Permits & Protected
County rules vary. Mangroves are federally and state protected. Get the paperwork right.
Do You Need a Permit to Remove a Tree in Florida? Exemptions, Rules & Fees by Jurisdiction (2026)
Most Southwest Florida yard trees come out without a permit. FS 163.045 clears a hazardous tree anywhere in the state on a signed arborist report, and seven SWFL jurisdictions exempt ordinary single-family lots outright. Exemptions first, then the permit and the fee — every rule linked to the statute, county page, or application form it came from.
Read →Florida's Mangrove Trimming Law (the MTPA Explained)
When you can trim, when you can't, and the difference between MTPA-certified work and unlicensed cutting.
Read →Protected Species in Florida
Mangroves, sea grapes, eagle-nest trees, and county-specific protections.
Read →Getting HOA Pre-Approval for Tree Work
What to submit, who decides, and how to avoid a fine after the fact.
Read →Sarasota County, Sarasota, Venice, North Port & Longboat Key Tree Removal Permits (2026): Exemptions, Rules & Fees
Three of these five jurisdictions exempt ordinary single-family lots outright, Sarasota County requires no permit at all to trim a tree on private property, and FS 163.045 clears a hazardous tree in all five. Exemptions first, then triggers, verified fees, the reviewing office, and the actual application forms.
Read →Manatee County & Bradenton Tree Removal Permits (2026): Exemptions, Rules & Fees
No permit is required to remove a tree from your own back or side yard in unincorporated Manatee County, and none for nuisance exotics. Where a Tree Removal Permit does apply it is $144. Bradenton exempts most palms outright and charges no application fee for dead, dying, or infrastructure-damaging trees. Every rule linked to the county page, the city form, or the statute.
Read →Charlotte County & Punta Gorda Tree Removal Permits (2026): Rules, Exemptions & Fees
Charlotte County requires no permit to trim or prune your own trees, none for dead trees, none for Category I or II invasives taken by hand, and none within 6 ft of a construction footprint. Where the permit does apply it is $70 plus $1 per caliper inch. Punta Gorda charges nothing. Every rule linked to the county's own brochures, application packages, and code.
Read →Lee County, Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs & Estero Tree Removal Permits (2026): Exemptions, Rules & Fees
Lee County and Bonita Springs exempt single-family lots of 5 acres or less and regulate only listed species — most yard trees are outside the code entirely. Cape Coral has no separate permit on an existing house lot. Exemptions first, then Fort Myers, then Estero, with the code sections and application documents linked.
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