Port Townsend, WA Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit
- Free public works permit required
- Sidewalk clearance
- 8 ft branch clearance over sidewalk
- Roadway clearance
- 14 ft branch clearance over roadway
- Narrow strips
- Grass only if strip ≤3 ft wide
- Authority
- PTMC 12.04.075(D)
Summary
Port Townsend residents need a no-fee public works permit to plant a tree in the street right-of-way, and planting strips three feet wide or narrower are limited to grass or ground cover unless public works approves a tree.
A property owner may plant a tree or trees in the right-of-way abutting the owner's property if he or she first obtains a permit from the city public works department. There is no charge for the permit. The procedure allows the city public works department to review the type of tree and the planting location.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 3364, passed May 18, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Under PTMC 12.04.075(D), a property owner may plant a tree in the right-of-way abutting their lot only after getting a free permit from the public works department, which reviews the species and planting spot. Standards require siting that avoids sight-distance hazards, utility conflicts, and undue view interference, with spacing suited to the tree's mature size. Overhanging branches must stay trimmed to 8 feet above sidewalks and 14 feet above roadways. In the planting strip itself, strips 3 feet wide or narrower are restricted to grass or ground cover, with trees allowed only by separate public works approval; the city may also assume ownership of a planted tree if it later decides the tree merits protection.
Violations & Fines
Planting or maintaining right-of-way trees or landscaping outside these standards is enforced under Chapter 1.20 PTMC as a nuisance, subject to abatement, civil penalty, and criminal penalty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to plant a tree in the Port Townsend right-of-way?
Can I plant a tree in a narrow planting strip?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Port Townsend
Compare Port Townsend to another location·View the Washington tree protection overview
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