Pasco County, FL Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Pasco County Land Development Code Chapter 800 (Natural and Cultural Resources Protection), Section 802 (Tree Preservation and Replacement), applies to all land in unincorporated Pasco County (except registered commercial growers' nurseries and tree farms). Section 802.3.A requires a Tree Removal Permit to remove any tree five (5) inches DBH or greater, with limited exceptions for certain utility work, county road and drainage maintenance, approved management plans, minimal clearing for a fence (path no wider than 10 feet, no equipment heavier than a one-ton pickup), survey/test work, exotic and invasive species, and palm/pine-family trees (other than long-leaf pine) on single-family lots. Section 802.3.A.10 confirms that on single-family lots with existing homes, a permit is only required for trees greater than five inches DBH. Utility removal of trees 18 inches DBH or larger within corridors or easements requires prior telephone notice to the County Administrator and at least three business days' notice to the property owner. Development applications must include a tree location survey of all trees 10 inches DBH and larger and a tree plan prepared or approved by a registered landscape architect. Pruning or trimming inconsistent with ANSI A300 (2001, as amended) is prohibited. As of March 2026, the County overhauled Section 802 for the first time in nearly 20 years, raising per-inch mitigation fees and strengthening canopy-preservation standards. Note that Florida Statutes Section 163.045 prohibits the County from requiring a notice, application, approval, permit, fee, or mitigation for the pruning, trimming, or removal of a tree on residential property when the owner has documentation from an ISA-certified arborist or Florida-licensed landscape architect that the tree poses an unacceptable risk to persons or property.