No permit is needed to remove a private tree in unincorporated Yellowstone County. Permits apply only to public 'boulevard' trees in the City of Billings, where planting, pruning, or removal in the public strip requires City Engineering approval.
Yellowstone County does not operate a tree-preservation permit program for private property, so removing trees on unincorporated land needs no county permit. The regulated trees are public boulevard trees within the City of Billings, located in the 5 to 7.5 foot strip between the sidewalk and the street. The City permit required to plant a boulevard tree also applies to pruning or removing one, obtained from City Engineering at 2224 Montana Avenue (406-657-8231). Billings Urban Forestry manages the public tree stock. Before removing significant vegetation on a rural parcel, confirm you are not inside a county zoning district that could attach landscape or buffer conditions.
No county penalty for private tree removal. Removing or damaging a City of Billings boulevard/public tree without a permit can trigger enforcement by City Engineering/Forestry, including charges for the value of the destroyed public tree.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Yellowstone County, MT
Yellowstone County has no ordinance banning backyard composting. Residents may compost yard and food waste; keep piles from becoming a rodent, odor, or vecto...
Yellowstone County, MT
Yellowstone County has no ordinance banning or requiring a permit for artificial turf on residential lawns. Homeowners may install synthetic grass; HOA coven...
Yellowstone County, MT
Yellowstone County does not require or prohibit native-plant landscaping. Residents may plant Montana natives and drought-tolerant xeriscape freely, provided...
Yellowstone County, MT
Rainwater harvesting is legal in Montana and encouraged. Yellowstone County has no ordinance restricting rain barrels. Rooftop collection for outdoor landsca...
Yellowstone County, MT
Unincorporated Yellowstone County imposes no standing lawn-watering rule. The City of Billings enacts temporary Stage 1 restrictions during peak demand, typi...
Yellowstone County, MT
Montana law makes noxious-weed control MANDATORY for every landowner. State statute makes it unlawful to let a noxious weed go to seed on your land, and the ...
See how Yellowstone County's tree removal permits rules stack up against other locations.
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