Medina, OH Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Medina, OH, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Scope
- Public trees only: streets, parks, cemeteries
- Permit issuer
- City Forester
- Application lead time
- At least 5 working days ahead
- Permit validity
- 45 days after issuance
- Unpermitted removal
- Must replace with equivalent-value tree
- Appeal window
- 30 days, written petition to Forester
Summary
Medina Codified Ordinances § 907.02(c) bars anyone but the City Forester, or someone the Forester authorizes, from removing, cutting or pruning a public tree. Section 907.03(a) has the Forester issue provisional permits for that removal and for work likely to damage a public tree.
No person, unless authorized by the City Forester, shall plant, transplant, remove, cut, trim, or prune any public tree or shrub. ... The City Forester shall issue provisional permits to applicants to regulate the following: (1) Any activity that anticipates or involves the actual or likely damage of a public tree. (2) Any activity that involves the actual removal of a public tree.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025-01: Local legislation current through June 24, 2025 | State legislation current through December 31, 2024).
Full Breakdown
01(j); it does not reach a tree a homeowner owns outright on private land. 03(b) grants a permit once the applicant shows the work is needed and that the people doing it are qualified; if the permit authorizes removing a protected tree, the applicant bears the full cost of removal and replacement, and the Forester may add conditions. 03(c). 08(b) requires replacement with as many equivalent-value trees as needed, using stock at least 1 3/4 inches and no more than 10 inches in caliper, matching the master street tree plan or Forester-approved species.
08(c) assesses the equivalent cash value into the Shade Tree Trust account. 10; the Forester has ten days to consult the Service Director and Shade Tree Commission, who decide within another ten days, and no action proceeds on the disputed permit until the appeal ends. 99 fines violations up to $100, with each day and each tree a separate offense.
Violations & Fines
Removing, cutting or damaging a public tree without the City Forester's permit is punishable under § 907.99 by a fine of up to $100, with each day of violation and each tree harmed treated as a separate offense. The violator also owes the § 907.08(d) replacement cost of $35 per inch of trunk circumference, and any removed tree must be replaced with an equivalent-value tree.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to remove the tree in the city tree lawn in front of my house?
What if I cut down a public tree without a permit?
How do I appeal a denied tree removal permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Medina
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