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Minnesota, 2026 season

Minnesota Christmas Tree Permits 2026

The Chippewa and Superior National Forests sell $5 Christmas tree permits, and Minnesota DNR Forestry offices issue permits to cut in state forests.

3
Forests selling permits
2 on Recreation.gov
$5
Price per tree
2026 season
Oct 8, 2026
On sale
Chippewa National Forest
Free
Fourth graders
with an Every Kid Outdoors pass
Forest by forest

Where to get a Christmas tree permit in Minnesota

Minnesota DNR says state forests from Hinckley to Aitkin and farther north have balsam fir or white spruce, while Sand Dunes and Rum River state forests do not have suitable Christmas trees.

Chippewa National Forest

2026 season

USDA Forest Service

Price
$5 each
On sale
Oct 8, 2026
Cutting
Oct 9, 2026 to Dec 25, 2026
Where to buy
Recreation.gov, by mail to the Chippewa National Forest office in Walker
One permit is required for each Christmas Tree. Permits are $5.00 each.
Permits, Chippewa National Forest, USDA Forest Service, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source

Rules for cutting

Validate the permit and display it while you harvest.

Christmas Tree permits must be validated and displayed when harvesting your tree.
Chippewa National Forest. Read it at the source

Stay 150 feet back from state highways, picnic areas, campgrounds and other developed areas.

Within 150 feet of state highways, picnic areas, campgrounds and other developed areas.
Chippewa National Forest. Read it at the source

Stay 300 feet back from streams and bodies of water.

Within 300 feet of streams and bodies of water.
Chippewa National Forest. Read it at the source

Young tree plantations are off limits.

Within young tree plantations (Nursery grown seedlings planted for future forests).
Chippewa National Forest. Read it at the source

Fourth graders with an Every Kid Outdoors pass get a free permit here.

Per the Every Kid Outdoors Program, all 4th graders are entitled to one FREE Christmas tree permit with a valid EKO pass redeemed at Recreation.gov or by calling our offices.
Chippewa National Forest. Read it at the source

Chippewa National Forest permits on Recreation.gov

Superior National Forest

2026 season

USDA Forest Service

Price
$5 plus handling fee
Limit
There is a two tag limit for each household per year.
On sale
Oct 8, 2026
Cutting
Oct 13, 2026 to Jan 6, 2027
Where to buy
Recreation.gov, in person at any Superior National Forest office
A permit to cut one Christmas tree on Forest Service land may be purchased online at Recreation.gov for $5.00 plus handling fee, or by calling a district office and arranging to pick up the permit.
Christmas Tree Tags, USDA Forest Service, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source

Rules for cutting

Balsam fir is the preferred tree; white pine and cedar may not be cut.

Balsam fir are preferred for harvest, white pine and cedar are not allowed.
Superior National Forest. Read it at the source

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is closed to cutting.

Make sure you are on National Forest land, but not within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Superior National Forest. Read it at the source

Keep away from plantations, developed recreation or administrative sites and research natural areas.

Choose cutting areas away from plantations, developed recreation or administration sites, and Research Natural Areas.
Superior National Forest. Read it at the source

Leave a stump no taller than 12 inches and do not top a taller tree.

Select a tree the correct size for your home. Do not cut the top off of a taller tree. The maximum stump height is 12 inches.
Superior National Forest. Read it at the source

Fourth graders with an Every Kid Outdoors pass get a free permit here.

A Free Tree for Fourth Graders in the Every Kid Outdoors Program!
Superior National Forest. Read it at the source

Superior National Forest permits on Recreation.gov

Minnesota state forests

Permit on request

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

On sale
On request
Cutting
Any time the permit is open
Where to buy
from a local DNR Forestry office, by check or money order
Harvest Christmas trees, decorative tops, or boughs in state forests.
Harvesting on state forest lands, Minnesota DNR, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source

Rules for cutting

Know where you want to cut before you ask for the permit.

You must know the location where you want to cut a tree before getting a permit.
Minnesota state forests. Read it at the source

Allow a few days for the permit to be processed.

It may take a few days to process your permit. Please plan accordingly.
Minnesota state forests. Read it at the source

Pay by check or money order only.

Payment by check or money order is accepted. No credit cards. No cash.
Minnesota state forests. Read it at the source

The permit covers only the state forest land it names.

There is no statewide foraging permit. The permit only applies to the specified state forest land.
Minnesota state forests. Read it at the source
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Every Kid Outdoors

The free Christmas tree permit for Minnesota fourth graders

A fourth grader with an Every Kid Outdoors pass can get a free Christmas tree permit from a national forest, and Chippewa National Forest and Superior National Forest say so on their permit page. The pass is free from the Every Kid Outdoors program, and the permit is redeemed on Recreation.gov with the pass number.

Per the Every Kid Outdoors Program, all 4th graders are entitled to one FREE Christmas tree permit with a valid EKO pass redeemed at Recreation.gov or by calling our offices.
Chippewa National Forest. Read it at the source
A small child in a knit hat rides a sled beside a cut fir tree on a snowy forest track, an adult and a dog walking ahead
A family tree on its way out of the Bighorn National Forest, Wyoming. The forest shared this photo to remind fourth graders that the Every Kid Outdoors pass brings a free tree permit. “Christmas tree - Bighorn National Forest - December 2017”, US Forest Service, Public domain

Minnesota Christmas tree permit questions

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Christmas tree permits in other states

Minnesota Christmas tree farmsChoose and cut farms and the pick your own season in Minnesota.First snow in MinnesotaWhen the first measurable snow usually falls, city by city.Christmas tree permits by stateEvery forest's price and dates in one table, with the free fourth grade permit.
Tall snow covered conifers lining a snowy forest road under a bright blue sky
Fresh snow on the conifers of a Pacific Southwest Region national forest in November 2024, the week the region reminded families that its tree permits sell on Recreation.gov. “Are you ready to get into the holiday spirit? Christmas tree permits are availiable online at Recreation (20241116-FS-ASA-55)”, Region 5 Photography, Public domain

Compiled September 22, 2026. Every price, date and rule above is republished from Permits, Chippewa National Forest, USDA Forest Service and the other forest pages linked beside each quote, read on September 22, 2026. Prices, dates and cutting areas change each fall, so the forest’s page is the one to check before a trip. Every state is in the national Christmas tree permit guide.