Sioux Falls, SD Tree Protection: Tree Removal Permits (2026)

Authority: Sioux Falls, SD Code Chapter 94 (Forestry), administered by the Parks & Recreation Forestry Division (224 W 9th St). For trees on private property in standard residential zones, the city does not require a removal permit and homeowners are free to remove their own trees, but Section 94.015 (Nuisance Tree Declared) allows the City Forester to declare any dead, diseased, or insect-infested tree a public nuisance and order its removal at owner expense. If the property owner does not act, the city may obtain a court order, hire an arborist, perform the work, and assess the cost against the owner's property tax bill (with a one-year repayment window). Trees in the public right-of-way, on city property, or in parkways/boulevards are managed by the City Forester; private parties may not remove or significantly prune them without authorization. EAB rule: Inside the federal/state emerald ash borer quarantine area covering Sioux Falls (active since 2018), trimming or removal of ash (Fraxinus spp.) trees between Memorial Day and Labor Day is prohibited to limit beetle dispersal in fresh-cut wood. Commercial tree work over 30 feet requires an Arborist License from the city (Forestry Division publishes the annual licensed-arborist list). South Dakota has no statewide tree-removal preemption and no statewide heritage-tree statute; Sioux Falls regulates under its home-rule charter (SDCL Chapter 6-12) and general police power (SDCL § 9-29-1).