King County, WA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in King 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
- Permit required for
- clearing/grading incl. tree cutting
- Issuing agency
- Dept. of Local Services
- Key exemptions
- emergency, hazard tree removal
- UGA development retention
- up to 100% on perimeters
- Applies only in
- unincorporated King County
Summary
Unincorporated King County requires a clearing and grading permit before cutting or removing trees, except for narrow exemptions like emergency and hazard-tree removal.
Unless specifically excepted under K.C.C. 16.82.051, a person shall not do any clearing or grading without first having obtained a clearing and grading permit issued by the department or having all clearing and grading reviewed and approved by the department as part of another development proposal. A separate permit shall be required for each site unless the activity is approved to occur on multiple sites under a programmatic permit issued in accordance with K.C.C. 16.82.053.
C. The permits or approvals issued under this chapter shall be required regardless of permits or approvals issued by the county or any other governmental agency and do not preclude the requirement to obtain all other permits or approvals or to comply with the operating standards in sections K.C.C. 16.82.095, 16.82.100, 16.82.105 and 16.82.130. Exceptions from permits under this chapter do not preclude the requirement to obtain other permits or approvals or to comply with the operating standards in K.C.C. 16.82.095, 16.82.100, 16.82.105 and 16.82.130. (Ord. 15053 §2, 2004: Ord. 14259 § 3, 2001: Ord. 12878 § 3, 1997: Ord. 12822 § 2, 1997: Ord. 12020 § 51, 1995: Ord. 12016 § 2, 1995: Ord. 12015 § 2, 1995: Ord. 11896 § 2, 1995: Ord. 11886 § 2, 1995: Ord. 11618 § 4, 1994: 11536 § 1, 1994: 11393 § 1, 1994: Ord. 11016 § 14, 1993: Ord. 10152 § 1, 1991: Ord. 9614 § 100, 1990: Ord. 7990 § 20, 1987: Ord. 3108 § 4, 1977: Ord. 1488 § 6, 1973).
Full Breakdown
King County Code 16.82.050 bars clearing or grading without a permit from the Department of Local Services, and the code defines "clearing" to include cutting, killing, grubbing or removing vegetation - covering routine tree cutting. Emergency and hazard tree removal are exempted under the permit-exemption table in K.C.C. 16.82.051, but ordinary tree removal outside those categories needs a permit or approval through another development application. In the Urban Growth Area, K.C.C. 16.82.156 layers on separate significant-tree retention rates for development projects, from 100 percent retention in interior perimeter landscape strips down to per-acre tree counts for subdivisions and commercial sites. This only covers unincorporated county land; Seattle, Bellevue, Kent, Renton, Federal Way, Auburn, Redmond, Kirkland, Sammamish, Burien, Shoreline, Issaquah and other incorporated cities enforce their own separate tree codes.
Violations & Fines
Clearing or grading without a required permit is enforceable by the Department of Local Services under K.C.C. Title 16 as a code violation, separate from any critical-area or development-permit violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to cut down a tree on my unincorporated King County property?
Does this rule apply inside Seattle or Bellevue?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in King County
Compare King County to another location·View the Washington landscaping rules overview
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