Hammond, IN Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit-free trimming
- Branches 3 inches diameter or less
- Topping threshold
- Cutting limbs to stubs over 3 inches
- Street Dept trimming authority
- Clearing sightlines and passage
- Contractor registration
- Required with Park Department, fee due
- Maximum fine
- $500 per day, per violation
Summary
Hammond's Park Department, under Board of Park Commissioners direction, controls trimming of public trees, but § 105.03 of the Hammond Code of Ordinances lets the city's Street Department cut back trees blocking a public street, alley or way to keep sightlines and passage clear. Section 105.18 sets arboricultural standards for all trimming and bars topping street trees.
However, the city’s Street Department shall have the authority to perform trimming and cutting of trees in or obstructing any public street, alley or way as may be necessary to provide unobstructed vision or free passage of pedestrians or motorists along the streets or public ways. ... All trimming, pruning and any other tree care activities shall comply with good arboricultural practices as delineated in the Arboricultural Specifications Manual of the City of Hammond. The person or property owner shall bear the cost of these activities. ... It shall be unlawful as a normal practice for any person to top any Street Tree. Topping is defined as the severe cutting back of limbs to stubs larger than 3 inches in diameter within the tree’s crown to such a degree so as to remove the normal canopy and disfigure the tree. Trees severely damaged by storms or other causes, or certain trees under utility wires or other obstructions where other pruning practices are impractical, may be exempted from this requirement by a written determination made by the Hammond Board of Park Commissioners or its designee.
Full Breakdown
03, the Board of Park Commissioners adopts the rules for tree location and control on public streets, alleys, ways and parks through the city's Arboricultural Specifications Manual, but the Street Department keeps independent authority to trim or cut trees obstructing a public street, alley or way whenever needed for unobstructed vision or free passage of pedestrians and motorists. 16(D). 16(C). 18(C) makes it unlawful, as a normal practice, to top a street tree, defined as cutting limbs back to stubs larger than 3 inches in diameter within the crown so severely that it disfigures the tree.
The Board of Park Commissioners or its designee can grant a written exemption for storm-damaged trees or trees tangled in utility wires where normal pruning is impractical. 17.
Violations & Fines
Topping a street tree without a Board-approved exemption, or trimming without the required contractor registration, exposes the offender to a fine of up to $500 per violation under § 105.99, with each day the condition continues counted as a separate offense. The city may also enter the property under I.C. 36-1-6-2 to correct the damage, such as replanting a disfigured tree, after giving anyone with an interest in the property a chance to fix it first, and can place a lien for the cost of the work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I trim my street tree myself in Hammond?
Is topping a street tree illegal in Hammond?
Who can trim a tree blocking the sidewalk or street in Hammond?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hammond
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