St. Louis, MO Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing agency
- Forestry Commissioner, Div. of Forestry
- City-tree pruning
- requires a permit to maintain
- General fine
- $100-$500, or 30 days jail
- Private-tree nuisance order
- abate or pay $250 fine
- Covers
- streets, sidewalks, signs, intersections
Summary
St. Louis requires trees, shrubs and plants citywide to be kept clear of streets, sidewalks, traffic signs and intersections, and lets the Forestry Commissioner order an owner to fix or remove growth that blocks them.
The Commissioner shall determine and maintain standards for appropriate height and spatial clearances for all City trees so as to allow the safe use or occupancy of the space around said tree. Such standards shall include, but not be limited to, height and spatial clearances for streets, sidewalks, alleys, building and other structures, traffic control signs and devices, street and alley lights, public utility wires and intersections and intersection approaches.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 11).
Full Breakdown
Under Code § 22.48.140, the Forestry Commissioner sets height and spatial clearance standards for City trees over streets, sidewalks, alleys, buildings, traffic signs, street lights, utility wires and intersections, and separately requires trees, shrubs and plants on any private lot to be kept clear of the same features. Pruning or removing a City street tree needs a "permit to maintain" from the Commissioner (§ 22.48.110). A private tree that fails to meet the clearance standard can be declared a public nuisance under § 22.48.200 and ordered abated.
Violations & Fines
General chapter violations: $100-$500 fine or up to 30 days jail, each day a continuing violation is a separate offense. Ignoring a Commissioner abatement order for a private-tree clearance hazard adds a $250 fine (§ 22.48.200.G).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to trim a tree overhanging the sidewalk?
What if my tree blocks a stop sign or sidewalk?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Louis
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