Oklahoma City, OK Tree Protection: Heritage & Protected Trees (2026)
Key Facts
- Significant Tree threshold
- 6-inch caliper or greater
- Smallest tree credit
- 22 points for 6-inch caliper
- Largest tree credit
- 50 points for over 25-inch DBH
- Right-of-way cap
- Max 25% of credited points
- Dead tree replacement
- Must equal or exceed lost points
- Minimum fine
- $100 per violation, per day
- Appeal deadline
- 30 days to Board of Adjustment
Summary
Oklahoma City has no heritage or landmark tree designation program. The closest local protection is the Zoning and Planning Code's "Significant Tree" credit, which rewards developers who keep trees of six-inch caliper or greater standing during site development instead of clearing them, on projects that must file a landscape plan.
Significant Tree: Any existing tree with a caliper of six inches or greater, determined to be in good health by a qualified professional (i.e. Urban Forester, Certified Arborist) following guidelines established by the International Society of Arboriculture. ... § 59-11400. - Existing tree credits. In order to encourage the preservation of Oklahoma City's older trees, credits toward required points may be given in the event existing trees are preserved. Eligible trees include any Significant Tree within the developed area that is determined to be preserved through protection from possible impacts of construction. ... B. Trees for which an owner/developer wishes to receive credit must be in the developed area, however, no more than 25 percent of the total points may be located within the public rights-of-way. C. Any Significant Tree claimed for points that dies during construction, or as a result of construction, shall be replaced with a tree (or trees) to equal or exceed the point of value of the lost tree.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 5 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
A Significant Tree is defined at § 59-2150 as any existing tree with a caliper of six inches or greater that a qualified professional, such as an Urban Forester or Certified Arborist, determines is in good health under International Society of Arboriculture guidelines. Article XI, Landscaping and Screening Regulations, puts that definition to work in § 59-11400, Existing Tree Credits: an owner or developer earns landscape points toward the site's required Site Points by preserving existing Significant Trees rather than removing them during construction. 1 sets a sliding scale, from 22 points for a six-inch caliper tree up to 50 points for anything over 25 inches DBH, so larger, older trees carry more weight.
Credited trees must sit within the developed area, and no more than 25 percent of the total claimed points may come from trees located inside the public rights-of-way. C requires the owner to replace it with a tree, or trees, worth an equal or greater point value than the tree that was lost. Because § 59-11300 exempts individual single-family and two-family residential lots from filing a landscape plan at all, this credit mainly reaches commercial, multi-family and other developments that go through Building Permit or Certificate of Occupancy review under Article XI.
Violations & Fines
Failure to provide or maintain the landscaping improvements required by Article XI, which includes the Significant Tree preservation standards, is a violation under § 59-11150.O, and each day it continues is a new, separate offense. A conviction makes the property owner guilty of a Class "a" offense, punishable by a fine of at least $100.00 per violation, excluding costs and fees; the standard zoning penalty schedule in § 59-4350.2 does not apply to landscape violations. An owner cited by the Director may appeal within 30 days to the Board of Adjustment under § 59-4250.9.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Oklahoma City have a heritage or landmark tree ordinance?
Does this rule apply to my single-family home?
What happens if a credited tree dies during construction?
What's the penalty for violating the landscaping rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Oklahoma City
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