Chicago, IL Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Chicago, IL, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Governing code
- MCC 10-32-200
- Valuation method
- ISA tree appraisal guide
- Who pays
- Party who caused the damage
- Enforcing agency
- Bureau of Forestry (Streets & Sanitation)
Summary
Anyone who injures, mutilates, or kills a city parkway tree while violating the tree ordinance must pay the full replacement cost, appraised under an industry tree-valuation guide, per MCC 10-32-200.
If, as the result of the violation of any provision of this ordinance, the injury, mutilation or death of a public tree, shrub or other plant material is caused, the costs of repair, removal or replacement of such tree, shrub or other plant material or shall be borne by the party in violation. The replacement value of trees and shrubs shall be determined in accordance with the latest revision of "A Guide to the Professional Evaluation of Landscape Trees, Specimen Shrubs, and Evergreens", as published by the International Society of Arboriculture.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-74: Current through Council Journal of June 17, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Chicago's tree code makes replacement mandatory, not optional, once a public tree is damaged. Municipal Code 10-32-200 places the cost of repairing, removing, or replacing an injured or killed parkway tree, shrub, or other plant material on whoever caused the violation. There's no flat fee schedule: the replacement value is calculated using the latest edition of the International Society of Arboriculture's professional appraisal guide for landscape trees, specimen shrubs, and evergreens, which weighs species, size, condition, and location. The Bureau of Forestry, Parkways and Beautification within the Department of Streets and Sanitation administers Chapter 10-32, and recovered fines or settlement payments can be redirected to fund removing and replanting the damaged tree.
Violations & Fines
Violators owe the tree's full appraised replacement value plus any repair or removal costs, assessed by the Bureau of Forestry under Chapter 10-32; recovered funds can be used to replant the damaged tree.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Chicago require replacement trees when I remove a tree on my own property?
How is the replacement value of a damaged city tree calculated?
Who enforces Chicago's parkway tree replacement rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chicago
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Tree Removal & Heritage Trees in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cook County handle tree removal & heritage trees.