Spokane County, WA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Spokane County, WA, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Chapter
- SCC 3.19, Timber Harvest
- Personal-use exemption
- under 5,000 board feet/12 months
- Permit term
- 3 years, one 180-day extension
- Penalty
- up to $1,000 fine, 90 days jail
- Consequence
- development moratorium on violation
- Administered by
- Dept. of Building and Planning
Summary
Cutting trees for sale in unincorporated Spokane County needs a timber harvest permit under SCC 3.19.050 unless you qualify for an exemption, most notably removing under five thousand board feet for personal use like firewood or fence posts under SCC 3.19.040(c). This chapter governs commercial and land-conversion tree removal, not routine yard trimming.
3.19.050 - Timber harvest permit required. A timber harvest permit is required: (a)On lands platted after January 1, 1960, as provided in 58.17 RCW;(b)On lands that have been or are being converted to another use;(d)On lands within the urban growth area boundary where any timber harvesting is planned;(e)On lands within the urban growth area boundary where timber harvest is necessary for road construction. 3.19.040(c) exemption: Cutting and removal of less than five thousand board feet (i.e., one truck load approximately thirty-three feet in length) of timber (including live, dead or down material) for personal use (i.e., firewood, fence posts, on-site construction) in any twelve-month period.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 63).
Full Breakdown
020. 050 on lands platted after January 1, 1960, land being converted to a non-forestry use, land the Department of Natural Resources says will not be reforested due to likely urban conversion, and any harvesting or harvest-related road construction inside the urban growth area boundary. 040 cover DNR forest-practice permits outside the UGA with no conversion intent, UGA landowners who sign a ten-year non-conversion statement, hazard-tree removal, land already cleared through an approved land-use action, and, most relevant for a typical property owner, cutting and removal of less than five thousand board feet of timber for personal use, such as firewood, fence posts or on-site construction, in any twelve-month period. 060 needs a conversion plan, a harvest plan covering roads, slash disposal and timing, a site plan showing critical areas, and a fee. 080.
Violations & Fines
Harvesting without an approved permit, or breaking a permit condition, the county critical areas ordinance, the shoreline program, or erosion and stormwater rules, lets the county impose a development moratorium blocking building permits and land-use approvals on the parcel under SCC 3.19.090 and 3.19.120 until it is lifted through the release process in 3.19.150. Continuing violations are a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, 90 days in jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cut down trees on my own property without a permit?
Does this chapter cover ordinary landscaping and yard trees?
What if I harvest inside the urban growth area?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Spokane County
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