Jackson, TN Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Jackson Municipal Code Section 2-309 makes it unlawful for a tree owner to let branches overhang a public right-of-way so that they block a streetlight, interfere with power lines, or block the view at a street intersection, and separately bars letting overhanging branches hang lower than ten feet (10') above the surface of a street or sidewalk. A dead, diseased, or broken limb that endangers the public below falls under the same section. All three conditions are declared a public nuisance that the City Tree Board can abate, meaning the board can order the hazard corrected rather than simply issue a citation.

Section 2-310 separately regulates who may be paid to do the trimming: any person or firm that receives payment for tree trimming or removal work in Jackson must hold a valid City of Jackson business license and carry liability insurance of $100,000.00 for property damage and personal injury, with copies of the license and insurance provided to the city forester, who issues a letter of approval before the crew can start work. That license-and-insurance requirement applies to commercial tree services, not to a homeowner cutting back branches on their own property, so the ten-foot clearance rule in Section 2-309 is the one that reaches every tree owner in the city regardless of who does the trimming.