Skokie's parkway trees are owned and maintained by the Village Forestry Division. Residents may not trim or remove parkway trees without authorization. Private tree limbs must be maintained to provide clearance over sidewalks and streets.
The Village of Skokie's Public Works Forestry Division maintains all parkway trees in the public right-of-way between the sidewalk and curb. Residents are prohibited from pruning, trimming, or removing any village tree. Forestry performs cyclical trimming and responds to service requests for dead, damaged, or hazardous limbs. Property owners must maintain trees on private property to provide minimum clearance of 8 feet over sidewalks and 14 feet over streets. Overhanging limbs encroaching on neighboring property may be trimmed back to the property line at the neighbor's expense under Illinois common law. Skokie is a certified Tree City USA community and has a robust urban forest program. Contact Public Works Forestry at (847) 933-8427.
Unauthorized trimming or damage to a parkway tree results in fines and restitution for the replacement value of the tree, which can range from $500 to several thousand dollars based on species and size. Failure to maintain private trees overhanging public ways may result in citations of $50 to $500.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Cook County.
See how other cities in Cook County handle tree trimming.
See how Skokie's tree trimming rules stack up against other locations.
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