Tree removal permit rules in Yellowstone County, MT — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Unincorporated Yellowstone County has no permit requirement to remove a private tree. In the City of Billings, removing a public boulevard tree (in the strip between sidewalk and street) requires a City permit.
There is no Yellowstone County ordinance requiring a permit to cut down a tree on your own private, unincorporated property; removal is at the owner's discretion, subject to any HOA covenants. The regulated category is public 'boulevard' trees in the City of Billings. The permit requirement to plant a boulevard tree also applies to pruning or removing a tree in that public land strip, obtained through City Engineering. Billings Urban Forestry manages roughly 9,400 public trees plus vegetation on natural areas. Always confirm whether your parcel sits in a county zoning district that could impose landscaping conditions before removing significant vegetation.
No county penalty for removing a private tree. Removing a City of Billings boulevard tree without a permit can bring enforcement by City Engineering/Forestry; unauthorized damage to public trees may be charged for the tree's value.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Yellowstone County, MT
Under the Yellowstone County Parkland Ordinance, county parks close to public access one-half hour after sunset and open one-half hour before sunrise. No ove...
Yellowstone County, MT
Yellowstone County has no numeric light-trespass standard. In the zoning area, off-site glare can be limited (a home occupation may create none off-site) and...
Yellowstone County, MT
Yellowstone County has no dark-sky or outdoor-lighting ordinance for unincorporated land. County zoning near Billings limits glare that spills off a property...
Yellowstone County, MT
Yellowstone County has no dedicated garage-sale-sign ordinance. Signs may not be placed in or intrude into the public right-of-way and require the property o...
Yellowstone County, MT
Montana rules govern political signs statewide: they may be placed on private property only with the owner's permission, may not intrude into the public righ...
Yellowstone County, MT
Yellowstone County has no tiny-home ordinance. In the zoning area around Billings, a tiny house on a foundation is a dwelling and must meet the district's se...
See how Yellowstone County's tree removal & heritage trees rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.