Joliet, IL Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Joliet, IL, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Code of Ordinances Sec. 26-128(g)
- Permit threshold
- 4-inch DBH tree or 6-inch group
- Unpermitted removal fine
- $500 per inch of DBH
- Other violations
- $250 minimum fine
- Replacement scale
- 3 to 13 trees by DBH removed
- Review time
- 10 working days for arborist decision
Summary
City Code Sec. 26-128(g) requires a tree permit before removing or damaging any public tree, and before cutting any private tree of four inches DBH (or a six-inch group) on covered land: city property, residential parcels over 1.5 acres, all nonresidential parcels, and any parcel with a required landscape plan.
(1)Permit required. It shall be unlawful for any individual to remove or cause damage to any tree located on public property without first receiving a tree permit from the City of Joliet. For all other lands where this section applies, no live tree(s) with a DBH of four (4) inches or six (6) inches group of trees may be damaged or removed without first obtaining a valid tree removal permit.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 200).
Full Breakdown
Joliet's tree preservation ordinance, rewritten in full by Ordinance No. 18360 in 2022, reaches further than most cities' tree codes: Sec. 26-128(a) applies it not just to city-owned land but to residentially zoned private parcels over one and one-half acres, every nonresidential private parcel, and any parcel where a landscape plan is required under Section 47 of the zoning ordinance. Within that footprint, Sec. 26-128(g)(1) makes it unlawful to remove or damage any public-property tree without a tree permit, and bars removing or damaging a live tree of four inches DBH, or a group of trees at six inches combined DBH, on the covered private land without one too.
The only exception is a genuine emergency: a dead, declining, or hazardous 'nuisance tree' can come down without a permit if photographed and documented first, with a permit application filed the next business day. Applications go to the Department of Public Works, Forestry Division, and must include a written reason for removal and a site map; the city arborist has to rule within ten working days. Removed trees generally must be replaced, with the required count scaled to the size of the tree taken down, from three replacement trees for a 4 to 9 inch DBH tree up to thirteen for a tree 34 inches or larger, all drawn from the city's acceptable species list.
00 per tree into the city's tree bank instead. 00 fine, on top of the replacement obligation. Decisions can be appealed to the tree board within ten working days.
Violations & Fines
Cutting down or substantially destroying a regulated tree without a permit costs at least $500.00 per inch of DBH under Sec. 26-128(u), with every tree removed counted as a separate offense; any other violation of the tree preservation section draws a minimum $250.00 fine. Paying the fine doesn't erase the replacement-tree obligation, and the city can also sue for damages or an injunction under Sec. 26-128(v).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to remove a tree on my Joliet property?
What's the fine for cutting down a tree without a permit?
Can I remove a dead or dangerous tree without waiting for a permit?
How many replacement trees does Joliet require?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Joliet
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