Public tree, public road
Trees on city land and in the right-of-way are not the homeowner’s. In Atlanta, the city’s ATL311 guidance sends them to the Department of Parks and Recreation, not to the arborist who handles private trees, and reports go through ATL311 (3-1-1, or 404-546-0311 from outside the city).
Gwinnett County’s homeowner guidance draws the same line and gives the numbers: for a street tree that fell from the right-of-way, find out whose road it is, and call Gwinnett Department of Transportation at 770.822.7400 for a county road or the Georgia Department of Transportation at 404.656.5267 for a state highway. Other cities and counties in the metro handle it the same way through their own public works offices.
Private tree, private driveway
A tree that grew in your yard and fell across your own driveway is yours to clear. If it grew in a neighbor’s yard, it is theirs, but a storm-felled healthy tree is usually treated in Georgia as nobody’s fault; see The neighbor’s tree.
When the tree blocks the only way in or out, say so on the call. A crew can often cut a lane through first and come back for the rest.
Insurance
Georgia’s insurance regulator explains that the standard homeowners policy pays to remove trees blown down by wind only when they damaged the house or another covered structure, up to the debris removal limit. A tree that fell across the driveway and hit nothing else is, under that reading, not covered for removal. Some policies are written differently, so check the debris removal section of yours before you assume either way.
Before cutting it yourself
A trunk across a driveway often lies on its own branches with weight on both ends. Cut in the middle, it can pinch the saw or roll. If wires are tangled in it anywhere, do not start; see Tree on a power line.
Checked against the sources below on 2026-10-11.