Trimming street and public-place trees in New Jersey is controlled by each municipality's Shade Tree Commission under N.J.S.A. 40:64, not by the county. Middlesex County only governs trimming of trees along county roads and inside county parks, handled by county Parks and Recreation.
Under N.J.S.A. 40:64-1, a New Jersey municipality may create a shade tree commission to regulate the care and control of shade and ornamental trees in its streets, public places, parks and parkways. That statute expressly excludes county highways, parks and parkways where a county shade tree commission or parks department has jurisdiction. So pruning a tree in a Middlesex town's right-of-way usually requires a shade-tree-commission permit, while pruning trees on your own property is generally unregulated unless a local tree ordinance applies. The county, through its Office of Parks and Recreation, trims trees along county roads and in county parks; residents should not trim these. Confirm requirements with your municipal shade tree commission first.
Trimming a municipal street tree without a shade-tree-commission permit can bring town fines. County-road and county-park trees are trimmed only by Middlesex County staff, not residents.
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