North Port, FL Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in North Port, 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
- Oak mitigation basis
- 2 points per inch DBH
- Pine mitigation basis
- DBH divided by 3
- Sabal palm mitigation
- 4 points per palm
- Heritage tree removal
- flat fee, no point credit
- Governing provision
- ULDC Article VII, § 6.7.4
Summary
Removing a protected or heritage tree in North Port requires either on-site replacement meeting planting standards or payment of a per-tree mitigation fee calculated from species, trunk diameter, and mitigation points set by the City fee schedule.
(5)Tree Mitigation Required. The following provides tree mitigation as a basis for offsetting the loss of tree canopy based on species and size. Mitigation for Heritage tree removal shall require payment of a fee per the City fee schedule. Mitigation fees for protected trees is based on mitigation points and shall be paid per the City fee schedule. TABLE 6.7.4.2.
Protected Tree Mitigation Points
PROTECTED TREE SPECIES MITIGATION POINT BASIS1 Heritage Trees Not applicable. Fee for removal per City fee schedule. Protected Scrub Oaks, Live Oaks, and Laurel Oaks DBH 2 Slash Pines, Longleaf Pines DBH divided by 3 Sabal Palms (4.5 feet or more of clear trunk height) 4 Points per Palm
1 Tree mitigation fees for heavily wooded parcels or combined parcels for development of 100-acres or larger, with an approved alternate methodology, tree mitigation fees shall be calculated based on the extrapolated test plot data and test plot delineation overlaid site-wide.
2 Diameter at breast height.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of the City: Supplement 65 | Unified Land Development Code: Supplement 22).
Full Breakdown
North Port's Unified Land Development Code requires tree mitigation whenever a protected or heritage tree is removed for new development. Protected scrub oaks, live oaks, and laurel oaks are assessed at 2 mitigation points per inch of trunk diameter (DBH); slash and longleaf pines at DBH divided by 3; and sabal palms with 4.5+ feet of clear trunk at 4 points each. Heritage trees carry no point value: removal instead requires a flat fee set by the City fee schedule. Developers can offset points with conservation credits for preserved, newly planted, or relocated trees, but a negative balance defaults to zero rather than generating a refund.
Violations & Fines
Mutilating or damaging a protected tree requires the violator to remove it and replant to meet Chapter 4 Article III minimum planting standards; unauthorized removal also triggers mitigation-point fees under § 6.7.4.A(5).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I avoid North Port's tree mitigation fee?
Does North Port charge the same fee for a heritage oak as a pine?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in North Port
Florida rules heatmap·Compare North Port to another location·View the Florida landscaping rules overview
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Tree Removal & Heritage Trees in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sarasota County handle tree removal & heritage trees.