Tallahassee, FL Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Tallahassee, 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
- Governing law
- LDC § 5-83
- Protected pre-development
- Any tree 2" DBH or greater
- Single-family exemption
- Non-patriarch trees up to 36" DBH
- Lot-perimeter threshold
- 4" DBH or greater
- First-offense penalty
- 3x required replacement trees
- Repeat-offense penalty
- 5x required replacement trees
- Reforestation minimum
- 40 tree credits per acre
Summary
Removing a protected tree in Tallahassee requires an environmental management permit under Land Development Code Sec. 5-83. Any tree of two inches DBH or greater counts as protected before development starts, with higher thresholds once construction begins. Single-family lots can cut non-patriarch trees up to 36 inches DBH without a permit; nearly everything else needs city approval first.
(b)Applicability. The following requirements shall apply to all new development and redevelopment in the city except as provided in F.S. § 163.045 and specified in subsection (c) below... (d)Protected trees. The following trees are protected and shall not be removed, impacted or damaged without receiving an approved environmental management permit complying with the requirements of the chapter:(1)Pre-development. Any tree of two inches DBH or greater.(2)During development and post-development...c.Any tree of 18 inches DBH or greater... (j)(4)Tree removal without a permit. If protected trees are removed without a permit or otherwise in violation of this chapter, the number of replacement trees shall be up to three times the amount which would have been required for removal for the first offense and five times for every offense thereafter and the applicant shall be charged twice the normal application fee for tree removal.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Land Development Code: Supplement 75 | Code of Ordinances: Supplement 75).
Full Breakdown
The Land Development Code protects trees well before a shovel hits the ground. Section 5-83(d)(1) makes any tree of two inches DBH or greater a protected tree pre-development. Once development begins, the thresholds shift: dogwoods four inches DBH or greater, hardwoods and longleaf pine 12 inches or greater, any tree 18 inches DBH or greater, any tree four inches DBH or greater standing in the lot perimeter zone (the building setback or 20 feet, whichever is less), and any patriarch tree, canopy-road tree, or wetland tree.
Removing a protected tree requires an approved environmental management permit, and the growth management director decides case by case, weighing the tree's species, health, size and form against the development intensity the comprehensive plan allows for the site under Sec. 5-83(e). Section 5-83(c) exempts nursery stock, emergency and act-of-nature removals, safety hazards, diseased or pest-infested trees, approved silvicultural activity, listed noxious invasive trees such as Chinese tallow and mimosa, and, on detached single-family lots, any non-patriarch tree up to 36 inches DBH. Sites that aren't exempt must replant to a minimum of 40 tree credits per acre under Sec.
5-83(f), with credits and debits scaled by species category and trunk diameter. Applicants who disagree with a denial can appeal to the city's environmental board, which hears protected-tree removal disputes.
Violations & Fines
Cutting, impacting or damaging a protected tree without an approved environmental management permit, or letting equipment, grading or material storage invade its critical protection zone, triggers replacement obligations under Sec. 5-83(j)(4): the required number of replacement trees triples for a first offense and multiplies by five for every offense after that, and the applicant is charged double the normal tree-removal application fee. The growth management department can also issue a stop-work order until the site is brought back into compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to remove a tree on my Tallahassee house lot?
What happens if I remove a protected tree without a permit in Tallahassee?
Can I appeal if Tallahassee denies my tree removal request?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tallahassee
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