Tree removal permit rules in St. Johns County, FL — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Removing a tree on your St. Johns County home is protected by Florida Statute 163.045: no local government may require a permit, fee, or mitigation to remove a residential tree when an ISA-certified arborist or licensed landscape architect documents that it poses an unacceptable risk.
Florida strongly preempts residential tree removal. Under Florida Statute 163.045, St. Johns County and its cities may not require a notice, application, approval, permit, fee, or mitigation to prune, trim, or remove a tree on residential property once the owner holds documentation from an ISA-certified arborist or a Florida-licensed landscape architect that the tree poses an unacceptable risk to persons or property. The County Land Development Code tree-protection rules still govern non-residential parcels, development sites, and the public right-of-way. HOAs and CDDs common in Nocatee and Ponte Vedra Beach enforce their own tree covenants separately.
Residential removal backed by the required arborist documentation carries no county penalty. Removing a protected tree on a non-residential or development site without the Land Development Code permit brings stop orders, replacement, and fines. HOA covenants are enforced separately.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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