Jupiter, FL Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Jupiter, 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
- Vegetation removal permit, dept. of planning & zoning (Sec. 26-35)
- Hazard exception
- Verbal OK allowed, written permit due in 24 hrs
- Application escrow
- Up to $2,500 for outside specialist review (Sec. 26-38)
- Permit expiration
- Void if work not started within 90 days (Sec. 26-36)
- Illegal removal penalty
- Each tree a separate offense, must be replaced (Sec. 26-5)
- Contractor risk
- Business tax receipt revocable for violations (Sec. 26-35(c))
Summary
Removing a tree in Jupiter requires a vegetation removal permit from the department of planning and zoning, whether the job needs heavy equipment or hand tools, and it applies to vacant land, developed property and any parcel with a designated specimen or historic tree. Licensed contractors risk losing their business tax receipt for skipping it, and applicants can owe up to $2,500 in escrow for a specialist review before staff approve removal.
It shall be unlawful, unless otherwise provided within this section, for any person, without first obtaining a vegetation removal permit from the department of planning and zoning, to remove trees or vegetation or otherwise clear off any land within the town by stripping off, destroying or removing the natural foliage there by use of tractors, bulldozers, drag lines, scrapers or other heavy earth-moving equipment, or by any other means. ... Each tree or protected vegetation removed or destroyed in violation of these regulations represents a separate offense and each tree so removed shall be replaced (per Table II, Tree Credit/Replacement) with a new tree.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 26, article II, requires a vegetation removal permit from the department of planning and zoning before anyone clears trees or natural foliage in Jupiter using tractors, bulldozers, drag lines, scrapers or any other means, on vacant land, developed property or land with a designated specimen or historic tree. Section 26-35(c) extends the requirement to licensed tree surgeons, landscape contractors and general contractors, and the town council can revoke or suspend a violating contractor's business tax receipt after an investigation. If a tree is hazardous enough to endanger public health or safety, section 26-35(d) allows verbal authorization to remove it right away, but a written permit still has to follow within 24 hours.
Applying for the permit under section 26-36 means filing a signed property survey less than a year old, a development-scaled site plan, and a professionally prepared vegetation inventory identifying every tree by species, diameter at breast height, and whether it will be preserved, relocated or removed; environmentally sensitive sites can also require sign-off from agencies such as the Army Corps of Engineers or the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Section 26-38 requires the application fee up front and lets the town require an escrow deposit of up to $2,500 for an outside consultant's review.
Section 26-39 lists the grounds staff must find before approving removal, including that the tree is hazardous, unreasonably restricts a planned improvement, or isn't historic or protected, and section 26-36(6)(a) voids any issued permit if authorized work is not started, or is abandoned, for 90 days.
Violations & Fines
Section 26-5 makes each tree or protected plant removed without a permit a separate offense, punishable under the town's general penalty at section 1-14 for every day the violation continues. Any illegally removed tree must be replaced under the town's Table II Tree Credit/Replacement ratio, and a commercial property that fails to replace it risks having its business license revoked. Fines collected go into a dedicated town environmental fund.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to remove a tree from my property in Jupiter?
What if a tree is dangerous and needs to come down right away?
What happens if I remove a protected tree without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jupiter
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Jupiter to another location·View the Florida landscaping rules overview
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Tree Removal & Heritage Trees in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Palm Beach County handle tree removal & heritage trees.