Livonia, MI Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Livonia, MI, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Any public-place tree removal or pruning
- Application fee
- $30 (§12.24.070)
- Small-tree exception
- 6 in. or less, ROW strip, no fee/deposit
- Review criteria
- Hazard, disease, storm damage, species (§12.24.045)
- Violation
- Misdemeanor for working without permit (§12.24.050)
Summary
Removing, pruning, or otherwise affecting a tree or shrub in a Livonia public place, meaning streets, parks, and city-owned land, requires a permit from the department of public works, which weighs safety risk, disease, storm damage, and species before approving. Working without the permit is a misdemeanor.
No person shall plant, remove, prune, injure, or otherwise affect any tree or shrub in or on any public place without first having obtained a permit therefor as hereinafter provided in this chapter. No Permits shall be issued by the department without compliance with this chapter and the regulations, purpose and goals adopted pursuant thereto. In determining whether a permit should issue the department shall consider the factors contained in Section 12.24.45. Failure to obtain a permit shall constitute a misdemeanor.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64 | Zoning: Supplement 3).
Full Breakdown
055(A); no permit issues unless the department finds the chapter's regulations, purpose, and goals are met, and failure to obtain the permit is a misdemeanor. 045 lists the criteria the department weighs before removing a tree or granting a removal permit on public land: whether the tree is a risk to the traveling public's health, safety, or welfare; whether it is diseased, dying, or dead; whether it was damaged beyond repair by a storm; and whether it is a prohibited or problem species for the location.
070 sets a $30 application fee plus a cash deposit covering the value of any trees removed and the cost of repairing any damage. That same section waives the fee, deposit, and insurance where a resident removes a tree six inches or less in diameter, at their own expense, in the public right-of-way between the sidewalk and curb in front of their home, though a permit is still required and the department must approve the tree type. 130's traffic-hazard and public-menace removal process.
Violations & Fines
Section 12.24.050 makes it a misdemeanor to perform any tree operation in a public place without first obtaining the required permit, and Section 12.24.055(A) separately makes failure to obtain a permit for planting, removing, pruning, or injuring a tree or shrub a misdemeanor, punishable under the citywide default of up to $500 and 90 days set in Section 1.12.010.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in the Livonia street right-of-way in front of my house?
Is there a fee for removing a small parkway tree myself?
What happens if I remove a public-place tree without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Livonia
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Tree Removal & Heritage Trees in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Wayne County handle tree removal & heritage trees.