seattle regulates Tier 1 through Tier 4 trees on private property, with stronger protection for higher-tier trees. When no development is proposed, removal of regulated trees is generally prohibited unless an exemption or allowance applies. Tier 1 heritage trees generally must be protected and may be removed only under limited circumstances such as hazard or emergency conditions; Tier 2 removals are also restricted and can require additional findings, especially during development. Separate ECA, Shoreline District, and public-right-of-way rules may add protection.
When Removal Is Allowed
Private-property removal outside development is generally limited to code allowances and SDCI-approved pathways such as dead, hazard, emergency, insect/pest/pathogen, invasive/nuisance, ADA or elderly access, obvious damage to building foundations or utility infrastructure, qualifying thinning, tree-code-violation response, and vegetation-restoration situations. For street trees, SDOT states that removal applications must involve a dead tree, a hazardous tree, a public-safety hazard, or construction impacts that make the tree unlikely to survive.
Replacement Requirements
Replacement Rules
Replacement depends on tree tier, removal reason, zoning, and whether development is proposed. For hazardous private-property removals, SMC 25.11.040 requires replacement of Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 trees; dead trees are exempt from that risk-assessment and replacement requirement. Seattle also maintains Director's Rules for tree replacement and voluntary payment in lieu where authorized. For street trees, SDOT policy may require monetary compensation and/or replacement, and replacement is required as site conditions allow using the same or a similar species that provides a comparable mature canopy.
Arborist & Professional Requirements
Professional Requirements
Commercial tree service providers removing any Tier 1 through Tier 4 tree on private property must be registered with SDCI, and property owners who hire a commercial provider must use a registered provider. For hazardous-tree and emergency determinations, the registered provider must have an employee or person on retainer with a current ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ). SDCI's Basic Tree Risk Assessment Form must be completed by a qualified TRAQ professional when applicable. Street-tree removal applications require an SDOT-registered tree service provider.
Public Notice Requirements
Notice Rules
For commercial removal of a private-property tree 6 inches DSH or greater, the registered tree service provider must create an online SDCI public notice that is posted for at least six full business days before removal; because the system needs processing time, SDCI instructs providers to create the notice at least eight business days before removal. The notice must be posted at the site while commercial work occurs and should remain for five days afterward. The SDCI notice is not required when a property owner removes the tree personally, although SDCI authorization may still be required. Every street-tree removal permit requires a yellow SDOT Tree Removal Notice posted for at least 14 calendar days before removal.
Emergency Tree Removal
Emergency action may proceed without advance SDCI approval. Before the action, a registered tree service provider with an employee or person on retainer who holds a current ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification must determine that there is an extreme risk of imminent failure, and the person taking the action must notify SDCI before work begins. A hazardous-tree removal application must be submitted within 10 calendar days after the emergency action and include tree-status documentation, the ISA Tree Risk Assessment form, and photographs. SDOT also allows emergency street-tree removal necessary for public safety as an exception to the normal advance-preservation requirement.
Development & Special Areas
Development-Related Rules
Tree removal associated with a construction project is typically reviewed through the SDCI record authorizing the construction. Seattle's 2026 tree-protection updates use a tree protection area initially calculated with a radius of one foot for each inch of DSH, with reductions or modifications only when they are not detrimental to tree health and stability; a project arborist proposes the area and SDCI verifies it. The verified protection area is used in evaluating Tier 2 removal on development sites and protecting retained trees. Street trees affected by development use SDOT's Street Trees – Approval for Development (Conceptual Approval) process.
Special Zone Rules
Environmentally critical areas are subject to additional SMC 25.09 tree and vegetation requirements, and additional SDCI review or fees may apply. Tree removal in the Shoreline District is evaluated through a Shoreline Exemption record. Trees in the public right-of-way are regulated separately by SDOT under the street-tree permit process.
What You Need Before Applying
Requirements
For private property, determine the tree's tier, DSH, species, zoning, whether development is proposed, and whether the site is in an environmentally critical area or Shoreline District; obtain SDCI approval when the proposed removal is not within an applicable no-review allowance or exemption. Tree removal associated with development is typically reviewed through the SDCI record authorizing construction. Commercial private-property tree work must use an SDCI-registered tree service provider. Street-tree removal in the public right-of-way requires the applicable SDOT street-tree permit and a registered tree service provider.
Required Documents
For an SDCI tree-removal approval request, required submittals include a Statement of Financial Responsibility and site plan; an arborist report, Basic Tree Risk Assessment Form completed by a qualified TRAQ professional, and photographs are required when applicable. For SDOT street-tree removal or replacement, the application requires a site plan and a registered tree service provider; traffic-control or other right-of-way documents may also be required depending on the work.