---
title: Montrose tree removal rules and permits
question: "Do I need permission to cut down a tree on my property in Montrose?"
place: Montrose, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/montrose
category: Building, renovating and your property
owner: municipal
owner_body: Village of Montrose
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/montrose/tree-removal/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/montrose/tree-removal.json"
---

# Montrose tree removal rules and permits

**Question:** Do I need permission to cut down a tree on my property in Montrose?

**Short answer:** No Montrose bylaw we found requires a permit to cut a tree on private land. Boulevard trees and trees in streets, parks and public spaces cannot be cut or damaged without Village permission. The Official Community Plan may require a development permit in some areas; ask the Village Office.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Village of Montrose, https://www.montrose.ca)  
**Cost:** No tree permit or fee found.  
**How long:** Not applicable.  
**Where:**
- In person: Village Office, 565 11th Ave., Montrose, BC V0G 1P0 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed statutory holidays))
- Phone: Village Office, 250-367-7234
- Email: Village Office, admin@montrose.ca

## Key facts

- **When a permit is needed:** No tree-cutting bylaw found. The Village's 2008 Official Community Plan (Bylaw #669) treats cutting down trees or other vegetation as a change needing a development permit inside its development permit areas (steep slope, core commercial, multiple-unit residential). The current OCP #763 could not be read; ask the Village Office.
  - Source: [Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 669, 2008, Schedule A, s. 4.2](https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/669_OfficialCommunityPlan2008ScheduleA.pdf)
  - Official wording: "removal or soil and fill, and removal or cutting down of trees or other vegetation. In order to"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Exemptions:** Not confirmed. Not found in the official sources that were read.
- **Fee:** Not confirmed. Not found in the official sources that were read.
- **Replacement trees:** Not confirmed. Not found in the official sources that were read.
- **City trees:** No one may damage or alter a boulevard or any tree, shrub, plant, bush or hedge on a boulevard without Village permission, or cut, remove or damage any tree in a street, park or public space. Council may approve pruning public trees to preserve views if a tree service does it at the owner's cost.
  - Source: [Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 779, 2024, ss. 6.2(a), 9.1(h)](https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2024-02-08-Montrose-Good-Neighbour-Bylaw-FINAL.pdf)
  - Official wording: "willfully injure, damage, or alter, any boulevard or any tree, shrub, plant, bush or hedge" … "cut, remove or damage any tree, shrub or flower plant, bush or hedge;"
  - Source: [Tree Pruning Policy 6300, Policy #6300](https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/6300-Tree-Pruning-Policy.pdf)
  - Official wording: "To approve the pruning of trees requested by property owners on the condition" … "that the property owner assume the cost of pruning and clean-up."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Fine:** No tree permit is required on private land, so no ticket for cutting without one. For boulevard and public-space trees the Good Neighbour Bylaw sets no ticket amount: on summary conviction the Offence Act maximum fine applies, with up to 90 days in jail, or both.
  - Source: [Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 779, 2024, s. 13.3](https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2024-02-08-Montrose-Good-Neighbour-Bylaw-FINAL.pdf)
  - Official wording: "to a maximum fine as identified in the Offence Act, and in the case of a conviction a term of"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Good Neighbour Bylaw #779, 2024 (boulevard and public-space trees only). No private-land tree bylaw found.
  - Source: [Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 779, 2024, ss. 6.2, 9.1](https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2024-02-08-Montrose-Good-Neighbour-Bylaw-FINAL.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Village of Montrose Good Neighbor Bylaw #779"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

The Village of Montrose has no tree-cutting bylaw for private land that we could find. The Village's 2008 [Official Community Plan](https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/669_OfficialCommunityPlan2008ScheduleA.pdf) (Bylaw 669) treats cutting down trees or other vegetation as a change needing a development permit inside its development permit areas (steep slope, core commercial and multiple-unit residential). The current plan, Bylaw 763, could not be read, so check with the Village Office whether your lot is in one of these areas.

## Village trees

Under the [Good Neighbour Bylaw 779](https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2024-02-08-Montrose-Good-Neighbour-Bylaw-FINAL.pdf), no one may damage or alter a boulevard, or any tree, shrub, plant, bush or hedge on a boulevard, without Village permission, or cut, remove or damage any tree in a street, park or public space. Council may approve pruning public trees to preserve views if a tree service does it at the owner's cost.

## Good to know

- Under the Village's Tree Hazard Management Policy, if dead-looking branches from a private tree reach public space, the Public Works Foreman gives the owner seven days' notice to remove them, then the Village removes them.
- The Good Neighbour Bylaw sets no ticket amount for trees. On summary conviction the Offence Act maximum fine applies, with up to 90 days in jail, or both.
- No replacement planting, fee or exemption list was found.
- Contact the Village Office on 250-367-7234 or admin@montrose.ca.

## Official forms and pages

- [Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 779, 2024 (PDF), Village of Montrose](https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2024-02-08-Montrose-Good-Neighbour-Bylaw-FINAL.pdf)
- [Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 669, 2008, Schedule A (PDF), Village of Montrose](https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/669_OfficialCommunityPlan2008ScheduleA.pdf)

## Related questions

- [Montrose zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/montrose/zoning-lookup.md)
- [Montrose building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/montrose/building-permit.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Tree removal permits in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tree-removal.md)
- [Fruitvale](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fruitvale/tree-removal.md)
- [Trail](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/trail/tree-removal.md)
- [Rossland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/rossland/tree-removal.md)
- [Castlegar](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/castlegar/tree-removal.md)
- [Nelson](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nelson/tree-removal.md)
- [Grand Forks](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/grand-forks/tree-removal.md)

## Sources

- [Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 779, 2024 (PDF), Village of Montrose](https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2024-02-08-Montrose-Good-Neighbour-Bylaw-FINAL.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 669, 2008, Schedule A (PDF), Village of Montrose](https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/669_OfficialCommunityPlan2008ScheduleA.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Tree Pruning Policy 6300 (PDF), Village of Montrose](https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/6300-Tree-Pruning-Policy.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Permits and Licenses, Village of Montrose](https://www.montrose.ca/permits-and-licenses/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Contacts, Village of Montrose](https://www.montrose.ca/contacts/) (read 2026-11-08)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 4 of 7 facts was matched to the official text; 3 could not be confirmed. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Village of Montrose. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/montrose/tree-removal/_