Dubuque, IA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

City Code Section 6-8-1(A), in the Title 6 chapter on Trees and Weeds, makes it unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to plant or remove trees in the public right of way without the written permission of the city manager or the city manager's designee, and on whatever terms and conditions the city manager requires. Subsection B directs the city manager, with city council approval, to develop a written street tree and landscaping policy governing the planting, maintenance and removal of trees, shrubs, nonwoody vegetation and other landscaping in the right of way, so the permit terms for a given removal are set by that policy rather than spelled out tree-by-tree in the code itself.

The rule is echoed and sharpened in the Title 10 sidewalk chapter: Section 10-1-2(B) tells the abutting property owner that, notwithstanding the owner's duty to keep the sidewalk area safe, the owner may not remove diseased trees or dead wood, or plant, trim, remove or treat any tree or plant material on the public right of way, without first obtaining a permit from the city forester. Together the two sections mean a Dubuque property owner needs sign-off, from the city manager's office for a general right-of-way removal or from the city forester for a specific diseased or dead tree, before touching a tree between the sidewalk and the curb; neither section addresses trees located entirely on private property away from the right of way.