Bayonne, NJ Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Bayonne's tree preservation chapter treats every tree on a public street, park or right-of-way as a protected public tree under Section 14-8. No one, including a utility crew, may cut, prune, spray, or disturb the roots of a public tree without prior written permission. Section 14-8g carves out one path for utilities: a company that needs to prune public trees to obtain required overhead line clearance can file annually for a permit, pay a $100 fee, and continue pruning under that permit for the year, so long as it still notifies the City before each round of work.

The chapter's enforcement section, 14-9, puts the Tree Supervisor of the Forestry Division, the Construction Official, the Health Officer, and the Bayonne Police Department all on the enforcement roster; any of them can issue a verbal stop-work order, followed up in writing, against tree work done without authorization. A worker or property owner cannot defend an unpermitted removal by claiming a good-faith belief that a permit existed, and anyone who destroys a public tree without authorization must replace it with a tree of like or better species measured at three inches in diameter, four feet above the ground, as the Tree Supervisor directs.

Every tree destroyed counts as a separate offense under Section 14-9e, and a utility that damages a public tree beyond its permitted scope must reimburse the City's repair or replacement cost within 30 days of an itemized bill. The Tree Supervisor also reports permit activity to the Mayor and Municipal Council each year by March 31 under Section 14-10.