Tree Protection in Escambia County, FL (2026)

2 rules for unincorporated Escambia County, Florida.

Verified from official government sources

Note: These county rules apply to unincorporated areas of Escambia County. If you live within an incorporated city, that city's own rules apply: see the city list below.

Heritage & Protected Trees

Escambia County protects trees 12 inches or greater in trunk diameter countywide, but a tree 60 inches DBH or larger is a heritage tree with elevated protected status, and unlike ordinary protected trees it stays regulated even on single-family and two-family residential lots.

Heritage Tree Protection in Escambia County, FL

Some Restrictions

Escambia County LDC, Design Standards Manual Ch. 2 § 2-3.1(d)

Approval required. Unless exempt from protection as provided in this article, no person shall remove or otherwise willfully cause harm to any of the following trees on either public or private property, including rights-of-way, without first obtaining appropriate authorization from the county:(a)12-inch diameter. Any tree 12 inches or greater in diameter at breast height (DBH).(b)Sand live oaks...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Protected Tree Species

Escambia County bars development that threatens threatened or endangered species habitat unless the applicant first secures an approved mitigation plan under LDC section 4-5.4. Perdido Key gets its own rule: about 278 acres of dune habitat for the federally endangered Perdido Key beach mouse carries a recurring $201-per-unit annual assessment for projects that choose in-lieu-fee mitigation instead of on-site protection.

Protected Species Habitat Rules in Escambia County

Significant Restrictions

Escambia County, FL Land Development Code § 4-5.4(a)-(b)

(a)Protection required. To maintain and enhance the valuable diversity and distribution of plant and animal species within the county, preserve the ecological values and functions of their habitats, provide for habitat corridors and minimize habitat fragmentation, threatened and endangered species habitat shall be protected from adverse impacts. For the purposes of this article, threatened or e...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

All Escambia County ordinances

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