Arlington Heights, IL Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Section 20-604, titled Dangerous Trees, sits in Article VI, Trees and Shrubs, of Chapter 20, Streets, Sidewalks and Trees. It reads: 'Any tree, limb or shrub which overhangs any sidewalk or roadway in such a way as to impede or interfere with traffic or travel shall be trimmed by the owner of the abutting premises on which the tree or shrub grows so that the obstruction shall be eliminated.' The duty falls on the owner of the property the tree or shrub grows on, whether the branch itself hangs over village-owned parkway, sidewalk, or roadway pavement inside the Village of Arlington Heights, Cook County.

The trimming duty is separate from the permit system that governs trees standing inside the public street or parkway itself. Section 20-602, Injury and Removal, requires a $20.00 permit from the Department of Public Works before anyone damages or removes a parkway tree, and makes a person who unlawfully damages one liable for its replacement value under the International Society of Arboriculture's tree-value guide. Trimming overhanging growth to clear a sidewalk under Section 20-604 does not itself require that removal permit, but careless cutting that damages or kills a parkway tree can still trigger Section 20-602 liability, so residents trimming branches near a village-owned tree should coordinate with the Department of Public Works rather than cut on their own.

No separate penalty is written into Article VI, so an owner who leaves a sidewalk- or roadway-obstructing branch untrimmed falls under Section 20-117, the Chapter 20 general penalty provision.