Toledo Street Tree Permit Guide

Updated October 2026 · By Toledo Tree Trimming

That tree between your sidewalk and the curb probably isn't yours. In Toledo, trees in the tree lawn belong to the city, and you need a free permit before anyone prunes or removes one. This guide explains which trees count, how to ask the city for help, how the permit works, and who else plays a part in caring for Toledo's urban forest.

Is it a street tree or a yard tree?

The City of Toledo plants street trees in the tree lawn: the strip of grass between the curb and the sidewalk. Where there's no sidewalk or curb, it's the strip just along the road. If the trunk is in that strip, treat it as a city tree.

Trees fully on your side of the sidewalk are usually private. If you're not sure where your property line is, check your property survey or the Lucas County Auditor's online property maps.

Branches don't change ownership. A city tree's limbs may hang over your yard, and your tree's limbs may hang over the sidewalk. What matters is where the trunk is.

Why Toledo protects street trees

The city manages more than 90,000 public trees and plants about 1,400 new ones a year. Toledo has been a Tree City USA since 1979, a national program run by the Arbor Day Foundation. To keep that status, a city needs a tree board, a tree ordinance, a minimum forestry budget, and an Arbor Day celebration.

Street trees also matter more than ever because Toledo has lost so many. The emerald ash borer was first found in Ohio near Toledo in 2003 and wiped out many of the city's ash trees. Today, city figures put Toledo's tree canopy at about 17%, well under the 35–40% recommended for cities in this climate. That's why the city's RE-TREE Toledo program plans to plant more than 10,700 trees in five years.

Option 1: Ask the city to do the work

Every Toledo property pays a Tree Maintenance Assessment. That money funds planting, pruning and removal of street trees, so asking the city is the first step for most problems.

1. Report it. Call Engage Toledo at 419-936-2020, use the Engage Toledo app, or submit a tree request on the city website.
2. Describe it. Give the address, say the tree is in the tree lawn, and describe the problem: dead limbs, low branches, storm damage, a stump.
3. Wait for an arborist. City arborists review requests. The city says it removes trees only when they're dead, dying, diseased, hazardous or in the way of needed infrastructure repairs.

The catch: city crews work through many requests, so routine trimming can take time. If a limb is an immediate danger, say so clearly.

Option 2: Get a permit and hire your own crew

If you'd rather not wait, you can usually hire a private tree service to prune a street tree, at your own cost, once you have a permit.

1. Call Engage Toledo at 419-936-2020 and ask how to get a pruning permit for a right-of-way tree. They'll point you to the city's forestry staff.
2. Describe the planned work. Which limbs, why, and who will do it.
3. Wait for approval before any cutting.
4. Hire a crew that follows ANSI A300 pruning standards. No topping.

The pruning permit is free. Removal of a street tree is a different matter and goes through the city, so report a street tree you think should come down to Engage Toledo.

If your tree needs work in your own yard as well, a local provider can quote both. Call (419) 820-4750 or read about tree trimming in Toledo.

What happens if you skip the permit?

Pruning, damaging or removing a street tree without a permit violates Toledo Municipal Code Chapter 917. Bad pruning can also kill the tree, and the city loses shade it paid to plant.

Power lines and gas lines

Trees near overhead power lines are handled by the utility. Toledo Edison trims along its lines on a four-year cycle. Never prune near lines yourself. The city also notes that Toledo Edison or Columbia Gas may sometimes need to trim or remove trees for their work.

Sidewalks and roots

If a city tree's roots are lifting the sidewalk, report it to Engage Toledo. The city says that starting in 2026, sidewalk repairs for tree root damage within a tree's drip line are covered by the Tree Assessment Fund.

Can I choose or refuse a new street tree?

No. City arborists choose species using a "right tree, right place" approach, looking at soil, space, sun, pests and nearby utilities. White flags in your tree lawn mark where a new tree will go. Planting happens in spring (mid-April to June) and fall (November to December).

Who cares for Toledo's trees

A handful of groups shape Toledo's urban forest. Here's who they are and how to reach them.

• City of Toledo forestry staff (Department of Public Service) plant, prune and remove street trees. Contact them through Engage Toledo.
• Toledo Urban Forestry Commission. Created by city ordinance in 1990, this volunteer board appointed by the mayor advises the city's forestry work, reviews matching grants, and supports Arbor Day events. It meets monthly.
• RE-TREE Toledo. A federally funded city program, backed by a $6.1 million grant, planting trees on streets, parks and vacant lots in qualified neighborhoods. It also trains Toledo Public Schools students in urban forestry.
• Metroparks Toledo. Partnered with the city on a U.S. Forest Service grant to plant 15,000 trees in city parks.
• Lucas Soil & Water Conservation District. Holds tree sales for residents, with online ordering on its website.

Quick checklist

• Is the trunk in the tree lawn? If yes, it's a city tree.
• Report problems to Engage Toledo: 419-936-2020.
• Want your own crew to prune it? Get the free permit first.
• Touching power lines? Call Toledo Edison.
• Live in Sylvania, Maumee, Perrysburg or another suburb? Check your own town's rules.

Sources

• City of Toledo: Street Trees FAQ
• City of Toledo: Street Trees
• City of Toledo: Urban Forestry Commission
• Toledo Municipal Code
• WTOL 11: RE-TREE Toledo program