Elgin, IL Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- Trim/remove permit
- Department of public works approval required, § 13.20.020
- Clearance height
- 10 feet over sidewalks and streets
- Notice period
- 10 days after written notice to owner
- City self-help
- City trims and bills owner after notice
- Penalty
- $50-$750 per day, § 1.20.020
Summary
Elgin bars anyone from trimming, cutting or removing a tree in the public right-of-way without department of public works approval, and separately requires owners to clear any street tree or limb hanging lower than 10 feet over a sidewalk or street. Ignore a written notice and the city trims or removes it for you, then bills you for the cost.
It is unlawful to trim, cut or remove any tree or portion thereof in the public right-of-way without approval of the department of public works. A.Any tree or shrub which overhangs the sidewalk, street or other public place in the city at a height less than ten (10) feet or in such a way as to impede or interfere with traffic or travel on such public place or any tree or limb of a tree which has become likely to fall on or across any public way or place, shall be trimmed or removed by the owner of the abutting premises or of the premises on which such tree or shrub grows, so that the hazard or obstruction shall cease.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 7).
Full Breakdown
020 makes it unlawful to trim, cut or remove any tree or portion of a tree in Elgin's public right-of-way without approval from the department of public works, a rule that applies to homeowners, contractors and utilities alike. 050 layers on a specific clearance duty: any tree or shrub overhanging a sidewalk, street or other public place at a height under 10 feet, or growing so as to impede traffic or travel, or any limb likely to fall on a public way, must be trimmed or removed by the owner of the abutting premises.
The department of public works enforces that duty by mailing the property owner written notice that a tree is an obstruction or hazard and must be repaired or removed; if the owner has not trimmed or removed it within 10 days of that mailing, or if an emergency exists, the department may trim or remove the tree itself, then charge the owner for the actual cost incurred. 070). B, with poor pruning grounds for cancelling that permit.
Violations & Fines
Trimming, cutting or removing a right-of-way tree without department of public works approval violates § 13.20.020 and carries the city's general fine of $50 to $750 per offense, with each day counted separately under § 1.20.020. If an abutting owner ignores the department's 10-day written notice to clear a hazardous or obstructing tree, the department performs the work itself under § 13.20.050 and bills the owner for the full cost of removal or trimming.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I trim the parkway tree in front of my Elgin house myself?
How low can a street tree branch hang over the sidewalk before Elgin makes me trim it?
What happens if I don't trim a hazardous tree after the city notifies me?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Elgin
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