Tree removal permit rules in St. Lucie 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 protected tree in Port St. Lucie requires a city tree removal permit. But Florida Statute 163.045 overrides local rules: no permit, fee, or mitigation may be required for a residential tree a certified arborist documents as dangerous.
In Port St. Lucie, Section 154.14 prohibits cutting down or removing a protected tree without a tree removal permit, and the city may require replacement or mitigation. St. Lucie County applies its own Land Development Code protections in unincorporated areas. Overriding all of this for homes is Florida Statute 163.045: a local government may not require a notice, application, approval, permit, fee, or mitigation to remove a tree on residential property when the owner possesses documentation from an ISA-certified arborist or a Florida licensed landscape architect that the tree poses an unacceptable risk. Without that documentation, the local permit still applies.
Removing a protected tree without a permit (and without a qualifying arborist report) can trigger code enforcement fines and per-inch replacement or mitigation requirements under the local landscape code.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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In unincorporated St. Lucie County, garage or yard sale signs are exempt from a permit under LDC 9.04.00 as long as they are removed by sunset of the last da...
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In unincorporated St. Lucie County, campaign signs are content-neutral non-commercial temporary signs. They must sit wholly on private property, and in singl...
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St. Lucie County has no tiny-home ordinance. A site-built tiny house on a foundation is a dwelling under the Florida Building Code and zoning; a tiny house o...
See how St. Lucie County's tree removal & heritage trees rules stack up against other locations.
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