Lancaster County, NE Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- Frequency
- At least once per year
- Trees
- Trimmed up eight feet
- Hedges
- Cut back to four feet
- Cleanup
- Remove trimmings within ten days
- Statute
- Neb. Rev. Stat. 39-1812
Summary
Nebraska law requires landowners to trim trees, hedges, and undergrowth along public roads at least once a year when they become a nuisance to travel or block sightlines. Trees must be cleared to eight feet from the ground.
shall keep the same trimmed not less than once a year by cutting back to within four feet of the ground, excepting trees, which shall be trimmed from the ground up eight feet, and the trimmings so cut shall be burned or removed from the road right-of-way within ten days after each cutting.
Full Breakdown
Neb. Rev. Stat. 39-1812 places an annual trimming duty on landowners whose trees, hedge fences, or undergrowth border public roads and obstruct travel or the view at crossings, crossroads, or curves. Trees must be trimmed up eight feet from the ground; hedges cut back to four feet. In Lincoln, street trees in the parkway are maintained under the Community Forestry program, and homeowners are responsible for keeping their own trees from obstructing the sidewalk and street. Lancaster County follows the state road-clearance duty for unincorporated rural roads.
Violations & Fines
Cut trimmings must be burned or removed from the road right-of-way within ten days; the county may abate uncorrected road obstructions and recover the cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to trim trees along the road?
Who trims Lincoln street trees in the parkway?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lancaster County
Compare Lancaster County to another location·View the Nebraska landscaping rules overview
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