Suffolk County, NY Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Suffolk County, NY, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Authority
- Suffolk County Charter § A8-3(B)
- Trigger
- Trees lost to County road project
- Requires
- Abutting owner's consent
- Maintenance
- At least 2 years
- New County buildings
- 1 shade tree per 50 ft frontage
Summary
Suffolk County has no permit or replacement mandate for residents who remove their own trees. The County Charter instead lets the Public Works Commissioner replant trees or shrubs lost to a County road project, with the property owner's consent.
The Commissioner may, with the consent of the owner of the abutting premises, enter upon such premises to plant suitable trees or shrubs as he may determine as desirable, either for reason of safety or as replacements for trees and shrubbery lost because of a County road project, and to maintain such trees and shrubs for a period of at least two years.
C. The Commissioner is not required to plant shrubs or trees under the provisions of this section should such planting already be in existence, should the soil in any place be too stony for such planting or should such planting imperil the safety of the public.
D. The Commissioner of the County Department of Public Works shall, for every construction project involving the erection and/or installation of a County building, structure or facility, install one shade tree for every 50 feet of land at the construction site facing on a road or street, and/or one shade tree for every 20 parking spaces in a County-constructed parking lot at such construction site.
E. Any expenses incurred in carrying out the intent and purpose of this section shall be within the appropriation of funds as authorized by the Suffolk County Legislature.
F. The Commissioner of the County Department of Public Works shall enter into an agreement to utilize Cornell Cooperative Extension services for the purpose of implementing the tree and shrub planting.
§ A8-4. Dredging Project Screening Committee.
Full Breakdown
Under Charter § A8-3, the Commissioner of Public Works may enter abutting private land, with the owner's consent, to plant replacement trees or shrubs for those lost because of a County road project, or for safety, and must maintain them at least two years. The Commissioner also plants along County roads generally and, on new County building or facility projects, must install one shade tree per 50 feet of road frontage or one per 20 parking-lot spaces. None of this creates a removal permit or replacement duty for private landowners; that is a town or village zoning matter, not a County one.
Violations & Fines
There is no fine or permit process here: this is a County service program, not a prohibition. The Commissioner is not required to replant where planting already exists, soil is too stony, or the planting would endanger public safety.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to remove a tree on my own property in Suffolk County?
Will the County replace a tree it takes down for a road project?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Suffolk County
New York rules heatmap·Compare Suffolk County to another location·View the New York landscaping rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.