Tree removal permit rules in El Paso County, TX — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
El Paso County has no tree-removal ordinance or heritage-tree protection for unincorporated private property. Texas counties cannot zone, so no county permit is needed to remove your own trees. Utility easement and road right-of-way limits still apply.
Texas counties have no authority to zone or protect trees on private land, so El Paso County imposes no removal permit, no protected-species list, and no replacement-planting requirement in unincorporated areas. A landowner may remove trees on their own property without county approval. Limits come from other sources: a tree within a utility easement is subject to the utility's rights, a tree in a county road right-of-way can be removed by the county for safety, and clearing that causes drainage onto neighbors can create liability. If a deed or plat contains private tree covenants, those are enforced by the developer or HOA, not the county. Cities like El Paso keep tree ordinances that stop at their limits.
The county issues no tree-removal citations for private lots. Liability can arise if removal blocks or damages a public road, violates a utility easement, or diverts stormwater onto neighboring land under nuisance or drainage law.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
el-paso-county-tx
El Paso County Parks & Recreation runs Ascarate Park and other county parks, each with posted operating hours and rules. Overnight camping and after-hours us...
el-paso-county-tx
Texas counties cannot zone, so unincorporated El Paso County has no light-trespass ordinance. Light spilling onto a neighbor's property is not handled by a c...
el-paso-county-tx
Texas counties cannot zone, and the state outdoor-lighting authority for counties near observatories or military bases does not reach El Paso County, so the ...
el-paso-county-tx
Texas counties cannot zone, so unincorporated El Paso County has no garage-sale-sign ordinance. Signs may be posted on private property with the owner's perm...
el-paso-county-tx
Texas counties cannot zone, so unincorporated El Paso County has no political-sign ordinance regulating signs on private property. Election signs on private ...
el-paso-county-tx
Texas counties cannot zone, so unincorporated El Paso County has no minimum-dwelling-size or tiny-home ordinance. Placing a tiny home instead triggers a sept...
See how El Paso County's tree removal & heritage trees rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.