Orlando regulates pruning and trimming of trees on private property under City Code Ch. 60 and the Land Development Code. Routine pruning of branches under 4 inches in diameter does not require a permit, but heavy pruning, topping, or removal of major scaffold limbs of protected trees requires a permit and must follow ANSI A300 standards. The Orlando Urban Forestry division enforces street tree protections.
Orlando has invested heavily in urban canopy and the city tree code (Ch. 60) requires permits for significant pruning of regulated trees. Light maintenance pruning to remove dead, diseased, or hazardous branches under 4 inches diameter at the cut is generally exempt. However, removing more than 25 percent of a tree canopy in a single year, topping, or lions-tailing requires a permit and must be performed by a certified arborist following ANSI A300 standards. Street trees in the public right-of-way are city property and require an Urban Forestry permit before any work. Trees protected as specimen trees, heritage trees, or those required by prior development conditions have heightened protection regardless of size.
Improper pruning of protected tree: fines starting at 500 dollars per tree. Topping or destroying a tree through bad pruning: replacement requirement plus fine equal to appraised value. Damage to street tree: civil restitution plus fine.
Orlando, FL
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