Permits & Ordinances
No, not for a tree on your own lot. We read the City of Lincoln, Illinois Code of Ordinances on September 29, 2026, and it says nothing about private trees. The rules below start at the parkway.
Start Here
A Lincoln homeowner can remove a tree on private property, of any size, species or condition, without a permit. Chapter 8-8 covers trees in the public right-of-way and what owners owe where their trees reach the street. The City has no say over a dead ash in your yard until it stands in the parkway, overhangs the street, or burns on the wrong day.
Anyone quoting a “permit fee” for a tree in your own yard should name the code section; we found none. The code is public on eCode360 and can be amended any year, so treat this page as a map and confirm unusual cases with the Street Department. We check the current text at every estimate.
§ 8-8-4, § 8-8-1, § 8-8-2
The parkway is the strip between the curb and your property line, usually with the sidewalk in it, and its tree is public even though you mow under it. Under § 8-8-4 no contractor or other person may cut or injure a public tree without the Street Superintendent's consent, penalty up to $75.
Planting there takes his approval by written request naming species, variety and spot (§ 8-8-1), and under § 8-8-2 he may remove any right-of-way tree at the City's discretion. On older blocks near the courthouse square the line can be unclear, so we check the walk, curb and survey pins and get consent in hand before anyone climbs.
§ 8-8-5, § 8-8-6, § 8-8-7
Section 8-8-5 approves ginkgo, Norway maple, Schwedler maple, red maple, tulip tree, red oak, white oak, willow oak, scarlet oak, pin oak, American linden, European linden, honey locust, oriental plane and sycamore, plus others on request. Section 8-8-6 forbids evergreens, fruit and nut trees, box elder, silver maple, ailanthus, poplar, cottonwood, willow, catalpa, hackberry, dogwood, white fringe, elm, sweet gum and ash: a roll call of limb-droppers and sidewalk-heavers.
The forbidden list has a useful door. Under § 8-8-6 an owner may have a parkway sweet gum, Chinese elm or ash removed at their own expense through an insured contractor, and with most of the region's ash gone or going, many Lincoln owners do. We are that contractor and prepare the request with you. Violations run $75 to $500 per offense under § 8-8-7, with removal of the tree ordered.
§ 8-8-3
Under § 8-8-3, an owner whose trees adjoin the street must trim them within 10 days of the City's notice, or pay $75 per tree plus the City's cost of trimming. No height is set; the test is a walker and a truck passing without ducking. The City maintains public trees unless the adjoining owner does.
Illinois Extension guidance adds what the code leaves out: do not prune oaks April through July, when oak wilt spreads through fresh cuts. A May notice on a white oak is worth a timing talk with the Street Department, and we will have it for you.
§ 5-3-6(E)
Under § 5-3-6(E)(2), trees, trimmings, branches, stumps, brush, leaves and yard waste may burn in town on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays only: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. from April 1 to October 1, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. from October 2 to March 31. The fire must be 50 feet from any structure, fence or pole, on a concrete or brick street or private property, with a working hose on hand.
No garbage or agricultural waste, ever; an attended firewood fire is fine from 8 a.m. to midnight. Fines under § 5-3-6(E)(3) run $100, $200, then $500, with a $500 minimum after that. Toward Beason, Chestnut or Cornland, Illinois EPA rules and your fire protection district govern, so call them first.
§ 7-13
The City's landscape-waste site at the old City landfill is free for Lincoln residents and businesses dumping their own landscape waste and closed to non-residents (§ 7-13-3). Trimmings must be cut under 12 feet, and any branch or trunk over 4 inches thick stripped of side branches (§ 7-13-7). The Street Superintendent sets seasonal hours, so call first. Commercial haulers pay a fee; when we haul, it is on our account.
No City Tree Licence
Lincoln does not license tree crews as a trade; every business carries a City registration, and that is all. So ask for a certificate of liability insurance, especially from a truck that arrived after a derecho. The code points there too: § 8-8-6 sends owner-paid parkway removals through an insured contractor. We are licensed and insured, with the certificate at every estimate.
Logan County and neighbors
We did not read these codes section by section; confirm with the local office.
| Town | Home-lot tree permit? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mount Pulaski, IL and Atlanta, IL (cities, Logan County) | No permit rule found; own city code. | Separate from Lincoln's parkway lists and burn schedule, with similar rules typical. Call the city office before cutting near a street or burning. |
| Broadwell, Hartsburg, Elkhart, New Holland, Emden, Middletown, Latham, IL (villages, Logan County) | No permit rule found; own village codes. | Village office; fire protection district for burning. |
| Clinton, IL (DeWitt County seat) | No permit rule found; own city code. | City office. |
| Waynesville and Kenney, IL (villages, DeWitt County) | No permit rule found; own village codes. | Village office. |
| Mason City and San Jose, IL (Mason County; San Jose also Logan) | No permit rule found; own codes. | Village or city office. |
| Delavan and Armington, IL (Tazewell County) | No permit rule found; own codes. | Village or city office. |
| McLean and Williamsville, IL (villages, McLean and Sangamon counties) | No permit rule found; own village codes. | Village office. |
| Beason, Chestnut, Cornland, Burton View, Lake Fork and the farm ground between (unincorporated, Logan County) | No; Logan County has no private-tree permit that we found. | Lincoln's rules stop at its limits. Illinois EPA rules and your fire protection district for burning; the county for road right-of-way; covenants if any. |
Our Part
No. Lincoln requires no permit to remove a tree on private property, whatever its size or species. The cutting rule, § 8-8-4, covers parkway trees, which come out only with the Street Superintendent's consent. A dead parkway ash can go at your expense through an insured contractor under § 8-8-6, and we help with that request.
Inside Lincoln, only on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays in posted hours, 50 feet from anything, hose running (§ 5-3-6(E)(2)). A Wednesday fire costs $100 at first and $500 by the third time. Or use the free City site (§ 7-13-7). Outside the city, ask your fire protection district.
If the tree grew on your lot and fell within it, nothing needs filing. A parkway tree's remains still go through the Street Superintendent under § 8-8-4, and we make that call with you. Wreckage over the walk or street can draw a 10-day notice (§ 8-8-3). Photograph the damage, stay clear of wires, and call.
Re-verify yearly: next check due September 2027, or sooner if the City amends Chapter 8-8, Chapter 5-3 or Chapter 7-13.
Your own lot needs no permit in Lincoln, IL. We check the parkway line, the species lists, the trimming rule and the burn schedule at a free on-site estimate.
Type a town or a ZIP like 62656 and see whether our Lincoln crew comes your way.