Tree Protection in Palm Coast, FL (2026)
4 verified tree protection rules for Palm Coast, Florida, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Tree Removal Permits
Removal of a tree with a trunk caliper of 6 inches or greater at 4.5 feet above grade (or 4 inches if surveyed for credit) requires a permit under Palm Coast Land Development Code Chapter 11. Applications go to Building Services at 160 Lake Avenue (386-986-3780). Florida Statute 163.045 preempts the City permit on a single-family residential lot when the owner has ISA-certified arborist documentation that the tree is dangerous. SFR/DPX/EST owners may remove buildable-area specimen/historic trees without mitigation when footprint shifting is infeasible.
Palm Coast Tree Removal Permits — LDC Chapter 11 + FS 163.045 Exemption
Some RestrictionsHeritage & Protected Trees
Palm Coast Land Development Code Chapter 11 uses 'specimen tree' and 'historic tree' categories rather than 'heritage tree.' Removal of such a tree generally requires a Chapter 11 permit and mitigation, unless the SFR/DPX/EST buildable-area carve-out (Ord. 2016-6) applies. The statewide Florida Champion Tree Program — administered by the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (FDACS), Florida Forest Service — recognizes the largest known specimen of each native and naturalized species. Champion status is recognition only, not an additional removal preemption.
Heritage & Specimen Trees in Palm Coast — Florida Champion Tree Program (FDACS)
Some RestrictionsTree Replacement Requirements
Removal of a protected, specimen, or historic tree under Palm Coast Land Development Code Chapter 11 generally triggers replacement/mitigation calibrated to the diameter of the removed tree, using species from the City's approved native/Florida-Friendly list. Replacements are inspected by Building Services. Ordinance 2016-6 carves out an exemption for SFR/DPX/EST buildable-area specimen/historic trees that cannot be saved by shifting the footprint, and FS 163.045 exempts the hazardous-tree case on single-family residential lots.
Palm Coast Tree Replacement / Mitigation — LDC Chapter 11
Some RestrictionsTree Ordinances
Palm Coast's tree and landscape code is consolidated in Land Development Code Chapter 11 — Tree Protection, Landscaping, Buffering and Irrigation. Permits and plan review run through Building Services (160 Lake Avenue, 386-986-3780). The City has been a Tree City USA for 20 consecutive years, supports a full-time Urban Forester (Carol Mini, 386-986-3722), and operates a Green Team and Annual Arbor Day program. State overlays: FS 163.045 (hazardous-tree exemption on SFR lots), FS 373.185 (Florida-Friendly Landscaping HOA preemption), Ord. 2016-6 (SFR/DPX/EST buildable-area carve-out).
Palm Coast Tree Code Overview — LDC Chapter 11 + Tree City USA
Some RestrictionsLooking for Flagler County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Palm Coast city rules.
Tree Protection in Flagler County →