Daytona Beach, FL Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

L requires a Tree Removal Permit before any land disturbing activity or the removal, relocation, or substantial alteration of a historic tree, specimen tree, or other tree or native vegetation protected as landscaping, buffer, or tree preservation area material under Article 6, Development Standards. The permit exists specifically to ensure protected trees are not cut down before an applicant even files for the development permit that would otherwise govern the site. Several activities are exempt: tree removal already covered by an approved Special Use Permit, Public or Semipublic Use Permit, Major or Minor Site Plan, Certificate of Appropriateness, subdivision plat, or building permit; removal of nursery or botanical garden stock grown for sale; removal of already-destroyed trees ordered removed by City staff; emergency removal of trees posing an immediate danger from a storm or accident, as determined by City staff; removal of a nuisance tree as defined by the Code; and land disturbance tied to active agricultural or silvicultural operations.

The application process is a staff-level review: an optional pre-application conference, no neighborhood meeting requirement, standard application submittal, and a final decision made by City staff rather than a public hearing body. A permit can only be approved on a finding of competent substantial evidence in the record that all standards in the Tree Preservation section are met. Once granted, the Tree Removal Permit authorizes the described land disturbance or tree removal in anticipation of further development and remains valid until a Site Plan development order for that further development is approved.