Do You Need a Permit to Remove a Tree in Toronto?

Do you need a permit? The quick answer

For most GTA homeowners the answer is yes. Toronto regulates trees on private property, not just city-owned street trees, so the tree in your own backyard may still be protected. Whether you need a permit comes down to one main thing: how thick the trunk is.

• Trunk 30 cm diameter (≈12 in) or larger: permit almost always required
• Trunk under 30 cm: usually exempt on private residential lots
• Any tree on City property or the road allowance: permit required regardless of size
• Dead, dying, or hazardous trees: may qualify for expedited approval

The City of Toronto private-tree bylaw, in plain English

Toronto has some of the strictest tree-protection rules in Canada because the city treats its urban canopy as shared infrastructure — it cools neighbourhoods, manages stormwater, and boosts property values. The private-tree bylaw exists to stop that canopy from quietly disappearing one backyard at a time.

In practice, the bylaw means you cannot remove, cut down, or seriously injure (including heavy pruning or damaging the roots of) a protected tree without a permit — even if the tree is entirely on your own land. “Injuring” is treated almost as seriously as removal, so you can’t simply prune a tree to death to get around the rules.

• Applies to trees on private residential property, not just city trees
• Covers removal AND significant injury (pruning, root damage)
• Protects the city’s tree canopy for stormwater, shade, and value
• Separate rules apply to trees on or near the public road allowance

Trunk-diameter thresholds & how to measure

The trigger for a permit is trunk diameter measured at 1.4 metres above the ground (roughly chest height, often called DBH — diameter at breast height). If the trunk is 30 cm across or more at that point, the tree is regulated.

To check your own tree, wrap a tape measure around the trunk at 1.4 m to get the circumference, then divide by 3.14 to get the diameter. A circumference of about 94 cm equals the 30 cm diameter threshold. Multi-stemmed trees are measured differently, so if you’re close to the limit it’s worth having an arborist confirm before you assume you’re exempt.

• Measure trunk diameter at 1.4 m above ground (DBH)
• 30 cm diameter ≈ 94 cm circumference ≈ the permit threshold
• Circumference ÷ 3.14 = diameter
• Multi-stem trees follow special measuring rules — confirm with an arborist

How the permit application process works

Applying is a formal process through the City’s Urban Forestry division. You submit an application describing the tree and the reason for removal, pay an application fee, and the city reviews the request — sometimes with a site inspection. Approval is not instant, so build a few weeks into your timeline.

The city often attaches conditions to an approval, most commonly a requirement to plant one or more replacement trees or pay a cash-in-lieu amount. A good arborist or tree-removal company will usually handle the permit application on your behalf and factor the timeline into your quote, which is one more reason to hire a professional rather than a cash-only crew.

• Submit an application to Urban Forestry with the reason for removal
• Pay the application fee and allow time for review/inspection
• Expect possible replanting conditions or a cash-in-lieu fee
• Reputable arborists can file the permit for you
• Plan for a few weeks — approval isn’t immediate

Fines for removing a tree without a permit

This is where cutting corners gets expensive. Removing or injuring a protected tree without a permit is an offence under the bylaw, and the penalties are steep — fines can run into the thousands of dollars per tree, and the city can also require you to plant replacement trees on top of the fine. For repeat or large-scale violations the amounts climb higher still.

It’s not just the homeowner who’s exposed — a contractor who removes a protected tree without confirming the permit can face penalties too, so any reputable company will insist on sorting the paperwork first. If a neighbour or passerby reports the work, enforcement officers do follow up. The safe move is always to confirm the tree’s status before any saw touches it.

• Fines can reach thousands of dollars per illegally removed tree
• Replacement planting may be ordered on top of the fine
• Both homeowners and contractors can be penalized
• Complaints are investigated — don’t assume no one will notice

Permits and your tree removal budget

A permit doesn’t just affect your timeline — it affects your total cost. Between the application fee, any replanting conditions, and the professional handling of the paperwork, the permit side of the job can add meaningfully to your bill on top of the removal itself. For a full breakdown of removal pricing by tree size, emergency call-outs, and stump grinding, see our complete Tree Removal Cost in Toronto guide — it walks through exactly how permits fit into the overall budget.