Camden County, NJ Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Camden County, NJ, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Fine
- $100 (Schedule item 4-20(B))
- Applies to
- Camden County park land only
- Private-land tree permits
- Set by your municipality, not the county
- Max jail exposure
- Up to 90 days (N.J.S.A. 40:24-3)
Summary
Camden County has no tree-removal permit for private land, that sits with your municipality, but inside its own parks the county bans damaging, removing or tampering with any tree, shrub, plant or grass, backed by a $100 fine.
No person shall damage, remove or tamper with any plant, tree, shrub or grass.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Article 4, Section 18 of the Camden County Park Regulations is a single flat prohibition: no person shall damage, remove or tamper with any plant, tree, shrub or grass within the Camden County Park System. Because New Jersey's Municipal Land Use Law vests land-use and property regulation in the municipality, the county has no authority over tree removal on private lots in Cherry Hill, Gloucester Township, Voorhees or any of Camden County's other 36 towns, that permit process is set by each municipality's own shade tree or zoning code.
What the county does control is its own park land, and Section 18 applies there the same way its other Article 4 prohibited-use rules do: to every county-owned park and park land, from Cooper River Park to the smaller neighborhood tracts. A. 40:24-3. A permit under Article 3 is required before anyone erects a structure or otherwise alters park land, and that same permit framework governs any authorized landscaping or tree work the county itself commissions inside its parks, keeping routine maintenance separate from a member of the public damaging vegetation without authorization.
Violations & Fines
The Schedule of Fines lists item 4-20(B), damage to trees, shrubs or plants, at $100 per offense. Enforcement runs through Camden County Park System staff and local police under Article 6, with a municipal court judge empowered to impose the fine, up to 90 days imprisonment, or both, and each day of a continuing violation treated as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Camden County require a permit to remove a tree on my property?
What is the rule on trees inside a Camden County park?
Who enforces the tree-damage rule in a Camden County park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Camden County
Compare Camden County to another location·View the New Jersey landscaping rules overview
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