Tampa, FL Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

Tampa City Code Chapter 13 Vegetation, together with Chapter 27 zoning landscaping provisions, governs tree removal on private property. Tampa identifies protected trees generally including native species such as live oak, laurel oak, southern magnolia, cypress, and others at specified diameter thresholds, plus grand trees which are exceptionally large specimens. Removing a protected or grand tree ordinarily requires a tree removal permit from the Natural Resources Division. Permit applications require documentation of the tree species, size, location, and reason for removal, and replacement or mitigation is usually required through on-site replanting or payment into a tree trust fund. Non-native and invasive species such as Brazilian pepper, camphor, melaleuca, and Chinese tallow are encouraged to be removed and generally do not require a permit or replacement. Florida Statute 163.045, enacted in 2019, preempts local governments from requiring a permit, notice, mitigation, or fee to remove, replant, or prune a tree on residential property when a Florida-licensed arborist with ISA certification or a Florida-licensed landscape architect has issued written documentation that the tree presents a danger to persons or property. The documentation must be obtained in good faith before removal. The statute applies only to residential property owned by natural persons, not to commercial property, multi-family complexes, or mitigation banks. It also does not allow homeowners to circumvent permits simply because the tree is inconvenient. Courts and the Florida Attorney General have interpreted the danger standard as requiring a genuine hazard, and municipalities may still pursue enforcement where documentation is falsified or clearly unsupported. Removal without a permit or 163.045 documentation can result in substantial fines based on tree diameter, typically 100 to 300 dollars per caliper inch, plus replanting requirements.