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Passaic, NJ Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

Significant Restrictions

Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Tree removal permit rules in Passaic, NJ, 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 trigger: cutting any tree in a street
Replacement trigger: street tree DBH ≥ 2.5 inches
Application fee: $50 (1-5 trees) up to $400+ (51+)
Chapter fine: $1,000 per tree for violations
Exemptions: hazard trees, small residential removals, farms

Summary

Removing a street tree with a trunk 2.5 inches or wider in Passaic triggers the city's Tree Replacement Requirements Table, and cutting a tree in a street requires a written permit from the Department of Parks and Public Property. Violators face a flat $1,000 fine per tree under the 2024 rewrite.

Any person who removes one or more street tree(s) with a DBH of 2.5 inches or more, unless exempt under Subsection C, shall be subject to the requirements of the Tree Replacement Requirements Table below. ... D. Violations and penalties. Any person(s) who is found to be in violation of the provisions of this chapter shall be subject to a fine of $1,000 per tree.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4978046; v41 updated 2026-07-01; through 07-01-2026).

Full Breakdown

' Subsection B, added by the April 18, 2024 amendment (Ord. No. 5 inches or more, unless exempt under Subsection C, shall be subject to the requirements of the Tree Replacement Requirements Table,' and the same duty applies to any tree of 6-inch DBH or more removed at a rate of one or more per acre. A permit application fee scales with the number of trees involved, from $50 for one to five trees up to $400 plus $100 per additional 50 trees for large removals.

Subsection C exempts residents removing fewer than four smaller trees per acre over five years, active tree farms and nurseries, approved forestry management plans, state- or federally-approved environmental cleanups, and hazard trees, which may be removed with no fee or replacement duty, but every exemption claim requires a signed statement from a New Jersey licensed tree expert or professional arborist. '

Violations & Fines

Cutting down a street tree without the Department of Parks and Public Property's written permit, or removing a tree subject to the replacement table without complying with it, is a violation of Chapter 289 under §289-2D, punishable by a flat fine of $1,000 per tree: separate from and in addition to the graduated $50-to-$400-plus permit application fee owed for the removal itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Passaic?

Cutting any tree located in a street requires a written permit from the Department of Parks and Public Property under §289-2A(1). Removing a street tree of 2.5 inches DBH or larger also triggers separate replacement obligations under §289-2B unless an exemption applies.

How much does a Passaic tree removal permit cost?

The application fee is $50 for one to five trees, $100 for six to ten, $200 for eleven to twenty, $300 for twenty-one to fifty, and $400 plus $100 per additional 50 trees for larger removals, per §289-2B(4).

What is the penalty for removing a tree without complying?

Section 289-2D sets a flat fine of $1,000 per tree for any violation of Chapter 289, which covers cutting without a permit and removing a regulated tree without meeting the replacement requirements.

Sources & Official References

[1]Code of the City of Passaic, NJ, on eCode360

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Tree Removal & Heritage Trees in Nearby Cities

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