St. Johns County, FL Tree Protection: Protected Tree Species (2026)
Key Facts
- Default Protected Tree threshold
- 8 inches DBH or greater
- Coastal exception species
- Red cedar, sand live oak at 2 in. DBH
- Specimen Tree table size
- 35+ native species listed
- Live Oak Specimen threshold
- 48 inches DBH
- Mitigation rate
- $100 per lost tree inch, Tree Bank fund
- Post-construction minimum
- 40 tree inches per acre
- Historic Tree designation
- Requires Board of County Commissioners approval
Summary
St. Johns County's Land Development Code protects any tree of 8 inches or more in diameter at breast height, and drops that threshold to just 2 inches for Southern red cedar and sand live oak east of the Intracoastal Waterway. A 35-species Specimen Tree table sets separate, often smaller, DBH cutoffs that trigger extra county protection.
Protected Tree: Any Tree having a Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) of eight (8) inches or greater, excluding Exempt Trees. Native Southern red cedar (Juniperus silicicola) and Sand live oak (Quercus geminata) with a DBH two (2) inches or greater shall be a Protected Tree whenever it occurs on lands lying east of the Intracoastal Waterway, Tolomato River or Matanzas River. Any Tree preserved or planted to meet the requirements of this Code becomes a Protected Tree, regardless of size.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Article XII defines a Protected Tree as any tree with a Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) of 8 inches or greater, excluding exempt trees, but Native Southern red cedar (Juniperus silicicola) and Sand live oak (Quercus geminata) count as Protected Trees at just 2 inches DBH on land east of the Intracoastal Waterway, Tolomato River or Matanzas River. Sec. a meeting that species' minimum DBH becomes a Specimen Tree, with thresholds ranging from 7 inches for Flowering Dogwood and 13 inches for Bald Cypress up to 48 inches for Live Oak and 58 inches for Sweetgum.
Sec. 1 lets a Historic Tree be designated through an applicant's plat or site plan submission, a property owner's request with expert evaluation, or a county-initiated program, with final designation by the Board of County Commissioners. Sec. A requires a county permit before removing any Protected Tree, and Specimen and Historic Trees cannot be impacted at all unless the County Administrator finds good cause based on a certified arborist's alternative plan. Sec. C exempts routine landscape maintenance, agricultural and silvicultural removal, FAA-required airport clearance, and single-family lots of one acre or less from the permit requirement, though Historic and Specimen Trees on those lots still need Administrator approval unless diseased or a threat to the house.
A tree posing immediate peril may come down without an advance permit if the owner files written notice with photographs within three weeks for a retroactive permit.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 4.01.05.B makes it unlawful to remove or damage a Protected Tree, or clear land, without a valid county permit, or to build without first erecting Tree Protection Barricades around a preserved tree's Protected Area. Under Sec. 4.01.05.F.1.b(3)(a), lost Protected Tree inches must be replaced through new plantings or paid into the county's Tree Bank fund at $100 per tree inch, and every site must still carry a minimum of 40 tree inches per acre after construction is finished.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size tree counts as protected in unincorporated St. Johns County?
Are oak and cedar trees near the coast held to a different standard?
Can I remove a Specimen or Historic Tree from my property?
What happens if I cut down a protected tree without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Johns County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare St. Johns County to another location·View the Florida tree protection overview
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