Miami, FL Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- Director of Public Works
- Applies to
- Street, sidewalk, median, easement trees
- Permit fee
- None, if work is justified
- Related rule
- No harming roots (§ 17-73)
Summary
Trimming, pruning, or removing any tree on a Miami street, sidewalk, median, or right-of-way requires a permit from the director of public works before you touch it.
It shall be unlawful for any person to trim or prune any tree, shrub, or plant or to remove any tree, shrub, or plant from any dedicated street, alley, highway, public right-of-way, or easement, public land lying between property lines on either side of a public street, highway, alley, public parking strip, public street, sidewalk or divider, public median strip or planting strip or other land or public place owned by the city without first applying for and obtaining a permit from the director of public works or authorized representative.
(Code 1967, § 59-2; Code 1980, § 59-22; Ord. No. 13087, § 2, 9-10-09; Ord. No. 13676, § 2, 4-27-17)
Case Law reference— In suit against city for injuries sustained from electric shock incurred while pruning trees on a city right-of-way for a private individual, where neither the injured party nor his/her employer had acquired a permit as required and where both the injured party and his/her employer knew a permit was required, the injured party was a trespasser as to the city, to whom the city owed no greater duty than to avoid wilful and wanton conduct and, upon discovery of his/her presence, to give warning of known dangers not open to ordinary observation. Norris v. City of Miami, 367 So. 2d 1038.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23 | Ordinance 11000 (Previous Zoning Code): Supplement 22 | Miami 21 (Zoning Code): ?).
Full Breakdown
Miami Code § 17-72 makes it unlawful to trim, prune, or remove any tree, shrub, or plant from a dedicated street, alley, public right-of-way, easement, sidewalk, median strip, or other city-owned land without first applying for and obtaining a permit from the director of public works. This covers the tree in the swale in front of your house, not just trees on private property: if it's rooted in city-owned right-of-way, cutting it back on your own is prohibited. A companion section, § 17-73, separately bars breaking, defacing, or disturbing the roots of any tree or vine in a public highway or park without a written permit. Permits are issued without charge under § 17-74 when the work is necessary or desirable and won't harm the tree, but the paperwork has to come first.
Violations & Fines
Working on a public-land tree without the Public Works permit violates §§ 17-72 and 17-73; separately, unpermitted tree activity on private property tree-protected sites draws a $1,000 per-tree fine ($500 for homestead property) under § 17-10, with repeat violations referred to the code enforcement board for penalties up to $5,000 per day under Fla. Stat. § 162.09.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to trim the tree in the swale outside my house?
Does Miami charge for this permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Miami
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Miami to another location·View the Florida landscaping rules overview
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Tree Trimming in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Miami-Dade County handle tree trimming.