Tree removal permit rules in Hamilton County, IN — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Hamilton County has no protected-tree permit for private land. Carmel's property-maintenance code prohibits dead, dying, damaged, or diseased trees that are hazardous to neighbors, so owners must remove them. Removing a healthy tree wholly on private property generally needs no city permit.
No Hamilton County ordinance requires a permit to remove a tree on private property, and the county does not run a heritage-tree program. Carmel City Code 6-222(b)(4) prohibits dead, dying, damaged, or diseased trees from existing on any premises where they are hazardous to persons or adjacent property, effectively requiring owners to remove hazard trees. Stumps over 12 inches tall generally cannot remain more than 30 days after cutting, with exceptions for permitted work or larger lots. City-owned parkway and right-of-way trees may only be removed with Urban Forestry Committee approval under City Code 6-64. Fishers and other cities regulate tree preservation mainly through UDO landscape and buffer standards, not through a broad private removal permit.
Maintaining a hazardous dead tree can bring a property-maintenance citation and city abatement billed to the owner. Removing a city parkway tree without authorization is an ordinance violation with a fine up to $2,500 per offense under Carmel City Code
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Hamilton County's tree removal & heritage trees rules stack up against other locations.
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