Permits & Ordinances
No, not for a tree on your own lot. We read the Columbus, Nebraska code on September 29, 2026, and it says nothing about private trees. The rules start at the boulevard.
Start Here
A Columbus homeowner may remove a tree on private property, of any size, species or condition, without a permit. Chapter 96 of the city code covers street, park and public trees and the companies that cut them, and it never reaches into a back yard.
If a company quotes you a permit fee for a yard tree, ask which section requires it; we found none. The code is public on American Legal Publishing, and the City can amend it any year, so confirm unusual cases with Public Works. We recheck the text with every estimate.
§ 96.05 — Public Works Decides
Section 96.05 makes any tree between the private property lines on either side of a street a street tree: the boulevard or parking strip and any street island. Planting or removing one takes a Public Works permit and fee. The owner obtains it, per occurrence, good for six months. The fee is set by resolution, so ask Public Works for the current figure.
The tree service must see that permit before cutting. On older streets without curbs, we check the walk and survey pins to find the line. Dead or diseased trees on City ground are the City's to remove (§ 96.04).
§ 96.06 — Compensatory Payments
Under § 96.06, whoever removes a street tree plants a Class I or Class II tree of 1½-inch caliper or larger nearby, and your own yard counts. Remove after November 15 and replant by May 15; remove after May 15 and replant by November 15. The alternative is a compensatory payment to the City Clerk, and Public Works can waive the rule. Our estimate lists which one applies, with the deadline.
§ 96.11
Under § 96.11, every tree service working in the city registers with the City Clerk by April 1, carries liability insurance naming the City as an additional insured, and shows a certificate from a city-approved tree-care workshop. Platte Valley Tree Co. is registered with the City of Columbus and insured.
Felling a trunk onto a street, or blocking one for the drop, needs a request to the City Administrator and 24 hours' notice to Fire, Public Works and Police, with cones or barricades out. We handle it; it costs a day, not money.
§§ 96.07–96.09 and Nebraska Guide G91-1035
This rule reaches private trees too. Under § 96.09, the abutting owner keeps 8 feet clear over the sidewalk and 14 feet over the street and alley. A low limb brings written notice, and if it stays, the City trims it and bills the property.
On public trees, § 96.07 bans topping except where Public Works allows it for storm damage or utility wires, and § 96.08 requires pruning to Nebraska Guide G91-1035, with bad work redone at the service's cost. We prune private trees to that standard too.
§ 92.03, § 92.46 and § 94.002
Under § 92.03(A) and § 92.46, weeds and worthless vegetation over 12 inches are a nuisance: 10 days' notice, then the City does the work and bills you. Section 92.03(J) calls logs stored where children can reach them an attractive nuisance.
Under § 94.002, trees or shrubs near the lot line that block a sidewalk, street, storm sewer or utility are obstructions, and after 3 days' notice (§ 94.003) the City removes them at the owner's cost. A cottonwood root plate lifting the curb qualifies.
§ 91.18, § 91.15 and Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-520.01
Section 91.18 is one sentence: there shall be no burning inside the city limits. That covers leaves, brush, garbage and any vegetable matter, and only the Fire Chief grants exceptions. Under § 91.15, a commercial fire pit or chiminea may burn untreated or sawn dry wood at least 15 feet from the property line, never brush.
Outside the city, Nebraska's open-burning law (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-520.01) means a permit from the local fire chief or rural fire district before any pile is lit. Districts refuse them in a dry March wind, so call first.
Chip or Haul
The City's yard-waste site at the South 14th Avenue transfer station takes residents' trees and limbs; hours and fees change by season, so call first. Our estimates include chipping and haul-off, so nothing sits at your curb waiting for a nuisance notice. Keep the firewood or chips if you want them.
Platte County and neighbors
| Town | Home-lot tree permit? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Duncan, Platte Center, Monroe, Creston, Lindsay (villages, Platte County) and Humphrey, NE | No permit rule found; own ordinances. | Separate from Columbus's Chapter 96. Ask the town office before cutting near a street or burning. |
| Schuyler, NE (Colfax County seat), Leigh, Clarkson | No permit rule found; own ordinances. | Schuyler has a full city code. Ask the city or village office. |
| David City, NE (Butler County seat), Bellwood, Rising City | No permit rule found; own ordinances. | Ask the city or village office. |
| Osceola, NE (Polk County seat), Stromsburg, Shelby | No permit rule found; own ordinances. | Ask the city or village office. |
| Fullerton, NE (Nance County seat), Genoa, Madison, NE, St. Edward, Silver Creek | No permit rule found; own ordinances. | Each town's rules are its own. Ask the city or village office. |
| Richland, Tarnov, Cornlea, Octavia, Rogers, Linwood and farm ground between towns | No permit for a private tree. | County ground. Burning needs a rural fire district permit; ask the county about road right-of-way. |
We did not read these codes section by section; street-tree, clearance and burning rules like Columbus's are typical.
Our Part
No. Columbus requires no permit for a tree on private property, whatever its size or species. The removal rule in § 96.05 covers only street trees, between the property lines on either side of a street, and the owner pulls that Public Works permit.
Not in Columbus. Section 91.18 bans all burning inside city limits, and the § 91.15 fire pit takes dry cut wood only. Haul brush to the South 14th Avenue yard-waste site or let us chip it. Outside the city, a fire district burn permit comes first.
Not if it grew on your lot and fell on your lot. A boulevard tree is still a street tree, so its removal goes through Public Works under § 96.05, and we make that call with you. If it hangs under 8 feet over the walk, § 96.09 makes clearing it your job. Photograph it for the insurer.
Columbus, Nebraska Code of Ordinances, American Legal Publishing (codelibrary.amlegal.com, Columbus, NE), Chapter 96 Trees: § 96.04 (normal tree care by adjoining owners; dead or diseased public trees removed by the City), § 96.05 (permit required to plant or remove a street tree; Public Works; owner obtains it; per occurrence; six months; tree service verifies it; fee by resolution), § 96.06 (replacement tree of 1½-inch caliper, Class I or II, by May 15 or November 15, or a compensatory payment to the City Clerk; waivers), § 96.07 (topping unlawful), § 96.08 (pruning to Nebraska Guide G91-1035; correction at the tree service's cost; suspension).
Chapter 96, continued: § 96.09 (8 feet over sidewalks, 14 feet over streets and alleys; notice, then the City trims and assesses), § 96.11 (registration with the City Clerk by April 1; liability insurance with the City as additional insured; workshop certificate; request to the City Administrator and 24 hours' notice to Fire, Public Works and Police before felling onto or blocking a street).
Chapter 92 Nuisances, § 92.03(A) and § 92.46 (weeds and worthless vegetation over 12 inches; 10-day notice) and § 92.03(J) (stored logs as an attractive nuisance); Chapter 94 Streets and Sidewalks, § 94.002 and § 94.003 (trees and shrubs obstructing a public improvement; 3 days' notice); Chapter 91 Fire Prevention, § 91.18 (no burning inside the city limits) and § 91.15 (outdoor fireplaces).
Nebraska Revised Statutes § 81-520.01 (open burning; permit from the local fire chief or rural fire district). City of Columbus yard-waste site at the transfer station, South 14th Avenue (secondary source; hours and fees change). All read 2026-09-29. No fee figures are quoted because the street-tree permit fee and the compensatory payment are set by resolution and are not printed in the code. Nearby towns keep their own ordinances, which we did not read line by line; none showed a home-lot tree permit (see the table).
Re-verify yearly: next check due September 2027, or sooner if the City amends its tree, nuisance, streets or fire prevention chapters.
Your yard tree needs no permit in Columbus, NE. The free estimate still checks the boulevard line, clearance, street notice and debris plan.
Type a Platte County town or a ZIP code to check our coverage.