Trees & tree removal — Whitby, Ontario

Do I need a permit to cut down a tree?

In the Town of Whitby, Ontario, permit required: True; applies to private property: True; protected threshold: Trees in a woodlot, on specified designated lands, or on residential lands 2.02 ha or greater; 'tree' means single-stemmed perennial woody plant reaching at least 6 metres at maturity; woodlot thresholds include trees 5, 12, or 20 cm DBH; replacement required: Director may impose conditions including species, size, number and location of replacement tree(s), planting date, maintenance, or compensation costs for reforestation on property or elsewhere in Municipality; court may also order replanting on conviction. Source: Tree Protection By-law 4640-00, verified 2026-08-29.

Tree Protection By-law 4640-00 adopted bylaw
permit required True s. 2: 'No person shall...destroy...any tree...without first obtaining a permit'
applies to private property True s. 2(f): residential lands 2.02 ha or greater; s. 2(a)-(e): woodlots and designated lands
protected threshold Trees in a woodlot, on specified designated lands, or on residential lands 2.02 ha or greater; 'tree' means single-stemmed perennial woody plant reaching at least 6 metres at maturity; woodlot thresholds include trees 5, 12, or 20 cm DBH s. 1(cc), s. 1(ff), s. 2
replacement required Director may impose conditions including species, size, number and location of replacement tree(s), planting date, maintenance, or compensation costs for reforestation on property or elsewhere in Municipality; court may also order replanting on conviction s. 6(5)(a)-(d); s. 10(3)
fine range First conviction: not more than $10,000.00; subsequent conviction: not more than $20,000.00 s. 10(1)(a)-(b)
scout note

Requires a permit from the Director of Planning before destroying a tree that is in a woodlot, on lands designated Major Open Space, Hazard Land or Environmental Protection/Conservation, within a Mature Woodlands or Environmentally Sensitive Area, identified in an approved tree preservation plan, or on Residential-designated land 2.02 hectares or larger (sec 2). 'Woodlot' means an area of 0.2 hectares

Machine-readable: trees.json · Official website: http://www.whitby.ca/ · Last verified 2026-08-29 · Trees & tree removal in other municipalities