Tree rules in Denver: permits, protected trees and fees

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It describes the Office of the City Forester pages on property owner responsibilities and on tree requirements and rules, and the Approved Street Tree List, as read on October 8, 2026. The rule itself is Chapter 57 of the Denver Municipal Code, the Vegetation Ordinance. The wider list of cities is on the guide to tree permits in the largest US cities.

Street trees and private trees

The property owner page says city code requires owners to maintain trees on private property and the trees in the public right-of-way next to their property. Under ordinance 57-18, the adjoining owner is responsible for all aspects of street tree care, including planting, pruning, litter clean-up and removal. The Approved Street Tree List says a free permit from the City Forester is required for planting and removal.

Work	Right-of-way tree	Private tree
Pruning	No permit; must meet industry standards, and a tree pruned badly, topping given as the example, can be deemed irreparably damaged with reimbursement of its value required	No permit
Removal	Illegal without an approved permit from the City Forester; the page says requests for healthy, valuable trees "will often be denied"	Most may be removed at the owner's discretion without a permit
Demolition or construction	Permit as above	Zoning code gives the City Forester regulation over trees in the front and side setbacks; they must be protected and may not be removed without a City Forester permit

The rules page adds that permits are required before removal, planting or injection of any street tree in the right-of-way. The owner page says a street tree removed without a permit means the responsible party must compensate the city for the lost monetary value of the tree, to the City Forester's satisfaction, and describes city trees as often worth thousands of dollars.

Clearances and stumps

As the owner page words them, owners keep branches so that stop signs are visible from at least 150 feet, branches are at least 13.5 feet above streets and alleyways, and at least 8 feet above sidewalks. Stumps are not allowed in the right-of-way and must be ground out to 6 inches below existing grade. Trees with a communicable disease such as Dutch elm disease must be removed promptly, and infected wood is disposed of as the City Forester deems appropriate.

Licence for tree service companies

The owner page says Chapter 57 requires anyone performing tree care services, including pruning and removal, to be licensed as a Tree Service Company. The rules page puts this in Division IV of the Vegetation Ordinance. The owner page says companies on the city's published list passed the minimum test requirements of the Office of the City Forester, that testing does not guarantee quality of work, and that the office does not endorse any company. The list is a PDF on the same site.

Planting lists

The Approved Street Tree List (updated March 2017) says some trees may not be planted in the right-of-way under Forestry Rules and Regulations: poplars including cottonwoods and aspens, willows, boxelder, Siberian elm, weeping and pendulous trees, and multi-stemmed trees. It lists others under a planting moratorium: ash, walnut, silver maple, Autumn Blaze maple, Sunburst honeylocust, Bradford pear, mulberry, Russian-olive and tree-of-heaven. Minimum spacing it gives includes 35 feet between shade trees, 25 feet between ornamental trees, 30 feet from the curb at intersections, 20 feet from street lights and 10 feet from alleys, driveways and fire hydrants.

Notices, citations and appeals

The City Forester is directed by code to order removal or pruning of trees found dangerous, diseased or obstructing the right-of-way. The owner page says that if an owner does not correct a violation or ask the inspector for an extension, administrative citation fines may be issued. If the violation stays unresolved, the city has the work done by a low-bid on-call licensed tree service, and the owner must reimburse Denver Parks and Recreation. Unpaid costs lead to a lien on the property, then, per ordinance, a tax lien through the Treasury Department. An appeal of a notice of violation goes in writing to the Manager of Parks and Recreation within 15 days of the notice being issued, and an appeal of an administrative citation within 10 days of service. The forestry team's phone on the page is 720-913-0651. The pages publish no fee for the street tree permit beyond calling it free.