Montgomery County, PA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Montgomery County, PA, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- County removal permit
- None
- Private-lot tree
- Generally removable, no county permit
- Public / street tree
- Shade Tree Commission approval
- State authority
- PA Shade Tree Act (53 P.S. §2811)
- Development sites
- Check municipal tree-conservation code
Summary
Montgomery County has no countywide private-tree-removal ordinance. Removing a tree on your own land is generally allowed without a county permit. Trees in the public right-of-way (street/shade trees) are controlled by your municipality's Shade Tree Commission under the PA Shade Tree Act, which holds exclusive authority to remove them.
...who shall have exclusive and absolute custody and control of, and power to plant, set out, remove, maintain, protect, and care for, shade-trees, on any of the public highways of the said townships, boroughs, and cities.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
There is no Montgomery County permit to remove a tree on private property; removal is a municipal or purely private matter. Where a borough or township has adopted the Pennsylvania Shade Tree Act, its Shade Tree Commission has 'exclusive and absolute custody and control of, and power to plant, set out, remove, maintain, protect, and care for, shade-trees' in the public right-of-way. The Act requires public notice before a public tree is removed. Individual municipalities may also adopt tree-conservation or steep-slope/woodland ordinances under the Municipalities Planning Code that limit removal of large or specimen trees during development, so check your specific borough or township code.
Violations & Fines
No county penalty. Removing a public shade tree without commission approval, or violating a municipal tree-conservation ordinance during development, is enforced by the municipality (fines and required replacement plantings under local code).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to cut down a tree in my yard in Montgomery County?
Who controls removal of the tree in front of my house by the street?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Montgomery County
Compare Montgomery County to another location·View the Pennsylvania landscaping rules overview
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