Rapid City, SD Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Rapid City, SD, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Governing section
- RCMC § 12.32.100
- Trigger
- Dead, diseased, pest-infested or defective private tree
- Defect threshold
- Dead limbs over 6 inches diameter, decay, leaning trunk
- Removal cost
- Owner's expense; special assessment if ignored
- Appeal window
- 7 days to Urban Forestry Board
- Extension available
- Up to 30 additional days on written request
Summary
Rapid City Municipal Code § 12.32.100 lets the city inspect and order removal of any dead, diseased, pest-infested or visibly defective private tree that endangers life or property or harbors pests. The Urban Forester sets a reasonable removal deadline at owner expense; if the owner does not comply, the city removes the tree and bills the cost as a special assessment.
A. The city shall have the right to inspect and cause the removal of any tree, or any part thereof, on private property within the city if the tree or any part thereof: 1. Is dead, diseased, insect infested or has obvious visible defects; and 2. Either: a. Constitutes a hazard to life or property, or b. Harbors pests which constitute a threat to other trees within the city. 3. A tree, or any part thereof, that meets the criteria of subsection A.1. and A.2. is declared a public nuisance. ... ... B. The city shall notify the owner of the real property on which the tree is located, in writing by first-class mail or hand delivery, to remove the tree within such reasonable time as shall be determined by the Urban Forester. Removal shall be made by the owner at the owner’s expense. In the event of failure of owner to comply with the removal provisions, the city shall have the authority to remove the tree and defray the cost of abating the public nuisance ... ... D. Obvious visible defects include, but are not limited to, dead limbs greater than 6 inches in diameter, an unseasonable lack of leaves, visible decay, lightning damage, and perilously leaning trunks.
Full Breakdown
100(A), the city has the right to inspect and cause the removal of any tree, or part of a tree, on private property that is dead, diseased, insect infested, or has an obvious visible defect, and that either constitutes a hazard to life or property or harbors pests threatening other trees in the city; such a tree is declared a public nuisance. Subsection D defines obvious visible defects to include dead limbs larger than 6 inches in diameter, an unseasonable lack of leaves, visible decay, lightning damage, and perilously leaning trunks.
100(B) requires the city to notify the owner in writing, by first-class mail or hand delivery, and to set a reasonable removal deadline; the owner must remove the tree at the owner's own expense. 010. 100(E). 100(F) makes clear that an owner stays liable for damage a hazardous tree causes to people or property, and that the city's inspection authority does not create city liability for tree damage on private land.
Violations & Fines
Ignoring a removal order lets the city remove the tree and bill the owner for the cost plus administrative expenses as a special assessment against the property, and § 12.32.100(B) also exposes the owner to Rapid City's general penalty: a fine of $1 to $500, up to 30 days in jail, or both, under § 1.12.010, with each day of continued violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Rapid City make me remove a tree on my own property?
What if I don't remove the tree the city ordered removed?
How do I appeal a tree removal order?
What counts as an 'obvious visible defect' under the ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rapid City
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