St. Lucie County, FL Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
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.
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Protected-tree removal (Port St. Lucie)
- Citation
- Port St. Lucie Sec. 154.14
- Land clearing
- Separate permit for parcels
- Homeowner exemption
- F.S. 163.045, arborist report
- Mitigation
- Replacement/mitigation plan possible
Summary
Port St. Lucie requires a tree removal permit before cutting down, moving, or destroying a protected tree, with replacement often required. Florida Statute 163.045 exempts homeowners who hold arborist documentation that a residential tree is dangerous.
Except as provided for in the article, no person shall, directly or indirectly, cut down, substantially alter, destroy, remove, relocate, damage, or authorize any such act involving a protected tree situated on land within the city, without first obtaining a tree removal permit.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 32 | Land Development Code: Supplement 36).
Full Breakdown
Under Port St. Lucie's Landscape and Land Clearing Code, Section 154.14, no person may cut down, substantially alter, destroy, remove, relocate, or damage a protected tree within the city without first obtaining a tree removal permit; a separate land clearing permit governs clearing larger or environmentally sensitive parcels, and tree preservation or mitigation plans can be required. Unincorporated St. Lucie County applies its own Land Development Code tree protections. Statewide, Florida Statute 163.045 removes the permit, fee, and mitigation requirement for a residential tree when the owner holds documentation from an ISA-certified arborist or Florida licensed landscape architect that the tree is an unacceptable risk.
Violations & Fines
Removing a protected tree without a required permit exposes the owner to code enforcement fines and mandatory replacement or mitigation (often measured per inch of trunk diameter) under the city landscape code.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to remove a protected tree?
Will I have to replace a removed tree?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Lucie County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare St. Lucie County to another location·View the Florida landscaping rules overview
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