Homeowners can trim their own yard trees in unincorporated Bay County. The tree code covers only large protected oaks in the service areas, and single-family homes are exempt. Pines and palms are unregulated. Trim before June 1 for hurricane season.
Bay County's Land Development Regulations Section 1911 regulate only protected oaks (30-inch trunk diameter) in the Urban or Suburban Service Area, and single-family dwellings are exempt, so a homeowner can prune yard trees without county approval. Pine trees and palms are not protected at all. Under Florida common law you may trim a neighbor's overhanging branches back to the property line, without harming the tree. Along the Gulf Coast, arborists urge structural pruning before June 1; Hurricane Michael in 2018 showed how brittle, unpruned pines and live oaks fail in extreme wind and take out roofs and power lines.
No county penalty applies to a homeowner trimming trees on a single-family lot. Cutting a neighbor's tree past the property line, or killing it, can bring a civil claim for damages.
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