Gulfport, MS Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- Branches blocking public right-of-way sight lines
- First finding
- Determined by superintendent of traffic control
- City remedy
- City may trim the tree itself
- Repeat obstruction
- Miss. Code Sec. 21-19-11 abatement or court order
- Related rule
- Sec. 8-13, visibility-hazard trees, public or private
Summary
When a private tree's branches hang into a Gulfport street or right-of-way and block sight lines or safe passage, Code Sec. 8-11 lets the city trim it. A tree needing that trim two years running triggers formal action under Miss. Code Ann. Sec. 21-19-11 or a municipal court order compelling the owner to cut it back.
Trees standing in or upon any lot or land adjacent to any public right-of-way or public place and having branches, limbs, trunks or other parts projecting into the public right-of-way or place which have been determined by the city superintendent of traffic control and safety or his designee to interfere with the free and safe passage and line of sight along the public way by pedestrians and vehicular traffic may be kept trimmed by the city. Where a particular tree requires pruning for a second consecutive year in order to allow for free and safe passage and line of sight along the public way, the city shall proceed in accord with MCA 1972, § 21-19-11, as amended, to protect the public health, safety and welfare of the community by having the tree pruned and/or cut.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 68).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 8-11 covers trees standing on private lots or land adjacent to a public right-of-way whose branches, limbs, trunks or other parts project into that right-of-way. Where the city superintendent of traffic control and safety or a designee determines the growth interferes with free and safe passage or line of sight for pedestrians and vehicles, the city may keep the tree trimmed itself. If the same tree needs pruning for a second consecutive year to preserve that clearance, Sec. 8-11 directs the city to proceed under Miss.
Code Ann. 1972, Sec. 21-19-11, the state law letting municipalities abate obstructions and charge the cost back to the property, or alternatively to seek a municipal court order compelling the owner to prune or cut the limbs, branches or trunk. The related restricted-trees rule, Sec. 8-13, separately lets the superintendent order any tree trimmed or removed, on public or private property, if its growth interferes with vehicular traffic visibility and creates a public-safety hazard, using the same trimming authority set out in Sec. 8-11. Because this authority sits inside Article I, Tree Protection, the general enforcement and inspection powers of the tree protection advisor and the department of urban development under Sec. 8-16 apply to clearance disputes as well as to protected-tree removal.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 8-11 does not fine the owner directly for a first-year obstruction; the city simply trims the tree itself. A second consecutive year of the same interference lets the city proceed under Miss. Code Ann. Sec. 21-19-11 or seek a municipal court order compelling the owner to prune or cut the limbs, with costs recoverable against the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who decides if my tree is blocking a Gulfport street or sidewalk?
What happens if the same tree needs trimming every year?
Can Gulfport order a tree trimmed for blocking traffic visibility even off a right-of-way?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Gulfport
Compare Gulfport to another location·View the Mississippi landscaping rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.