Cook County Highway Department requires permits for parkway tree planting along county-maintained roads. Suburbs separately license parkway plantings on municipal roads. Selection must follow approved species lists to avoid utility, sight-line, and pavement-conflict problems.
Cook County Code Chapter 70 Highway Permits and Department of Transportation and Highways policies require a permit for any planting within county road rights-of-way. The application identifies species, location, and root-management plan. The Department maintains an approved-species list excluding Norway maple, callery pear, ash (due to emerald ash borer), and silver maple. Plantings must be at least 30 feet from intersections and 10 feet from driveways. Suburban municipalities run parallel programs under Illinois Highway Code 605 ILCS 5/9-113. Most suburbs assign parkway maintenance to adjacent property owners but retain ownership of trees.
Unpermitted parkway plantings face removal at owner expense and fines $100 to $500. Damage to county utilities or sightlines triggers repair-cost recovery. Banned species are removed and replaced with approved varieties at violator cost.
See how Skokie's parkway planting rules stack up against other locations.
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