Tree removal permit rules in Johns Creek, GA — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
On a developed single-family lot, Johns Creek allows tree removal without a permit only when the tree is outside any protected zone and is not a specimen tree. Removing a specimen tree, or any tree in a buffer or tree save area, requires written City Arborist permission and may require replacement planting.
Under the Johns Creek Tree Preservation Ordinance and Administrative Guidelines (Chapter 109, Article VII), "the removal of any tree from a developed residentially zoned, single-family detached lot is permitted without a tree removal permit" only when (1) the tree is not located within a protected zone, and (2) for a specimen tree posing an immediate threat of falling on the primary dwelling, it is again not within a protected zone. A "Specimen Tree" is defined as any tree in fair or better condition that equals or exceeds these diameters at breast height (d.b.h.): large hardwoods/softwoods (oak, hickory, yellow poplar, beech, sweetgum) at 32 inches, and small native flowering trees (dogwood, redbud, sourwood) at 12 inches. A pine tree of any size is not classified as a specimen tree. These thresholds reflect a July 2025 update that eased the rules for residents. The guidelines state that "it shall be unlawful to remove a specimen tree without the express written permission of the City Arborist." When a specimen tree in fair or better condition is removed, recompense is required: the owner must "plant one 15-gallon or 1"-1.5" caliper tree for each healthy specimen tree removed." The city directs residents to use its Customer Self-Service portal to request tree removal and provides a self-evaluation flow chart to determine whether approval is needed.
Illegal removal or disturbance of a specimen tree, heritage tree, or stand of trees, and tree removal within state water, tributary, or zoning buffers or tree save areas, are listed violations that may trigger an immediate stop-work order and citations.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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All City of Johns Creek parks are closed from midnight until 6 a.m. under the City's Park Rules, with the dog park open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Violating any park r...
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Johns Creek's Night Sky Ordinance (Section 4.9.4.B) limits light trespass at a residential or nature-preserve property line to 0.1 foot-candle vertical (meas...
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Johns Creek has a full Night Sky Ordinance in Zoning Ordinance Section 4.9. Outdoor lighting must be full cutoff with no light above horizontal, bans aerial ...
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Johns Creek has no separate garage-sale-sign category. Yard/garage-sale signs are content-neutral Standard Informational Signs under Article XXXIII: no permi...
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Johns Creek treats political and campaign signs as content-neutral Standard Informational Signs under Zoning Ordinance Article XXXIII. They need no permit bu...
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Johns Creek's Zoning Ordinance has no provision specifically for tiny homes. A detached tiny dwelling on a single-family lot would be regulated as a Guest Ho...
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