Roswell, GA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Roswell, GA, 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
- 3 in. DBH, 15 ft mature height
- Covers
- removal, poisoning, damage, trimming
- Exempt activity still needs
- permit application to prove exemption
- Enforcement
- UDC § 13.14
Summary
Any tree in Roswell, Georgia at least 3 inches in trunk diameter that grows 15 feet or taller needs a Unified Development Code permit before it can be removed, damaged, trimmed, or transplanted.
No person may remove, cause to be removed, poison, damage, trim or transplant any tree with a trunk diameter of 3 inches in diameter at breast height (DBH) which normally attains a mature height of 15 feet or more without first obtaining a permit as provided in this UDC.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 17 | Unified Development Code: Supplement 5).
Full Breakdown
Roswell's Unified Development Code sets a low bar for when a tree removal permit kicks in: a trunk diameter of just 3 inches at breast height on a tree that normally reaches 15 feet or more in height. No person may remove, poison, damage, trim, or transplant a qualifying tree without first getting that permit. The requirement is tied to activities needing review under UDC Article 13, most subdivision, site plan, and land disturbance activity, and even projects that qualify for an exemption, such as removing non-specimen trees from a sub-acre single-family lot, must still file a tree removal permit application to document the exemption.
Violations & Fines
Cutting, poisoning, damaging, or trimming a qualifying tree without the permit displayed on site is a violation enforced under UDC Sec. 13.14, separate from any specimen-tree mitigation fee owed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a small ornamental tree need a permit to remove?
Is the permit required even for exempt tree removal?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Roswell
Compare Roswell to another location·View the Georgia landscaping rules overview
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Tree Removal & Heritage Trees in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Fulton County handle tree removal & heritage trees.