Customer Service Support
You can submit applications for all our permit types through the Seattle Services Portal.
For customers who need language assistance or technical coaching, visit our Permitting Customer Service Support page for more details.
Street Tree Permits
Urban Forestry Permits have moved to Accela! Connect to the Seattle Services Portal to file an online permit application. For more information, see the Urban Forestry help page.
SDOT issues Urban Forestry Permits for the following in the public right-of-way:
- Plant a tree
- Prune a tree
- Remove/Replace a tree
The right-of-way includes the space between the edge of the street and the sidewalk (or the space where a sidewalk would be located.) This area is commonly called the “planting strip.”
Permit requirements are based on specific site conditions and individual tree species.
SDOT arborists review applications to ensure the health, preservation, and expansion of Seattle’s urban forest.
Do you need a permit?
You will need a permit if your proposed work involves planting or removing/replacing a tree. If your proposed work involves major pruning, which includes pruning branches or roots that are larger than 2 inches or which comprise more than 15% of foliage-bearing area, a permit is required.
Permit requirements
In some cases, an Urban Forestry Permit application package requires more than just the application form. Please use the table below for details on which additional materials are required. Please review the “Job Details” column and check all that apply. (This table is also available in the Additional Details Handout.)
| Job Details | Document(s) Required |
| Planting street trees required as part of an already permitted Street Improvement Project (SIP) | None |
| Minor pruning of street tree branches or roots less than 2" in diameter and comprising less than 15% of foliage-bearing area | No Urban Forestry permit required. Other permits may be required (see below) |
|
Performing
|
|
| Work is on an arterial street and will take more than 2 hours per day | Construction Use permit application² |
| Traffic Control Plan | |
| Pedestrian Mobility form | |
| Work is on a non-arterial street and will take more than 8 hours per day | Construction Use permit application² |
| Pedestrian Mobility form | |
| Work is in Hub Area or High Impact Area downtown | Traffic Control Plan |
| Contact hub coordinator via phone or email with proposed work dates and hours. Contact 3 weeks prior to proposed dates. |
Key details
- Approved permits will include site-specific requirements and best management practices (BMPs) that must be followed for the duration of the project.
- Your approved/issued permit must be maintained at the work site at all times when work is taking place.
Project Notification Templates
Project notifications are required for permitted work in the right-of-way that impede a mode of travel (e.g. pedestrian, bicycle, or vehicular closure). Notification requirements vary by project type and duration. Please see CAM 2117: Notification Requirements for Street Use Permittees.
For all permit types, the project notification must include the information listed in this template and in the "Project Notification Template Standards" listed in CAM 2117.
If your project will be longer than six months in duration, you will need to post and maintain an on-site project notice at each closure location visible to the public.
For crosswalk closures exceeding two weeks in duration, a crosswalk closure notice must be posted to, and maintained on, each crosswalk-closure barricade.
Tree Removal Notice PDFs
- Black and white version, requires printing on yellow paper
- Full color version, allows printing on white paper
For information on additional requirements to remove a street tree, please see the Street Tree Manual, CAM 2307 Public Notice Posting, and CAM 2302 Tree Pruning or Removal Permits. Please note that simply posting a Tree Removal Notice for 14 days does not allow you to remove a street tree. All street tree removals also require an approved Tree Permit.