Tree removal permit rules in Lancaster County, PA — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Lancaster County has no tree-removal ordinance. Removing a street or right-of-way tree needs a municipal permit under the PA Shade Tree Act; removing a tree wholly on your private land is usually allowed without a permit.
Pennsylvania counties do not regulate tree removal on private property. Trees in the public right-of-way are controlled by your municipality's shade-tree authority under the Shade Tree Act (53 P.S. §2811 et seq.). Examples: Manheim Township requires a Tree Removal permit for any tree in the public right-of-way and only allows removal of trees in decline or decay (no fee); the City of Lancaster requires a permit for all right-of-way tree work. A tree standing entirely on your own lot can generally be removed without a permit unless a local zoning woodland-preservation or steep-slope overlay applies. Check your township zoning before clearing wooded areas.
Removing a right-of-way tree without a municipal permit, or clearing a protected woodland/steep-slope area, triggers summary fines plus replacement-tree or restoration requirements set by the municipality.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Lancaster County's tree removal & heritage trees rules stack up against other locations.
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