Flint, MI Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Flint, MI, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Permit required from
- Recreation and Park Board
- Covers
- public streets, squares, alleys
- Planting clearance
- 3 ft sidewalk-to-curb minimum
- Enforcement
- Park Board and Police Dept.
- Default penalty
- up to $500 or 90 days
Summary
The City of Flint requires a written permit from the Recreation and Park Board before anyone removes, plants, prunes, or trims a tree, shrub, or plant on any public street, square, boulevard, or alley.
It shall be unlawful for any person to remove, plant, prune, trim, spray, paint, whitewash, cut or repair any tree, shrub or plant in any public square, street, boulevard, lane or alley in the City, either for himself, herself or for anyone else until he or she has secured a written permit therefor from the Recreation and Park Board. And before any tree or shrub shall be so planted, the person desiring so to do shall make an application in writing to the Park Board upon blanks, specifying the location, alignment and kind of trees and shrubs to be planted, and agreeing that the trees or shrubs, when so planted, shall become the property of the City. (Ord. 111, passed 12-2-1918)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2016 Code: Local legislation current through Ordinance 3821, passed 3-1-2012).
Full Breakdown
Flint City Code § 45-6 makes it unlawful to remove, plant, prune, trim, spray, paint, whitewash, cut, or repair any tree, shrub, or plant in a public square, street, boulevard, lane, or alley without a written permit from the Recreation and Park Board. Planting applications must specify location and species (§ 45-6), new plantings need at least three feet of clear space between sidewalk and curb (§ 45-7), and § 45-9 separately bars destroying, girdling, or attaching signs or wires to any street tree. The Park Board, aided by the Police Department, enforces the chapter under § 45-15.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 45 sets no separate fine, so the Code's general penalty applies: up to a $500 fine, 90 days' imprisonment, or both under § 1-7, with each day of an ongoing violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to trim a street tree in Flint?
Can I hang a sign or wire on a street tree in Flint?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Flint
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