Can you cut down a tree on your own property?
In 11 of Hunterdon County's 26 towns, nothing in the code stops you from taking down a tree in your own yard.
These answers paraphrase each town's own code as it read on August 8, 2026. Check with your town before you cut.
The size that makes a tree the town's business
In the towns tagged Some trees free, an allowance comes before any permit.
- East Amwell Township 4″
- Clinton (Town) 6″
- Clinton Township 6″
- Frenchtown Borough 6″
- Kingwood Township 6″
- Lebanon Borough 6″
- Milford Borough 6″
- Raritan Township 6″
- Readington Township 6″
- Union Township 10″
- Hampton Borough 18″
8 of the 11 towns that name a number set it at 6 inches. East Amwell Township starts at 4 inches. Hampton Borough waits until 18. A trunk the ordinance ignores in Hampton Borough counts toward the permit in East Amwell Township. 2 of the readable ordinances (Bethlehem Township and High Bridge Borough) do not state a trunk diameter in the text checked. A tree in the public right-of-way is regulated far earlier: 5 towns start at 2.5 inches for a street tree.
Street trees, public land and development applications run on separate rules, named on the cards where a town has them.
Every town, and what its code says
- No permit on your own lot
No permit to take down a tree on your own lot.
No permit or standard is required for private-property tree removal.
Searched terms "tree removal," "shade tree," "clear-cut," "cutting of trees," "forestry" across Chapter 115 (Land Use, Articles V and VII), Chapter 109 (Highlands), and Chapter 23 (Environmental Commission). Only found "ultimate disturbance" area calculations tied to Highlands major-development review (Ch. 109) and a definition of "forestry" as an agricultural use (Ch. 115 Art. V). Neither regulates ordinary residential tree removal.
Read the chapter this was checked against
Read August 8, 2026
- No permit on your own lot
No permit to take down a tree on your own lot.
No permit or standard applies to a homeowner cutting down trees on an existing lot.
Searched "tree removal," "shade tree," "clear-cut" across the Zoning chapter (Ch. 270). The only tree-related provisions found are development-stage: § 270-88 (Shade Trees) requires street trees in new subdivisions, and § 270-111.C (Preservation of Natural Features) directs that existing trees be retained "whenever such features interfere with the proposed use" during site plan/subdivision review. Neither regulates a homeowner removing a tree on an existing lot.
Read the chapter this was checked against
Read August 8, 2026
- No permit on your own lot
No permit to take down a tree on your own lot.
No permit or standard applies to a homeowner removing trees on an existing residential lot.
Searched "tree removal," "shade tree," "clear-cut" across the Land Development title (Ch. 16). The only tree-related provision found is § 16.28.050 (Natural Features), a subdivision/site-plan design standard requiring retention of existing natural features "wherever practicable" during new development. It doesn't create a homeowner tree-removal permit.
Read the chapter this was checked against
Read August 8, 2026
- No permit on your own lot
No permit to take down a tree on your own lot.
No tree-removal ordinance was found for private property. Searched Ch. 230 (Land Use) and the general chapter list for "tree removal," "tree permit," "DBH," "diameter at breast height". No hits outside of subdivision/site-plan landscaping and specimen-tree preservation language tied to development applications (30"+ DBH specimen trees noted for site plan review only, not a removal-permit ordinance for existing homeowners).
Searched Ch. 230, Art. XI, Design Standards and Improvements.
Read the chapter this was checked against
Read August 8, 2026
- No permit on your own lot
No permit to take down a tree on your own lot.
No tree-removal permit ordinance for private property was found. Searched the Police Regulations, Property Maintenance, and full Zoning chapters for "tree removal," "DBH," "tree permit". No hits outside routine site-plan landscaping/screening standards for new development.
Searched Ch. 26 (Zoning) and Ch. 9B (Property Maintenance).
Read the chapter this was checked against
Read August 8, 2026
- No permit on your own lot
No permit to take down a tree on your own lot.
Searched the Land Use chapter (Ch. 220) definitions and full table of contents for "tree removal," "shade tree," and "tree". No permit requirement for private-property tree removal was found. Chapter 45 (Environmental Commission) and the stormwater chapters (295-298) were not individually verified line-by-line for a tree-clearing threshold.
Read the chapter this was checked against
Read August 8, 2026
- No permit on your own lot
No permit for a tree on your own lot. A street tree needs notice to the borough first.
Chapter 151 ("Trees") only regulates trees within public street/sidewalk rights-of-way, the abutting owner must notify the Borough before pruning or removing a street tree. It says nothing about tree removal on private property, and no such provision was found in the Land Use chapter definitions or use regulations either.
Read the chapter this was checked against
Read August 8, 2026
- No permit on your own lot
No permit for a tree on your own lot. A tree in a township right-of-way needs committee permission.
Holland's "Trees" chapter (164) only governs trees within Township road/street rights-of-way (cutting, pruning, or damaging requires Township Committee permission). It does not regulate tree removal on private property. No private-property tree-removal permit ordinance was found elsewhere in the code.
Searched "tree," "removal," "DBH," "woodland". Only right-of-way protections exist (Ch. 164) plus a roadside sight-triangle brush-clearing rule (Ch. 121, "Plant Life," unrelated to tree removal). The eCode360 text checked runs through legislation dated 12-02-2025, so an ordinance adopted after that would not appear in it.
Read August 8, 2026
- No permit on your own lot
No permit for a tree on your own lot. The 24-inch specimen-tree rule only reaches you if you file a development application.
There is no tree-removal permit for an ordinary homeowner cutting a tree on an existing lot. Lambertville's tree rules sit inside the zoning ordinance's landscaping article, and that article's applicability clause limits it to new development and substantial expansion/renovation. Within that development context the standards do bite: existing trees retained "to the greatest feasible extent," and "specimen trees in excess of 24 inches in diameter, measured 4 1/2 feet above grade, shall not be removed unless diseased or a hazard to the general public." Separately, and regardless of development status, private individuals may not remove trees from public rights-of-way, parks, or public areas without approval from the Administrative Officer.
The applicability clause, § Z-510.1, is what settles this: "This section shall be a minimum standard and shall apply to all newly developed public and private buildings, developments, and land within the incorporated areas of the City. This section shall also apply to the expansion or renovation of any existing development when the expansion or renovation of the existing landscape is equal to 50% of the total undeveloped area of a lot or when the total square footage of a structure is expanded by 50% or greater." A homeowner removing a tree with no development application is outside that trigger.
§ Z-510.1 (Applicability); § Z-510.13A(1), A(8), A(9) · second chapter
Read August 8, 2026 · Checked against the code text again August 8, 2026
- No permit on your own lot
No permit to take down a tree on your own lot.
No standalone tree-removal chapter and no permit/DBH-threshold standard for cutting trees on private property was found. "Shade tree" references in the Development Code's design standards apply to subdivision/site-plan street-tree planting, not private-lot removal.
Searched "tree removal," "shade tree," "DBH," "diameter" across the full Code of Ordinances title list (no "Trees" title exists) and Article VI (Design and Performance Standards) of the Development Code. No private tree-cutting permit requirement found.
Read the chapter this was checked against
Read August 8, 2026
- No permit on your own lot
No permit to take down a tree on your own lot.
No standalone tree-removal chapter, and no permit/diameter/exemption standard for tree removal on private property was found in the Land Development chapter's environmental features or design-standards articles.
Checked the full chapter list (no "Trees" or "Tree Removal" chapter exists) and searched "tree removal," "DBH," and "woodland" in the Land Development chapter's Environmental Features article (XXI) and Landscaping article (XXXI). No private-lot tree-cutting permit requirement found, only subdivision/site-plan-stage woodland/landscaping standards.
Read the chapter this was checked against
Read August 8, 2026
- Some trees free
Five ordinary trees a lot a year come free. The sixth needs a permit, and so does any historic, landmark or specimen tree, or any tree in a buffer or easement, from the first one.
- Exempt One to five trees per lot per calendar year, plus dead, diseased and hazard trees, invasive species, and septic and well work.
A permit is required to remove more than five trees per existing individual lot in a calendar year (one to five trees is exempt), or to remove any historic, landmark, or specimen tree, or any tree in a buffer strip, landscape easement, or on public/preserved/conservation land. On new-construction lots, a permit is required only for clearing beyond one acre for home/septic/driveway construction; up to one acre is exempt. Diseased/dead/hazard trees, invasive-species removal, farms under Right-to-Farm protection, and septic/well installation are exempt from the permit requirement.
Fees run $10/tree (trees 1-10, though the first 5 are exempt) up to $100/tree beyond 100 trees. Replacement trees are required whenever a permit is issued. Violations run up to $1,000 per tree.
Read August 8, 2026 · Checked against the code text again August 8, 2026
- Some trees free
Under four trees an acre in five years comes free. Past that, permit at 6 inches across.
- Regulated at 6″ trunk
- Street tree at 2.5″ trunk
- Exempt Fewer than four qualifying trees per acre in a rolling five years, plus hazard trees, tree farms, nurseries, orchards and land under a forest stewardship plan.
A permit from the Zoning Officer is required to remove any street tree with DBH ≥2.5 inches, or any other private tree with DBH ≥6 inches; replacement trees or a fee ($250-$1,000 depending on size category) are required unless exempt. Residents removing fewer than four qualifying trees per acre in a rolling 5-year period are exempt, as are hazard trees, tree farms/nurseries/orchards, and land under an active forest stewardship plan.
Read August 8, 2026 · Checked against the code text again August 8, 2026
- Some trees free
Five trees a lot in six months come free. The sixth is a regulated tree harvest.
- Regulated at 4″ trunk, measured 4 feet up, not the usual 4.5
- Exempt Five trees of 4 inches or more per tax lot per six months, plus hazard and storm-damaged trees, invasive species, up to 2 acres cleared for a house or driveway under a building permit, and nursery stock.
Cutting more than 5 trees (≥4" diameter at 4 ft) on a tax lot in any 6-month period is a regulated "tree harvest" requiring a permit: Tier A (up to 20 trees/lot, under 7 trees/acre) costs $20; Tier B (over 20 trees/lot or over 6 trees/acre) costs $100 and needs Zoning Officer plan approval. Exemptions: hazard/diseased/storm-damaged trees, invasive-species removal, clearing up to 2 acres of a residential lot for a dwelling/outbuilding/driveway (with a building permit), nursery/orchard/Christmas-tree-farm trees, and documented Right-to-Farm woodland management. Unpermitted or violating removals require replanting at up to 3x the caliper removed.
Read August 8, 2026
- Some trees free
On a wooded lot of a quarter acre or more, only trees 18 inches and up count, and five of those come free every seven years.
- Regulated at 18″ trunk, measured 4.5 feet up
- Exempt Five trees per seven years. Lots of 3 acres or less with a single-family home already on them, on slopes under 17%. Also farmland-assessed land, nurseries, orchards, hazard trees and firewood cut for your own use.
Removing more than 5 trees (18"+ caliper, measured 4.5 ft up) from any woodland or wooded lot 1/4 acre or larger, within any 7-year period, requires a Zoning Officer permit, and a certified forester's woodland management plan if the removal could hurt drainage, cause erosion, or degrade property values. Fees scale from $50 (5-15 trees) to $300 (100+ trees). Exempt: lots ≤3 acres with an existing single-family home (on slopes under 17%), farmland-assessed properties, nurseries/orchards, hazard trees, and firewood cut for personal (non-resale) use.
Detailed ordinance (2003) with tree-protection-during-construction specs (snow fencing, dripline protection) in § 238-7.
Read August 8, 2026 · Checked against the code text again August 8, 2026
- Some trees free
Under four trees an acre in five years comes free. Past that, every tree needs a permit.
- Exempt Fewer than four trees per acre in a rolling five years, in certain size and species classes, plus tree farms, nurseries, orchards and forest stewardship land.
A permit is required to destroy or remove any tree on private or public land in the Borough (adopted 2-8-2024, a recent rewrite). Exempt: residents removing fewer than 4 trees per acre (in certain size/species categories) within a rolling 5-year window, active tree farms/nurseries/orchards, land under an approved forest stewardship plan, and a few state-environmental-program carve-outs. Subdivision/site-plan applications involving tree removal also require a landscaping/reforestation plan reviewed by the Planning Board and Environmental Commission.
Also separately regulates trees within 25 ft of a stream or on steep slopes (§ 380-13.C) and public shade trees (Article III, not detailed here).
Read August 8, 2026
- Some trees free
Under four trees an acre in five years comes free. Past that, permit at 6 inches across.
- Regulated at 6″ trunk
- Street tree at 2.5″ trunk
- Exempt Residents removing fewer than four trees per acre in a rolling five years, plus tree farms, nurseries, Right to Farm activity, hazard trees, listed invasive species and forest stewardship land.
A borough-wide Tree Removal and Replacement Ordinance (adopted May 15, 2024) requires a Tree Removal Permit and $25 review fee before removing any private-property tree of 6 inches DBH or more, or any street tree of 2.5 inches DBH or more. This applies to ordinary residential lots, not just development sites. Removed trees must be replaced per a DBH-based table (e.g., a 6"-13" tree needs 2 replacements, a 30"+ tree needs 7), with alternatives of a $150-per-tree Tree Trust Fund payment or larger-caliper plantings. Exemptions include tree farms/nurseries, Right to Farm-protected activity, hazard trees, listed invasive species, forest-stewardship-plan land, and residents removing fewer than 4 trees per acre in a rolling 5-year period.
The ordinance is misnumbered on its own draft cover page as "2024-02" (and the file/URL preserve that label), but the final adopted/signed version (page 8 of the PDF) is titled "ORDINANCE 2024-03," introduced April 17, 2024 and adopted May 15, 2024, cited here by its correct adopted number. Separately, Chapter 165 Article XI's development-triggered tree-preservation standards (specimen-tree retention, buffers) apply only to major subdivisions/site plans/variance applications (§ 165-77) and are distinct from this general permit ordinance.
Ordinance No. 2024-03, §§ III, IV
Read August 8, 2026
- Some trees free
Three trees an acre in five years come free in the lower tree classes. A single class 4 or 5 tree does not.
- Regulated at 6″ trunk for non-homeowner applicants
- Street tree at 2.5″ trunk
- Exempt For homeowners, up to three trees per acre in five years across categories 1 to 3 combined. Any one category 4 or 5 tree triggers the permit. Hazard trees are exempt.
A permit is required to remove a street tree with a trunk diameter (DBH) of 2.5 inches or more, or (for non-homeowner applicants) any tree with DBH of 6 inches or more per acre. For homeowners specifically, a permit/replacement obligation is triggered by removing more than 3 trees per acre in the ordinance's Category 1-3 tree classes combined, or any 1 tree in Category 4 or 5, within a 5-year period. Removed trees must generally be replaced per a Tree Replacement Requirements Table, with listed exemptions (e.g., hazard trees, per § 349-3).
§ 349-3 (Exemptions); § 349-5 (Regulated Activities)
Read August 8, 2026
- Permit from tree one
Permit for any tree 6 inches across or more, from the first one. Two a lot every 24 months carry no fee.
- Regulated at 6″ trunk
- Exempt Trees under 6 inches across, farms, nurseries, orchards, and pruning that does not harm the tree.
- No fee or replacement Two trees a lot per 24 months, trees within 10 feet of a building, hazard trees confirmed by an arborist, invasive species and septic or water-line work. These still need the permit.
A permit is required to remove a tree with a DBH of 6 inches or more, a tree with canopy over a public right-of-way, any tree in a stream corridor, or any tree that was part of an approved landscape/subdivision plan, with a fee and mitigation (per a Tree Replacement Table) in most cases. No fee/mitigation is required (but a permit still is) for removing up to two 6"+ DBH trees per residential lot in any rolling 24-month period, dead/diseased/hazard trees (arborist-confirmed), invasive species, trees within 10 feet of an existing building, or trees removed for septic/water-line work. Trees under 6" DBH, farms/nurseries/orchards, and pruning that doesn't harm the tree are fully exempt from the permit requirement.
This article was adopted in 2024 (Ord. No. 24-05).
Read August 8, 2026 · Checked against the code text again August 8, 2026
- Permit from tree one
Permit for any tree 6 inches across or more, from the first one.
- Regulated at 6″ trunk
- Exempt Certified hazard trees: dead, dying, diseased, structurally dangerous or blocking sightlines.
Removing any non-street tree with a diameter at breast height (DBH) of 6 inches or more requires an application to the Borough Clerk and municipal review/approval before removal. Street trees (in the public right-of-way) go through the Shade Tree Commission instead. Certified hazard trees (dead/dying, diseased, structurally dangerous, obstructing sightlines) are exempt from the application requirement. Removing 6"+ DBH trees also triggers replacement requirements under a Tree Replacement Requirements Table.
Adopted recently (6-5-2024 by Ord. No. 919).
Read August 8, 2026 · Checked against the code text again August 8, 2026
- Permit from tree one
Permit for any tree 6 inches across or more, from the first one.
- Regulated at 6″ trunk
- Exempt Dead, diseased and storm-damaged trees, invasive species, tree farms and orchards, woodland-management-plan land, and firewood for your own use capped at 3 trees an acre a year.
A tree removal permit is required to remove any tree 6 inches DBH or greater (or any tree with a canopy over a public right-of-way, or historic/landmark/specimen trees). Exemptions include dead/diseased/storm-damaged trees, invasive species removal, active tree farms/nurseries/orchards, land under an approved woodland management plan, and personal-use firewood cutting capped at 3 trees/acre/year and no more than 30% of a property's total trees in a year. Removed regulated trees must be replaced per a size-based schedule or a fee paid in lieu.
Read August 8, 2026 · Checked against the code text again August 8, 2026
- Permit from tree one
Permit for any tree 6 inches across or more, from the first one.
- Regulated at 6″ trunk
- Street tree at 2.5″ trunk
- Exempt Hazard trees and removals mandated by NJDEP or EPA cleanup.
A tree-removal application/permit is required before removing a street tree with a trunk diameter (DBH) of 2.5 inches or more, or any non-street tree with DBH of 6 inches or more. Removing 6"+ DBH trees at a rate of one or more per acre triggers a Tree Replacement Requirements Table obligation, with listed exemptions (e.g., hazard trees, NJDEP/EPA-mandated cleanup).
§ 177-3 (Regulated Activities); § 177-4 (Exemptions)
Read August 8, 2026
- Permit from tree one
Permit for any tree 6 inches across or more, from the first one.
- Regulated at 6″ trunk
- Street tree at 2.5″ trunk
- Exempt Listed invasive species, including Tree of Heaven, Bradford Pear and Norway Maple, and NJDEP or EPA mandated cleanups.
Permit required to remove a street tree with DBH of 2.5 inches or more, or any non-street tree with DBH of 6 inches or more per acre, with a Tree Replacement Requirements Table obligation. A permit is also required for any tree removal within a Township right-of-way/Township property, in designated habitat areas, or on slopes of 25%+, regardless of size. Listed exemptions include invasive species (e.g., Tree of Heaven, Bradford Pear, Norway Maple) and NJDEP/EPA-mandated cleanups.
Read August 8, 2026
- Permit from tree one
Permit for any tree 6 inches across or more, from the first one, in every zoning district.
- Regulated at 6″ trunk
- Exempt Firewood for your own use, capped at 3 trees an acre a year and no more than 30% of the trees on the property.
A permit is required to remove or destroy a tree with a trunk diameter (DBH) of 6 inches or more, in any zoning district (with a lower, 2-tree threshold triggering conditional-use review in the Special Resource Residential zone). Firewood-cutting for personal use is exempt, capped at 3 trees per acre per year and no more than 30% of the total trees on the property.
§ 148-79.9 (Permit required); § 148-79.10 (Exemptions)
Read August 8, 2026
- Permit from tree one
Permit for any living tree over 10 inches across, but not within 40 feet of a residence.
- Regulated at 10″ trunk
- Exempt Trees within 40 feet of a residence, hazard trees, farmland-assessed property, trees cut under an approved site plan or building permit, and trimming that does not harm the tree.
A tree removal permit is required to remove any living tree greater than 10 inches DBH (measured 4.5 feet above grade), plus several other triggers (clear cutting, historic/landmark/specimen trees, trees on public property, trees within right-of-way, conservation easements, buffer yards). Notably exempt: trees within 40 feet of a residence, hazard trees, trees cut per an approved subdivision/site plan/building permit, farmland-assessed agricultural property, and trimming that doesn't harm tree health.
§ 18-1.2.b (Permit Required), § 18-1.3.j (Exemptions)
Read August 8, 2026 · Checked against the code text again August 8, 2026
- Code not online
Two tree ordinances exist. Neither one is published anywhere a resident can read it.
Two tree ordinances are confirmed to exist, "2024-02 Tree Removal" (permit, fee, and tree-replacement standards) and "2024-10," which amended it to add exemptions for certain removal categories, but neither's text is published anywhere reachable.
Borough Clerk, (609) 397-0070, 2 S. Main St., PO Box M, Stockton NJ 08559. This is the fastest way to get the actual zoning ordinance and the 2024 tree/noise ordinances in hand.
Ordinance Nos. 2024-02 and 2024-10 (titles/numbers only, text not located)
Read August 8, 2026
How this was checked
Every answer comes from the town's own code text, read on August 8, 2026, with 8 of the 26 towns checked again against the controlling section in a second pass. The scale above plots only the 11 towns whose ordinance names a trunk diameter a homeowner is measured against, because the rest count trees rather than inches or write their number for a different class of applicant. Several of these ordinances were adopted in 2024, so this is a fast-moving corner of the code.
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