Jefferson Parish, LA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Chapter 37 of the parish code bars anyone other than a parish-licensed tree service operator or landscaper from planting, pruning, trimming, removing, or decorating a tree or other vegetation on public property, which the code defines to include sidewalks, parkways, medians, and rights-of-way, without a permit from the department of parkway. A narrow exception lets a property owner or their agent trim trees and other vegetation on the public strip directly in front of or beside their own lot, between the private property line and the street right-of-way, without a permit, but doing so makes the owner fully liable for any resulting damage.

Removing a tree from public property, however, always requires a permit, and only a parish-licensed arborist-operator may perform the cutting; the license requires state licensing through the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry plus a $1,000,000 liability policy and a $35 annual parish fee. Permits cost $25 for trees or shrubs with a trunk under 4 inches in diameter, with a separate permit needed for each tree 4 inches or larger, though the fee is waived for owner-occupied residential permits. A tree on the parish's 'desirable trees list' can be removed only if it is dead, diseased, insect-infested, or damaging public works or a utility; a denied application must include the reasons and can be appealed to the director of public works within 30 days.

Separately, section 37-1 bars using a vertical 'bush hog' rotary cutter to trim trees or shrubs within 500 feet of any occupied building, a rule aimed at heavy brush-clearing equipment rather than routine hand pruning.