Tree rules in Ottawa: 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 four City of Ottawa web pages on the Tree Protection By-law as read on October 9, 2026: general information, tree permits and compensation, protecting trees and enforcement. The city says the by-law came into effect on January 1, 2021. Amounts are written as the city writes them, in Canadian dollars. The wider list of cities is on the guide to tree permits in Canadian cities.

Which trees are protected

The general information page lists four groups of protected trees that cannot be injured or removed without a city tree permit. They are all city-owned trees in the urban and rural area, trees of 10 cm or more in diameter at breast height on urban private land that is subject to a Planning Act application for site plan, plan of subdivision or plan of condominium, trees of 10 cm or more on urban private properties larger than 1 hectare, and distinctive trees. The page defines a distinctive tree as a tree of 30 cm or more in diameter at breast height on an urban private property of 1 hectare or less.

The page adds that the protection of private trees also applies to the urban expansion or growth areas shown on schedules in the by-law, and that the by-law protects city-owned natural areas by regulating activities that might harm them. It points to a decision tree tool and a flowchart for working out what kind of permit, if any, a removal needs.

Exemptions the city lists

Dead or hazardous trees on private property where the tree is an immediate threat to public health and safety. The page says photos should be taken before removal as evidence of the condition and the reason.
Private ash trees infested with emerald ash borer. The page says every ash removed must be disposed of within the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's regulated areas.
Certain activities named on the page: normal farm practices, maintenance of power lines, aggregate extraction under provincial rules and professional surveying.
Pruning private trees. The page says no permit is required to prune and that pruning should follow good arboricultural practices.

Permit fees and compensation

Case	What the permit page says
City-owned tree, or a distinctive tree not tied to infill development	CA$200 per tree, capped after five trees, by ownership
Tree removal tied to infill development	CA$1,240 per tree, capped after five trees, by ownership
Removal that is part of a Planning Act development application, such as site plan or plan of subdivision	The tree permit fee is included in the development application fee
Private tree removal outside development	Replacement at a 1 to 1 ratio
Infill development, distinctive trees 30 to 49 cm	Replacement at a 2 to 1 ratio
Infill development, distinctive trees 50 cm or more	Replacement at a 3 to 1 ratio

The page says these fees took effect on February 1, 2026 and are set in Schedule D of the by-law, and that compensation requirements are in Schedule B. It says compensation for city-owned trees is worked out with a tree valuation formula in addition to a replacement tree, and that the city may accept money in place of a replacement tree. For private trees it says money may be accepted where some of the required trees cannot fit on the site. Permit requests go in through an online Tree Information Report.

The same page says a permit for a city tree or a distinctive tree must be posted in a prominent spot on the property where the public can see it. For a distinctive tree, the permit is posted on the property and on the tree for at least seven days before removal, and the property posting stays up at least seven days after.

Working near protected trees

The protecting trees page says the by-law requires anyone working near protected trees, unless the city authorises otherwise, to put up a fence 1.2 m high around the outer edge of the critical root zone before other site work starts and to keep it until the work is done. The by-law also bars placing material or equipment in the root zone, raising or lowering the grade there, extending a hard surface or significantly changing landscaping there, attaching signs to a tree, and damaging the roots, trunk or branches. Exhaust fumes from equipment are not to be directed at a tree's canopy.

The page sets the critical root zone at 10 cm from the trunk for every centimetre of trunk diameter. Diameter is measured at 1.3 m above the ground for trees of 15 cm and over, and at 0.3 m for trees under 15 cm. It says failing to protect a tree that has not been approved for removal is an offence.

Offences and fines

The enforcement page lists as offences destroying or injuring a tree without a permit, failing to protect a tree identified for protection, breaking a permit condition and breaking a stop work order. On conviction it gives fines from CA$500 to CA$100,000. For a stop work order the same range applies for each day or part of a day the offence continues, and the daily fines together are not capped at CA$100,000. The by-law also allows a special fine on top of the regular fines where the person may have gained financially from the breach.

The page says an apparent illegal removal can be checked three ways: look for a development sign naming a city planner, look for a distinctive tree permit posted on the property or the tree, or call 3-1-1 to ask whether a permit was issued for the address. The city sends a forestry inspector to investigate when no permit is found or the position is unclear.