What Does Licensed Tree Service Mean in Denver?
In Denver, a licensed tree service is a company with at least one Tree Contractor License holder on staff, tested and approved by the Office of the City Forester to legally prune, remove, or maintain trees for pay within city limits. That’s the short version. The longer one, and the part that actually matters when you’re choosing someone to work on your trees, is what that license covers, how it’s different from certification or insurance, and when you also need a permit on top of it. This guide walks through all of it.
Quick definition: A Denver tree license is issued under Chapter 57 of the Denver Revised Municipal Code (the city’s Vegetation Ordinance). It’s tied to a specific person representing the company, not the business name alone, and it comes in two flavors depending on what kind of work the crew is licensed to do.
What Makes a Tree Service “Licensed” in Denver?
Denver’s Division IV Vegetation Ordinance requires any business that prunes or removes trees for money, barter, or trade to hold a Tree Contractor License. This isn’t a suggestion or a nice-to-have badge — it’s a legal requirement enforced by the city.
The license gets issued to an individual, either the owner of the company or an employee acting as its representative, and the company has to keep at least one licensed person on staff at all times. If that person leaves, the company has 30 days to designate someone new. Miss that window, and the business falls off Denver’s official list of licensed contractors until it’s fixed.
Getting licensed isn’t automatic, either. Applicants pass a written exam and a field practical, where a city forester actually inspects a pruning job, and they have to carry proof of insurance before the license is issued. Renewals now run through the Denver Business Licensing Center rather than the Forester’s office directly, which trips up a few homeowners who go looking in the wrong place.
Licensed vs. Certified vs. Insured vs. Bonded
These four words get used almost interchangeably in ads, and they shouldn’t be.
| Term | What it actually means |
|---|---|
| Licensed tree service | Meets Denver’s municipal requirement to perform tree work legally in the city |
| Certified arborist | An individual holds a professional credential (usually ISA), separate from the city license |
| Insured tree service | Carries liability and workers’ comp coverage; required to get licensed, but worth confirming separately |
| Bonded contractor | Backed by a surety bond, which isn’t part of Denver’s license requirement |
A license tells you a company cleared Denver’s minimum bar. It doesn’t automatically mean every worker on the crew is ISA certified, or that the insurance is still active this month. Ask about all four separately.
Denver’s Two License Categories: “L” and “O”
Denver splits its licenses into two types, and the difference matters more than most homeowners realize.
An “L” license (large tree/general) covers work that requires leaving the ground — climbing, aerial lifts, rigging. It comes with a $500,000 general liability insurance minimum.
An “O” license (ornamental) only covers work done from the ground, on smaller trees and shrubs. The insurance floor is lower, $100,000.
Both categories also require workers’ compensation coverage and at least $150,000 in automobile liability. So if you’re hiring someone to take down a 60-foot cottonwood and they only hold an ornamental license, that’s not a minor technicality — they’re not legally allowed to do the job.
Does a License Cover Every Job, or Do I Also Need a Permit?
This is where most of the confusion actually lives, and it’s the piece competitors covering this topic tend to skip.
A license authorizes a company to perform tree work in Denver. A permit authorizes a specific tree, at a specific location, for a specific action. They’re not the same thing, and having one doesn’t mean you can skip the other.
For trees on your own private property, routine pruning or removal generally doesn’t require a permit. But Denver requires a permit before removing, planting, injecting, or attaching anything to a tree in the public right-of-way — the strip between the sidewalk and the street, basically — or to a tree the city has flagged as protected. If you hire a licensed contractor to do that work, they’re responsible for pulling the permit, not you. Permits themselves are free through the Office of the City Forester. Ross Tree handles this end-to-end on commercial and street-adjacent jobs, where street closure permitting comes up often.
The practical takeaway: before work starts, ask whether the tree is in the right-of-way, and if it is, confirm who’s handling the permit paperwork.
How to Verify a Tree Service’s Denver License Before You Hire
Anyone can put “licensed and insured” on a truck door. Here’s how to actually check it:
- Ask for the name of the company’s licensed representative, not just the business name.
- Cross-check that name against Denver’s Licensed Tree Contractor List, updated monthly by the Office of the City Forester.
- Confirm the license type — L or O — matches the scope of your job.
- Request a current certificate of insurance. A verbal “yes” isn’t proof.
- If the company advertises ISA-certified arborists, verify through ISA’s Find an Arborist tool.
- Get three written bids. This isn’t just good advice, it’s what the city itself recommends before signing anything.
What Happens If You Hire an Unlicensed Tree Service?
Beyond the legal issue, there’s a real financial one. If a worker from an unlicensed, uninsured crew gets hurt on your property, you could end up covering the cost yourself. Denver’s licensing rule exists specifically because unlicensed operators are more likely to be the ones doing rushed, unsafe work and disappearing before problems show up.
The pattern shows up after every hailstorm: door-to-door crews with a truck and a chainsaw, underbidding established companies, gone before the stump grinding gets finished. Checking the license takes five minutes and avoids most of that risk entirely. Our complete guide to choosing a Denver tree service covers the rest of the red flags beyond licensing — lowball bids, no site inspection, stubbing cuts.
Why Ross Tree’s Licensing Matches What Denver Requires
Ross Tree has been a locally owned, licensed Denver tree company since 1978. The team includes three ISA Certified Arborists and three Qualified Supervisors licensed through the Colorado Department of Agriculture — a separate license required for the systemic insect injections used to treat problems like Emerald Ash Borer — and the company carries an A+ BBB rating along with membership in the Tree Care Industry Association. None of that replaces the city license — it sits on top of it, which is the point.
Request a service estimate and we’ll confirm exactly what your job needs, license-wise, before anyone touches a saw.
FAQ
Do tree companies need a license to work in Denver?
Yes. Under Chapter 57 of the Denver Revised Municipal Code, any business pruning or removing trees for pay must hold a Tree Contractor License issued by the Office of the City Forester. Working without one is a violation of city code, regardless of how experienced the crew is.
What’s the difference between a licensed tree service and a certified arborist?
A license means the company met Denver’s legal requirement to operate. Certification (usually through ISA) is a professional credential an individual earns separately. A company can be licensed without every worker being certified, so it’s worth asking about both.
Does a Denver tree license cover permits too?
No. A license lets a company do tree work in the city. A permit is required separately for removing, planting, or treating trees in the public right-of-way. Licensed contractors typically handle permit paperwork for that specific work.
How can I verify a tree company’s Denver license before hiring?
Ask for the licensed representative’s name and check it against Denver’s Licensed Tree Contractor List, updated monthly by the Office of the City Forester. Also confirm the license type (L or O) matches the size of the job.
How much insurance does a licensed Denver tree company need?
Companies with a general (L) license need at least $500,000 in general liability insurance; ornamental (O) license holders need $100,000. Both need workers’ compensation and $150,000 in auto liability coverage.