Tree removal permit rules in Bay County, FL — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
In unincorporated Bay County, a county permit is required only to remove a protected oak (30-inch trunk) in the Urban or Suburban Service Area. Pines are unprotected at any size, and single-family homes are largely exempt.
Bay County Land Development Regulations Section 1911 bar removing a protected Historic, Specimen, Champion, or Heritage oak in the Urban or Suburban Service Area without a Planning and Zoning permit. Only oaks 30 inches or more in trunk diameter are protected; pine trees can be removed without a permit regardless of size, and single-family construction is exempt when the tree sits in the building footprint. Removal of a hazardous, storm-, or fire-damaged tree needs no formal permit. Florida Statute 163.045 separately bars any permit for a tree a certified arborist documents as a danger, a provision used heavily after Hurricane Michael. The permit fee is $20.
Removing a protected oak in a service area without a permit violates the Land Development Regulations and can bring code enforcement action. Removing pines or a tree in a single-family footprint carries no county penalty.
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See how Bay County's tree removal & heritage trees rules stack up against other locations.
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