Tree removal permit rules in Baltimore County, MD — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Removing a tree on your own private lot generally needs no county permit. Removing a roadside/right-of-way tree requires a Maryland DNR permit, and clearing forest during development triggers the Maryland Forest Conservation Act (Article 33, Title 6).
For a single tree wholly on your private property, Baltimore County does not require a removal permit. Two rules can still apply: (1) roadside trees in the public right-of-way may not be removed without a DNR Forest Service permit (Md. Nat. Res. §5-406); and (2) clearing forest as part of subdivision, grading, or sediment-control work triggers the Forest Conservation Act, which the county administers under Baltimore County Code Article 33, Title 6. Larger forest clearing must be replanted (reforested) under state ratios. Isolated single-tree yard removals are not covered by the FCA.
Unpermitted roadside-tree removal draws DNR fines; forest cleared under a development plan without FCA compliance must be reforested, with penalties and mitigation ordered by the county.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Baltimore County's tree removal & heritage trees rules stack up against other locations.
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