Miami Beach, FL Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- Hazard trigger
- Blocks sidewalk, signs or sightlines
- Owner deadline
- 10 days after notice of violation
- City self-help
- City corrects and bills owner
- Pruning standard
- ANSI A-300 (part 1)
- Annual canopy cap
- 25% removed per year
Summary
Miami Beach declares street-side trees a hazard once they block a sidewalk, obscure traffic signage, or cut sight lines at an intersection, and puts the duty to prune or remove them on the adjoining property owner or occupant.
(1)Any tree, dead tree or tree stump upon any parcel of land within the city which imminently threatens or endangers the public health, safety or welfare, or which the environment and sustainability director or his/her designee determines to be a threat to the city's urban forest due to an untreatable disease or infestation, is declared a public nuisance.(2)Trees or other woody plant species, on property bordering on any street, which obstruct the passage of pedestrians on sidewalks, obstruct vision of traffic signs, or obstruct sight lines at any street or alley intersection are declared a hazard.(3)It shall be the duty of any person owning or occupying real property on which there may be nuisance trees, dead trees, stumps or hazards as described in subsection (1) or (2) to remove when corrective pruning or treatment cannot alleviate the hazard or nuisance, correctively prune in accordance with American National Standards Institute A-300 Pruning Standards (part 1), or treat those hazards and nuisances in such manner as to eliminate the threat to public safety or the possibility of infecting or infesting surrounding plant life.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 98 | Resiliency Code (Current Land Development Regulations): Publication | Ordinance 89-2665 (Previous Land Development Regulations): Publication).
Full Breakdown
City Code Sec. 46-66 designates two categories of problem trees. First, any tree, dead tree or stump that imminently threatens public health, safety or welfare, or that the environment and sustainability director determines threatens the urban forest through untreatable disease or infestation, is a declared public nuisance. Second, and squarely on point for street clearance, trees or other woody plants on property bordering a street that obstruct pedestrian passage on sidewalks, obstruct vision of traffic signs, or obstruct sight lines at a street or alley intersection are declared a hazard outright, with no further finding needed.
Sec. 46-66(3) puts the correction duty on whoever owns or occupies the property: they must remove the tree if pruning cannot fix the hazard, or correctively prune it following ANSI A-300 Pruning Standards (part 1), within ten days of a notice of violation. If the owner does not act, Sec. 46-66(4) lets the city remove, prune or treat the tree itself and bill the exact cost to the owner. Separately, Sec. 46-62(6) makes the adjacent property owner responsible for ongoing maintenance of right-of-way trees and palms consistent with the pruning standards in Sec.
46-62(5), which caps annual canopy removal at 25 percent and requires an ISA-certified or ASCA-registered arborist onsite for any pruning beyond removing dead palm fronds.
Violations & Fines
Failure to remove, prune or treat a nuisance or hazard tree within ten days of the notice triggers the city stepping in under Sec. 46-66(4) to do the work and assess the cost to the owner. Separately, unpermitted right-of-way canopy work that destroys a tree or skips a required tree work permit is fined under Sec. 46-67: a warning, then $2,000, $3,000 and $4,000 per tree for repeat offenses within 12 months, with a ten-day window to appeal to a special magistrate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has to trim a tree that is blocking the sidewalk in Miami Beach?
What happens if I ignore a notice about my street tree?
Who maintains the trees planted in the right-of-way in front of my house?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Miami Beach
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Miami Beach to another location·View the Florida landscaping rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Tree Trimming in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Miami-Dade County handle tree trimming.