Fort Worth, TX Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Fort Worth, TX, 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 section
- Zoning Ordinance § 6.302
- Citywide canopy goal
- 30% coverage
- Residential canopy minimum
- 40% (25% with plantings)
- Criminal fine
- Up to $2,000 per tree
- Enforced by
- Development Services urban forester
Summary
Fort Worth Zoning Ordinance § 6.302 requires developers to preserve significant trees, replant trees removed during development, and meet minimum canopy targets toward a citywide 30% goal, enforced through urban forestry plans and permits by the Development Services Department.
Trees have a positive economic effect on the city by enhancing property values, mitigating drainage and flooding issues, improving air quality, helping save energy, and improving health and quality of life, making the city a more attractive place in which to live, visit and do business. It is the purpose of this section to achieve 30% tree canopy coverage citywide and to promote a multi-aged urban forest. This may be accomplished by addressing the preservation and protection of healthy and significant trees, providing for the replacement and replanting of trees that are removed during development, and establishing additional tree canopy.
(b) Penalties for violations.
(1) Any person, firm or corporation who intentionally or knowingly violates, disobeys, omits, neglects or refuses to comply with or who resists the enforcement of any provision of this ordinance may be issued a citation and upon conviction thereof may be fined in an amount not to exceed $2,000.00. In cases of offenses involving the illegal removal of trees or noncompliance with an approved permit or urban forestry plan, the removal of each tree constitutes a separate offense. In cases of continuing violation, each separate day that a violation continues constitutes a separate offense.
(2) Any person, firm or corporation who violates, disobeys, omits, neglects or refuses to comply with or who resists the enforcement of any
Full Breakdown
Under § 6.302 of Fort Worth's Zoning Ordinance, development triggers an urban forestry plan and a tree removal permit reviewed by the Development Services Department. New residential lots must reach 40% tree canopy coverage (reducible to 25% with additional plantings), multifamily 50% of open space, and institutional/commercial 30%. Trees removed during development must be replaced and replanted, and boring is required for utility lines that cross a protected tree's critical root zone. Illegal removal or permit noncompliance is prosecuted tree by tree.
Violations & Fines
Illegally removing trees or ignoring an approved urban forestry plan draws a criminal citation up to $2,000 per tree, plus a civil penalty under city code § 2-322. Each tree removed and each continuing day is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to remove trees for development in Fort Worth?
What is the penalty for illegally removing trees?
Does § 6.302 apply to an existing homeowner's yard tree?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Worth
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Tree Removal & Heritage Trees in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Tarrant County handle tree removal & heritage trees.