Local tree-rule guide

Regina tree rules

City-owned/public tree rules are current and explicit; no blanket private-tree removal permit established by the cited City page.

Last verified: September 28, 2026Primary municipal source reviewed September 23, 2026

The local rule

Regina's official tree-removal information reviewed here is focused on City-owned trees and municipal forestry decisions.

Private owners should confirm tree ownership and any development or property-specific requirements rather than assuming the City-owned-tree process applies to a backyard tree.

Local exceptions and conditions

Scope and protected trees

Regina's Forestry Bylaw 2002-48 and City Tree Removal Policy address the municipal urban forest, rather than establishing a blanket diameter threshold for every ordinary private backyard tree.
The City's tree removal form is for a proposal to remove City-owned trees, including trees affected by construction; it should not be mistaken for a private-yard permit application.
The front boulevard often determines which route applies.
Regina also has a species-specific provincial overlay: Saskatchewan forbids pruning elm trees from April 1 through August 31 to limit Dutch elm disease, including an elm on private property.
That seasonal ban is distinct from permission to remove a City tree.

Applications and timing

The City asks for a rationale, species, tree count, site plan and an image identifying the proposed City trees and property line.
Its removal form says the request must arrive at least 14 business days before removal is required.
That is a minimum advance-submission period, not a guarantee of approval after 14 days.
For pruning, species changes or disease concerns, Regina directs residents to a City service request.
A private owner should establish ownership and deal with a separate development condition if one exists.
The City makes the final decision about a public tree and may require compensation or replacement.

Enforcement and exceptions

Unauthorized damage to a public tree or prohibited elm pruning can bring bylaw or provincial enforcement.
The precise sanction depends on the applicable offence; the removal form is not a fine table.
One realistic mistake is a builder removing a City boulevard ash to widen a driveway after filing a form only a few days beforehand.
The published public-tree program does not identify a citywide private heritage-tree diameter, so no such number is supplied here.
A City tree's status as a public asset is itself the main protection.

Advance City-tree planning

Regina's municipal removal form is explicit about advance planning.
For a City-owned tree, it requests the rationale, tree count and species, location image, site plan and property-line context at least 14 business days before the proposed removal is needed.
The City retains the decision, and that lead time is not automatic permission on day 15.
A project that moves a driveway or utility connection should consider whether access can be redesigned around the boulevard tree before lodging the request.
A private tree in the backyard is outside this particular City-tree form, although a development approval may still require its retention.

Provincial elm restrictions

The provincial elm rule runs independently of municipal ownership.
Saskatchewan's Dutch elm disease restrictions close ordinary elm pruning from April 1 through August 31.
A Regina owner cannot bypass that season by saying the elm is private, and a City boulevard elm cannot be cut merely because the provincial closed season has ended.
The two approvals answer different questions.
A construction crew may accidentally injure a public tree through grading or equipment storage without intending to remove the trunk; the approved City plan should cover those impacts.
Where an elm appears diseased, ask the City's forestry service for the applicable inspection and wood-handling route rather than transporting cut material as ordinary firewood.
Record the City's written decision with the construction drawings so the crew knows which public tree must remain.

Before work starts

Ownership: check the property line. Public and boundary trees may follow a different process.
Site context: review any development approval, covenant or protected-area conditions.
Work requirements: confirm any permit, exemption or protection requirements that apply to the planned work.

Official sources

Regina official tree / bylaw pageOfficial source ↗official Regina Forestry Bylaw 2002-48Official source ↗

Last verified: September 28, 2026 · Primary municipal source reviewed September 23, 2026. Rules can change; confirm with the local authority before work. How we research

Local detail review: September 28, 2026.