Doral, FL Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Doral, FL, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Before removing any tree, specimen tree, or forest vegetation
- Enforcing agency
- Miami-Dade DERM under County Code §24-60
- Vegetation survey
- Required in landscape plan (§71-4(c))
- Preservation standard
- Maximum extent possible (§71-243, county §24-50)
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine or 60 days jail, per day
Summary
No tree, specimen tree, or vegetation in a natural forest community can be removed in Doral without a permit issued under Miami-Dade County Code section 24-60. Section 71-5 hands enforcement to the county's department of environmental resources management (DERM), not city hall, even though the requirement is written into Doral's own Land Development Code.
Tree removal permits or natural forest community vegetation removal permits are required prior to the removal of trees, specimen trees, or any vegetation in a natural forest community, respectively, pursuant to section 24-60 of the Miami-Dade County Code. The county department of environmental resources management is responsible for administering and enforcing these provisions.
Full Breakdown
Section 71-5, titled 'Tree removal and preservation,' requires a tree removal permit or a natural forest community vegetation removal permit before removing trees, specimen trees, or any vegetation within a natural forest community, and it expressly routes administration and enforcement to Miami-Dade County's department of environmental resources management under county code section 24-60. The permit requirement dovetails with the landscape plan process: section 71-4(c) requires a vegetation survey for most development showing the location, species, diameter at breast height, and condition of existing trees, including which ones are proposed for removal, relocation, or preservation, cross-referencing the same county section 24-60.
Section 71-243(2) separately directs that specimen trees and native vegetation be preserved to the maximum extent possible per county code section 24-50 whenever a landscape plan is reviewed by the department of planning and zoning. A homeowner or contractor removing even a single qualifying tree without first securing the county permit is out of compliance with section 71-5 even if no city building permit is otherwise required for the work, because the removal permit is a separate, freestanding requirement of Chapter 71.
Violations & Fines
Section 71-12(c) treats failure to preserve or maintain any individual tree required by this chapter as a separate violation of the Land Development Code, with each day of noncompliance counted as its own continuing violation. Because Chapter 71 does not set its own fine schedule, Doral's general penalty in section 1-14 governs: up to a $500 fine, up to 60 days in jail, or both, on conviction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to remove a tree from my Doral property?
Who enforces Doral's tree removal permit requirement?
What happens if I remove a protected tree without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Doral
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Tree Removal & Heritage Trees in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Miami-Dade County handle tree removal & heritage trees.