Arlington County, VA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- Duty holder
- Every property owner or occupant (§10-15)
- Covered obstructions
- Sidewalks, alleys, roadways, streets, highways
- Height exemption
- Above 10 feet, unless a hazard
- First violation penalty
- $50 (§10-20)
- Repeat violation cap
- $200 per violation
- 12-month total cap
- $3,000 per set of facts
- Each day counts
- Separate offense per business day
Summary
Arlington County requires every property owner or occupant to cut back trees, hedges, shrubs, vines and other vegetation that grows over a sidewalk, alley, roadway or street and blocks pedestrian or vehicle traffic. Growth more than 10 feet above the walk or roadway is exempt unless it's a health or safety hazard, and violators face civil penalties starting at $50.
It shall be the joint and several duty of each owner or occupant of property to cut back or remove trees or parts thereof, hedges, shrubs, vines and other vegetation which encroaches upon any sidewalk, alley, roadway, street or highway and which impairs or obstructs any pedestrian or vehicular traffic. Such growth higher than ten (10) feet above the surface of a walk or roadway need not be removed unless such growth creates a health or safety hazard.
Full Breakdown
Section 10-15 of the Arlington County Code makes it the joint and several duty of every property owner or occupant to cut back or remove trees or parts of trees, hedges, shrubs, vines, and other vegetation that encroaches on any sidewalk, alley, roadway, street or highway and impairs or obstructs pedestrian or vehicular traffic. The duty has a height carve-out: growth higher than 10 feet above the surface of the walk or roadway doesn't have to be removed unless it creates a health or safety hazard.
Enforcement follows the same notice-and-appeal process as the rest of Article II: under §10-16 the County Manager must serve a notice of violation before acting, and under §10-18 the owner or occupant has five working days from service to file a written appeal and get a hearing, with a written decision due within five working days of the hearing. If the owner doesn't comply, §10-17 allows the County Manager to enter the property, cut back the obstruction, and bill the cost to the owner in the same manner as real estate taxes and levies.
Violations & Fines
Section 10-20 sets a civil penalty of $50 for a first §10-15 violation. A later violation not arising from the same set of facts within 12 months can run higher than $50 but is capped at $200, and each business day the obstruction continues counts as a separate offense. Total penalties from the same set of operative facts can't exceed $3,000 in a 12-month period, and citations can be paid within 30 days or appealed to General District Court.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has to trim trees blocking an Arlington County sidewalk?
What's the penalty for not trimming vegetation over a sidewalk?
Can the County trim my hedge for me if I don't?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Arlington County
Compare Arlington County to another location·View the Virginia landscaping rules overview
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