Independence, MO Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Independence, MO, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Enforcing agency
- Community Development Department
- Replacement ratio
- 2 new trees per 1 removed
- Penalty
- $500 per tree not replaced
- Plan required for
- preliminary plat, site plan, building permit
Summary
Independence requires a tree preservation plan for new development and only lets the Community Development Department approve removing a protected tree for safety, disease, or forestry reasons: with mandatory 2-for-1 replacement.
The Community Development Department must approve all requests for tree removal if one or more of the following conditions are present: 1. Necessity to remove trees which pose a safety hazard to pedestrian or vehicular traffic or threaten to cause a disruption of public safety. 2. Necessity to remove trees which pose a safety hazard to a building. 3. Necessity to remove diseased trees or trees weakened by age, storm, fire or other injury. 4. Necessity to observe good forestry practice, i.e., the number of healthy trees a given parcel of land will support.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 13).
Full Breakdown
Independence UDO § 14-500-03 requires a tree preservation plan with any preliminary plat, site plan, or building permit that disturbs a wooded site, flagging which trees will be saved and how they'll be protected during grading. The Community Development Department may only approve removing a preserved tree for hazard, disease, storm damage, or sound forestry management, or once a landscaping plan already shows it for removal. A destroyed or removed preserved tree must be replaced two-for-one, and the certificate of occupancy is withheld, or a $500 penalty assessed per tree, until replacement trees go in the ground.
Violations & Fines
Removing a preserved tree without Community Development Department approval, or failing to replace a destroyed protected tree 2-for-1 within 90 days, blocks the certificate of occupancy or draws a $500 penalty per tree.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cut down a tree on my own property in Independence?
Who approves removal of a protected tree in Independence?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Independence
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Tree Removal & Heritage Trees in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Jackson County handle tree removal & heritage trees.