Where Horn Lake draws the line
Horn Lake's tree removal permit application says a permit is required before cutting any protected tree, on any property, in any zone. The form lists three exemptions (checked Nov 11, 2026):
- Residential parcels under one acre
- Residential parcels under five acres where the owner has filed a homestead exemption
- Parcels designated as merchantable forest land
The city code carries the same exemptions in Sec. 14-60, and Sec. 14-61 sets the $100 permit to clear protected trees 8 inches across (Ord. 06-11-168, Nov. 21, 2006; checked Nov 12, 2026). The application doesn't define "protected tree" or say where the 8 inches is measured, so on a larger parcel, ask the Planning Department which of your trees count before anyone cuts.
Horn Lake had 26,741 people in the Census Bureau's July 1, 2025 figures, on 16.03 square miles of land, and at 1,668 people per square mile in 2020 it's the most densely settled of DeSoto's four cities. It also has the lowest share of owner-occupied homes, 58.1% (2020–2024 survey; all checked Nov 11, 2026). If you rent, the tree and the decision belong to the property owner, so start there.
What the permit costs on a larger parcel
For parcels under 10 acres, the application figures mitigation this way:
- Baseline: 20 trees per acre of existing canopy, calculated as canopy area × 20 ÷ 43,560 square feet.
- Preservation credit: one tree for each 1,000 square feet of canopy kept.
- The remainder is planted on site or paid into the in-lieu fund at $300 per tree.
- The fee: $100 minimum, plus any in-lieu amount.
If the roots to be disturbed are in Flood Zone AE, the form says a floodplain development permit is also required. The tree rules guide sets Horn Lake's permit beside the other cities' rules.
Planning Department, Horn Lake City Hall, 3101 Goodman Road West; 662-393-6705; plandept@hornlake.org (checked Nov 11, 2026).
Horn Lake's yard waste rules
Horn Lake's Collection Guidelines (Update 2026-A, checked Nov 11, 2026) cover what a household can set out:
| Rule | What the guidelines say |
|---|---|
| Schedule | Yard waste "Collected weekly (Monday–Friday)" |
| Limbs | "Tree limbs must be cut into lengths of 5' or less and must not exceed 10" in diameter." |
| Leaves | "Leaves MUST be bagged or containerized"; 50 pounds per bag at most |
| Volume | "Maximum of 6 cubic yards per home per week." |
| Tree crews | "Yard waste generated by professional grounds maintenance providers or tree cutting services will not be collected." |
Six cubic yards is a pile about 3 feet high, 3 feet deep and 18 feet long. When a crew does the cutting, hauling has to be in the price. Collection questions go to Meridian Waste customer care, 1-866-440-3983, or City Hall, 662-393-6178.
No open burning is allowed inside any DeSoto County municipality, Horn Lake included (checked Nov 11, 2026).
The March 2023 tornado
On the evening of March 31, 2023, an EF-2 tornado the National Weather Service named "Prichard-Nesbit" crossed into DeSoto County from Tunica County and ended about 3 miles south-southeast of Horn Lake. It was on the ground from 7:31 to 8:02 p.m., covered 22.87 miles, reached 1,200 yards wide and had peak winds estimated at 130 mph (NWS Memphis survey, checked Nov 11, 2026).
The survey's summary: "There was consistent damage for over 20 miles, mainly snapped and uprooted trees." It noted "a concentrated section of snapped trees" near W. Oak Grove and Highway 301 South, and "extensive" tree damage around Cub Lake and Koko Reef Lake. Nobody was injured or killed. A local storm report on the same NWS page also lists a "NESBIT EF-1" at 7:35 p.m., about a mile south of Eudora.
Winter brings the other threat. Mississippi's hazard plan counts 44 winter storm events in DeSoto County from 1996 to 2022, more than any other county in its table, and FEMA's DR-4899 covered the county after Winter Storm Fern in January 2026 (checked Nov 11, 2026). The storm guide covers what to do first when a tree falls.
Entergy and the wire to your house
Entergy Mississippi's DeSoto service center on Highway 51 North lists Horn Lake among the places it serves (checked Nov 11, 2026). Entergy trims near its own lines on a routine cycle, but it says, "We DO NOT trim service lines." The line from the pole to your house is your responsibility, and Entergy can disconnect it temporarily so a contractor can clear the limbs. Report a tree in the lines at 800-368-3749.
Mississippi law forbids work that could bring people or equipment within 10 feet of a high-voltage overhead line until the utility has been notified in writing and safety arrangements are in place (Miss. Code §§ 45-15-3 and 45-15-9, checked Nov 11, 2026).
Trees between the sidewalk and the street
No Horn Lake rule on homeowners cutting trees in the street right-of-way turned up for this site, and Horn Lake's Public Works phone wasn't confirmed. Call City Hall at 662-393-6178 before cutting a tree that might stand on city land. Where the big oaks along a street have grown together over the pavement, limbs over the road are worth asking the city about before anyone climbs.
Grinding the stump
The grinder's operator should give Mississippi 811 three to ten working days' notice before grinding; tickets now last 20 calendar days. Utilities mark only from the street to the meter, so private lines on your lot are yours to point out (checked Nov 11, 2026). Prices and depth are covered in the stump grinding guide.
Horn Lake questions
My lot is a quarter acre. Do I need the city's tree permit?
No. Residential parcels under one acre are exempt (checked Nov 11, 2026).
I have 3 acres with a homestead exemption. Am I exempt?
Yes, under the application: residential parcels under five acres with a homestead exemption filed are exempt (checked Nov 11, 2026). Confirm with the Planning Department, 662-393-6705.
Will Meridian Waste pick up the limbs from my tree removal?
Not if a tree service cut them. The city's guidelines exclude yard waste from tree cutting services (checked Nov 11, 2026).
Can I burn the brush in my backyard?
No. Open burning isn't allowed inside any DeSoto County city (checked Nov 11, 2026).
A Horn Lake request made through this site lands with one independent contractor serving DeSoto County. The site cuts no trees and files no permits.
Sources
- City of Horn Lake, Tree Removal Permit Application (May 27, 2026) and Collection Guidelines (Update 2026-A), checked Nov 11, 2026; Horn Lake Code of Ordinances, Ch. 14, Art. III, Secs. 14-60 and 14-61, on Municode (Supp. 13), checked Nov 12, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Horn Lake city, Mississippi. Checked Nov 11, 2026.
- NWS Memphis, March 31–April 1, 2023 tornado outbreak; MEMA, State Hazard Mitigation Plan, Section 3.9; FEMA, DeSoto County declarations. Checked Nov 11, 2026.
- Entergy Mississippi, DeSoto service center; Entergy, tree trimming and how Entergy trims; Miss. Code § 45-15-3 and § 45-15-9; DeSoto County, Burn Permits; Mississippi 811 law. Checked Nov 11, 2026.