Trees & tree removal — Hamilton, Ontario

Do I need a permit to cut down a tree?

In the City of Hamilton, Ontario, permit required: True; applies to private property: False; replacement required: payment to the City for the replacement of any public tree which has been injured or destroyed as determined by the Director in accordance with any applicable policy; boulevard trees: No person shall injure or destroy a public tree; work requires a permit from the Director.. Source: By-law No. 15-125, To Regulate Trees on or Affecting Public Property (Hamilton Public Tree Protection By-law), verified 2026-08-28.

By-law No. 15-125, To Regulate Trees on or Affecting Public Property (Hamilton Public Tree Protection By-law) adopted bylaw
permit required True s. 3(3)(a)
applies to private property False s. 1 "public tree" / s. 3(1)
replacement required payment to the City for the replacement of any public tree which has been injured or destroyed as determined by the Director in accordance with any applicable policy s. 18(b)(vii)
boulevard trees No person shall injure or destroy a public tree; work requires a permit from the Director. s. 3(1), s. 3(3)(a)
fine range First conviction: not more than $10,000 or $1,000 per tree (whichever greater); subsequent conviction: not more than $25,000 or $2,500 per tree (whichever greater); corporations: $50,000/$5,000 per tree and $100,000/$10,000 per tree respectively; special fine may exceed $100,000 s. 26(a), s. 26(b), s. 27, s. 28
scout note

Prohibits any person from injuring or destroying a public tree — defined as a tree with 50 per cent or more of its trunk diameter, measured at ground level, on land owned, leased, controlled by or vested in the City, such as streets and parks. Injury expressly includes pruning, working within the drip line or tree protection zone, altering soil

Machine-readable: trees.json · Official website: https://www.hamilton.ca/ · Last verified 2026-08-28 · Trees & tree removal in other municipalities