Tree removal permit rules in Mobile County, AL — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
You may remove trees on your own land in unincorporated Mobile County without a county permit. Alabama has no statewide tree-protection law and the county has no zoning authority. The City of Mobile and HOA covenants are the only limits.
Mobile County cannot regulate tree removal on private property in unincorporated areas, because Alabama grants counties no zoning or landscaping authority and passes no statewide tree law. An owner in Theodore, Wilmer, or Grand Bay may clear trees, including large live oaks, without approval. The limits sit elsewhere: the City of Mobile enforces a tree ordinance covering protected and right-of-way trees inside city limits, and HOA covenants in west Mobile subdivisions often require architectural-committee sign-off before removing canopy trees. Wetland and coastal parcels near the Mobile-Tensaw Delta or Mississippi Sound can trigger federal Clean Water Act or state coastal permitting if removal disturbs a regulated wetland, but that is separate from any tree rule.
None from the county for clearing your own trees. Removing a protected or right-of-way tree inside the City of Mobile violates the city code. HOA covenant breaches are enforced privately by the association.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Mobile County's tree removal & heritage trees rules stack up against other locations.
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