St. Peters, MO Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

The City Administrator and his or her agent hold authority under Section 535.040 to regulate the installation, maintenance, and removal of plant material on City-owned property and public rights-of-way, and to enforce the Arboricultural Specifications Manual referenced throughout Chapter 535. Section 535.060 requires anyone other than City work crews to file an application and obtain a permit before removing, cutting, or excavating near any tree, shrub, or other plant material on City-owned land or the right-of-way in front of a home or business. Applications must reach City Hall at One St.

Peters Centre Boulevard at least five working days before the work begins, and the removal application must list the number and type of plants affected and the proposed removal method. The City can condition a removal permit on replacing the tree to the size, species, and placement standards in the Arboricultural Specifications Manual, at the applicant's cost. A narrow exemption covers routine mowing and minor pruning on right-of-way that adjoins the applicant's own property; no permit is needed for that. Once work is done, the permit holder has five working days to notify the City for inspection, and any permit is void if its stated conditions or expiration date are ignored.

Anyone who hinders the City Administrator's enforcement under Section 535.110 commits a separate violation. Removing a tree without a permit, or violating permit conditions, exposes the responsible party to prosecution under Section 535.120, and if City-owned plant material is killed or injured the offender can also be ordered to pay replacement costs set by a certified arborist using the International Society of Arboriculture's valuation guide.