Tree removal permit rules in York County, SC — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
You may remove trees on your own established lot in unincorporated York County without a permit. The county's tree code applies to new development and subdivisions, not existing homeowners. Cities and HOA covenants add the real limits.
York County's tree conservation rules sit in the Land Development Code and, by Section 154.196, reach new commercial, industrial, and multi-family developments and land subdivisions, not an owner clearing trees on an existing single lot. Agriculture, silviculture, horticulture, and nursery operations are expressly exempt, so farms and timberland in the rural south and west may clear freely. The catch is the grand-tree rule, which bites when a lot is being subdivided or developed. Inside Rock Hill, Fort Mill, and Tega Cay, and within Baxter Village and Lake Wylie HOAs, removal of canopy trees can require approval even on a finished lot.
None from the county for clearing your own trees outside a development. Removing a protected grand tree during development without a permit blocks further non-agricultural development. City and HOA breaches are enforced separately.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how York County's tree removal & heritage trees rules stack up against other locations.
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