Westchester County, NY Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Westchester County, NY, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Governs
- County-owned property outside parks
- Permission required from
- County Executive
- Review body
- County Planning Board
- Max penalty
- $100 fine or 30 days jail
Summary
Westchester County prohibits destroying, cutting or removing any tree, shrub or plant on county-owned property, including parks, without permission from the County Executive.
No person shall destroy, cut, break, deface, mutilate, injure, disturb, sever from the ground, take or remove any plant, flower, flower bed, shrub, tree, timber, growing thing, plant growths or any branch, stem, fruit or leaf thereof located on County-owned property except County-owned park property, including Playland Park; discard, abandon, pile or maintain any material or debris of any kind against or upon the same; or attach any rope, cable or other contrivance thereto; or set fire or assist another to set fire to any timber, trees, shrubs, plants, flower, grass or a plant growth; or suffer any fire upon other land to extend onto County-owned property; or hitch any horse or other animal to or leave the same standing near enough to injure any tree, shrub, lawn, grass, plot or planted area; or go upon the same, except at such times when permission to do so shall have been given by the County Executive or his authorized representative to the public. Before granting or denying such permission with respect to the activities specified in section 712.314 of this chapter, the County Executive or his authorized representative shall refer the matter to the County Planning Board for its recommendation.
(Act No. 74-1967, § 229, eff. 1-2-1968; amended by L.L. No. 9-1994 [2])
Footnotes: --- (2) ---
1. Editor's Note: This local law provided that it become effective 1-1-1995.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 47).
Full Breakdown
County Code § 712.311 bars any person from destroying, cutting, breaking, disturbing or removing any plant, shrub, tree or growing thing on County-owned property, except County park property, unless the County Executive or an authorized representative has granted permission. Requests tied to the regulated activities in § 712.314 go to the County Planning Board for a recommendation before approval.
Violations & Fines
Violating the county-owned property ordinances is an offense under § 712.651, punishable by a fine up to $100 or up to 30 days imprisonment, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this tree rule apply to my own property?
Can I ever cut a tree on county land?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Westchester County
New York rules heatmap·Compare Westchester County to another location·View the New York landscaping rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.