Tinley Park, IL Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- Street clearance
- 10 feet from street pavement
- Sidewalk clearance
- 7 feet above sidewalk level
- Responsible party
- Owner of abutting or growing premises
- Fall-hazard limbs
- Must be removed, not just trimmed
- Sightline hazard notice
- 30 days to comply, § 100.07
- Village backstop
- DPW may trim/remove tree, § 100.08
Summary
Tinley Park requires the owner of the abutting property, or the property where a tree or shrub grows, to trim back any growth that overhangs a sidewalk or street or sits within ten feet of the street or seven feet of the sidewalk. Village Code § 100.06 also makes that owner remove any limb likely to fall onto a public way.
(A) Any tree or shrub which overhangs any sidewalk, street, or other public place in the village in such a way as to impede or interfere with traffic or travel, or within ten feet of a street or seven feet of a sidewalk level, shall be trimmed by the owner of the premises abutting or of the premises on which the tree or shrub grows so that the obstruction shall cease. ... (B) Any tree or limb of a tree which has become likely to fall on or across any public way or place shall be removed by the owner of the premises on which the tree grows or stands.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-40: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ordinance 2026-O-007, passed 2-17-2026, Resolution 2018-R-077, passed 10-2-18, and State legislation current through 2010 Pamphlet No. 7).
Full Breakdown
06(A) sets a specific clearance standard: any tree or shrub overhanging a sidewalk, street, or other public place, or growing within ten feet of a street or seven feet of a sidewalk, must be trimmed back by the owner of the abutting premises, or the owner of the premises where the tree or shrub is actually rooted, until the obstruction is gone. Subsection (B) adds a safety duty on top of the clearance rule: any tree or limb that has become likely to fall on or across a public way must be removed entirely by the owner of the premises where it grows, not merely trimmed.
07, extends the same trim-or-remove duty to trees and shrubs that block sightlines and create a hazardous driving condition, giving the owner 30 days from written notice by the Department of Public Works to complete the work. 08 lets the Director of Public Works cause the tree or shrub to be trimmed or the branch removed directly. Because the clearance triggers are measured in exact feet rather than judgment calls, a homeowner with an overgrown parkway tree or a hedge crowding the sidewalk in Tinley Park has an objective test for whether a branch has to come down: ten feet of horizontal clearance from the street, seven feet of vertical clearance over the sidewalk.
Violations & Fines
Failing to trim a tree or shrub encroaching within ten feet of a street or seven feet of a sidewalk, or failing to remove a limb likely to fall on a public way, is punishable under the Village's general penalty at § 10.99: a fine of $50 to $750, with each day the obstruction remains counted as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much clearance does my tree need over the sidewalk in Tinley Park?
What if a large limb looks like it could fall onto the street?
What happens if I ignore a notice to trim a tree blocking a driver's view?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tinley Park
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How other cities in Cook County handle tree trimming.