Kansas City, MO Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- commissioner of streets
- Application states
- species and planting location
- After planting
- written acceptance issued
- No permit if
- street under city planting contract
Summary
Kansas City property owners must get a written permit from the commissioner of streets before planting trees in the sidewalk parkway strip along any city street.
Whenever any property owner desires to plant or set trees along the sidewalk space on any street in the city, such planting and setting to conform to the general specifications for planting and setting trees approved by the director of public works and on file in his office and in the office of the commissioner of streets, he shall apply to the commissioner of streets for a permit so to do, and the commissioner may thereupon issue to him a permit to plant or set such trees, stating the species and kind of trees to be planted or set, and the location thereof. Upon completion of such planting or setting in accordance with such specifications, it shall be the duty of the commissioner of streets to issue to the property owner a written acceptance thereof.
(Code of Gen. Ords. 1967, § 30.162)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 139 | Zoning and Development Code: Supplement 38).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 64-412 makes it unlawful to dig a hole in any Kansas City street to plant a tree without a written permit from the commissioner of streets. Under § 64-413, a property owner who wants to plant trees along the sidewalk space applies to the commissioner, whose specifications for planting are on file with the director of public works; the permit states the species and location approved. Once the trees are in the ground to those specifications, the commissioner issues written acceptance of the planting. Section 64-414 blocks new permits on a street segment already covered by a city planting ordinance under contract.
Violations & Fines
Excavating a street to plant a tree without a written permit from the commissioner of streets is unlawful under § 64-412; enforcement runs through the streets/public works department.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to plant a tree in the Kansas City parkway strip?
What happens after the tree is planted?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kansas City
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Parkway Planting in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Jackson County handle parkway planting.