Tallahassee & Leon County Tree Removal Permits: What the Rules Actually Say
A sourced reference for homeowners. Every threshold, form and statute on this page links to the government document it came from — so you can check it yourself before you cut anything.
Call (858) 319-0022Last verified 24 September 2026. Sourced from the City of Tallahassee tree removal permit application, Leon County Environmental Services, and the 2026 Florida Statutes. Where a figure could not be confirmed against a primary document, this page says so rather than guessing — see what we could not verify.
First: which government do you answer to?
This is where most Tallahassee tree advice goes wrong. The City of Tallahassee and unincorporated Leon County are two separate permitting authorities with two different rulebooks. A threshold that is correct for one can be flatly wrong for the other.
Confusingly, both offices sit at the same street address — 435 N. Macomb Street. They are still different agencies.
| If your property is… | Authority | Rulebook | Who to ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inside Tallahassee city limits | City of Tallahassee, Growth Management — Land Use & Environmental Services (LUES) | City Land Development Code / Environmental Management Ordinance | (850) 891-7001, Option 4 |
| In unincorporated Leon County | Leon County Development Support & Environmental Management (DSEM), Environmental Services | Leon County Land Development Code | Environmental Service Advisor, (850) 606-1300 |
Sources: City of Tallahassee Tree Removal Permit Application (LUES Form AP-TREE_REMOVAL) · Leon County Environmental Services
Inside city limits: the seven permit triggers
The City’s own Tree Removal Permit Application lists exactly seven categories that trigger a permit. This is the City’s list, reproduced as it appears on the form:
| # | Trigger | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | State Recognized Patriarch Tree | Any property |
| 2 | 36″ DBH or greater | Single-family detached residential only |
| 3 | Wetland tree of any size | Any property |
| 4 | Trees over 4″ DBH in the lot perimeter zone | Excluding single family |
| 5 | Dogwood 4″ DBH or greater | Excluding single family |
| 6 | Hardwood or longleaf pine 12″ DBH or greater | Excluding single family |
| 7 | Other trees 18″ DBH or greater | Excluding single family |
Source: City of Tallahassee Tree Removal Permit Application, “Tree Removal Type” field. Form AP-TREE_REMOVAL dated 09/07/2016; the form states previous editions are obsolete.
The single most important line on this page. If you own a standard single-family detached house in the City, the number that applies to you is 36 inches DBH — not 18. Categories 4 through 7, including the widely quoted 18-inch figure, are all marked “excluding single family” on the City’s own form.
DBH means diameter at breast height. A 36-inch-diameter trunk is roughly 113 inches — about 9 feet 5 inches — around. If a tape around the trunk reads under about 113 inches, trigger #2 is not met. That is a large tree; most yard trees are nowhere near it.
This cuts both ways. A 40-inch live oak on a single-family lot does need a permit, and “I didn’t think I needed one” is not a defence.
Where the “18 inch” claim comes from — and why it misleads homeowners
You will find “18 inches” repeated across Tallahassee tree pages. It is not invented; it is real, and it is being applied far outside its scope.
The figure appears in City Commission Policy 702, the Tree Removal Policy. Three things about that document matter:
- It was adopted in 1991 and last revised 9 September 1992 — over thirty years ago.
- By its own terms it applies “at any time a City Department has reason to remove a tree… from City property.” It governs City departments removing trees on City land. It does not set the threshold for your yard.
- It carries a five-year sunset-review provision.
So a real document, on a real government website, is routinely quoted as though it set the residential permit threshold. It does not. For a single-family home in the City, the operative figure on the current application form is 36 inches.
Source: City Commission Policy Manual No. 702, Tree Removal Policy — see 702.02 (purpose), 702.04 (definitions), 702.08 (sunset).
Unincorporated Leon County: there is no single number
If you are outside city limits, be sceptical of any page that gives you one threshold. Leon County does not publish one. Asked directly whether residents can cut down trees on their own property, the County answers:
The County’s position is that the answer is site-specific. The factors it names are:
- Canopy Road Protection Zones
- Wetlands
- Floodplains
- Lake Special Development Zones
- Areas of significant or severe slope
- Other conservation and preservation areas
- The zoning of the property, which dictates how much removal is allowed
Tree removal in the unincorporated county is generally handled through an Environmental Management Permit or a Vegetation Management permit, the latter described by the County as the document used to identify specific tree removal or other vegetation control.
The County also states that a tree documented by a Certified Arborist to be a safety hazard may be removed without a permit.
Because it genuinely depends on your parcel, the useful step is to call the County’s Environmental Service Advisor on (850) 606-1300, whose stated job includes telling you whether a permit is required on your specific property.
Source: Leon County Environmental Services FAQ · Environmental Services division page
The state hazard-tree law: Fla. Stat. §163.045
Florida law overrides local permitting for genuinely hazardous trees on residential property. This statute is real, current, and more narrowly drawn than almost anyone quoting it admits. It was enacted in 2019 and amended in 2022, so older summaries of it are out of date.
Four conditions all have to hold. Miss any one and the exemption does not apply:
| Condition | What the statute actually requires |
|---|---|
| Property type | A single-family, detached building on a lot actively used for single-family residential purposes, and a conforming or legally recognised nonconforming use. Duplexes, commercial property, vacant land and HOA common areas are outside it. |
| Who signs | Only an ISA-certified arborist or a Florida licensed landscape architect. The assessment must be signed. A tree company’s own opinion is not documentation. |
| The risk standard | Not “dead” and not “looks dangerous.” Removal must be the only means of practically mitigating the tree’s risk below moderate, assessed under Best Management Practices – Tree Risk Assessment, Second Edition (2017). |
| Timing | The owner must possess the documentation. Getting an assessment after the tree is down does not retroactively create the exemption. |
Where it does apply, it is strong: the local government may not require a permit or fee, and under §163.045(3) may not require you to replant.
Source: Fla. Stat. §163.045, Official Internet Site of the Florida Legislature (2026 Florida Statutes; history s.1 ch.2019-155, s.1 ch.2022-121).
Canopy roads: the override that catches people out
Tallahassee’s canopy roads carry their own protection zone, and it is wide. The City’s tree removal application directs anyone removing a tree within 100 feet of the road centerline to contact a Growth Management Environmental Inspector directly, on (850) 891-7001, Option 3, rather than simply filing the standard form.
A hundred feet from the centerline reaches well into front yards along these corridors. If you are near a canopy road, check this before anything else — it can apply to a tree that is under every size threshold on this page.
Source: City of Tallahassee Tree Removal Permit Application. Leon County separately lists Canopy Road Protection Zones among the factors determining whether a county permit is needed.
How to apply, and what you need
City of Tallahassee
Applications are handled by the Land Use & Environmental Services Division. The printable form is marked “for reference only” — live submissions go through the City’s permit portal.
- Confirm which trigger applies from the seven-category table above.
- If the tree is within 100 feet of a canopy road centerline, call (850) 891-7001 Option 3 first.
- Submit through the City of Tallahassee permit portal.
- Choose a compensation type: fee-in-lieu-of, tree replanting, or trees preserved on site. If replanting, the size, quantity, species and location must be shown on the site map.
- Expect a reviewer decision of approved or denied, with any special conditions attached to the permit.
The City’s submittal checklist requires all of the following, in PDF, using its standard file-naming convention:
| Document | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Ownership Affidavit | Completed and notarised. If multiple parcels have different owners, one affidavit per parcel/owner. |
| Location Map | Shows the site and major cross streets; defines the site boundary. |
| Site Plan | Tree location(s), species and size. |
| Mitigation Narrative Plan | Number of trees to be removed and how tree debits will be resolved. |
| Arborist Letter | If applicable — may include arboricultural mitigation or similar assessment. |
The form also asks whether the application follows enforcement action for work done without a permit; if so, the Notice of Violation must be attached. The standard form caps a single application at ten trees.
Sources: Tree Impact/Removal Submittal Requirements Checklist · Tree Removal Permit Application. City LUES office: 435 N. Macomb Street; mailing 300 S. Adams Street, Box B-28, Tallahassee FL 32301.
Unincorporated Leon County
- Call the Environmental Service Advisor on (850) 606-1300 and describe the parcel. This is the step the County itself points residents to.
- Establish whether any site-specific factor applies — canopy road zone, wetland, floodplain, lake Special Development Zone, slope, conservation or preservation area, or a zoning limit.
- If a permit is needed, apply through tlcpermits.org or the County’s Accela portal, typically as an Environmental Management Permit or Vegetation Management permit.
What we could not verify
Several figures that circulate widely could not be confirmed against a primary document at the time of writing. Rather than repeat them, we are listing them as open:
- Current application fees. The City’s 2016 form prints a $273 application fee. We could not confirm that against a current fee schedule, and fee schedules go stale. Leon County’s published fee schedule PDF is dated 2022. Confirm the fee with the relevant office before budgeting.
- A numeric Leon County threshold. Some pages state a flat 12-inch county rule. The County’s own FAQ declines to give a single threshold and calls it site-specific, so we do not publish one.
- The definition of a “State Recognized Patriarch Tree.” It is named as trigger #1 on the City form but not defined there.
- The exact count of designated canopy roads. The 100-foot protection distance is documented; a specific number of roads is often quoted but we could not confirm it from a primary source.
- Full ordinance text. The City’s Environmental Management Ordinance and the Leon County Land Development Code are published on a third-party code library that could not be retrieved directly. Section numbers cited elsewhere for these provisions are therefore unconfirmed here.
Ordinances get amended and fee schedules get revised. Anything on this page that matters financially or legally to you should be confirmed with the City or County directly — the phone numbers above are the fastest route.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Tallahassee?
Is the 18-inch rule real?
Can I remove a dead or dangerous tree without a permit?
If I use the state hazard exemption, do I have to plant a replacement?
What does a permit cost?
How do I know whether I’m in the city or the county?
What happens if I remove a protected tree without a permit?
Need the permit question answered for your actual tree?
Tell us the address and the trunk size and we’ll point you to the right office — and connect you with a local tree service if you need the work done.
Call (858) 319-0022Sources
- City of Tallahassee, Tree Removal Permit Application, LUES Form AP-TREE_REMOVAL, dated 09/07/2016. Permit trigger categories, canopy road contact, compensation types, ten-tree cap, printed fee.
- City of Tallahassee, Tree Impact/Removal Submittal Requirements Checklist. Required documents.
- City of Tallahassee, City Commission Policy Manual No. 702, Tree Removal Policy, adopted 13 Nov 1991, last revised 9 Sep 1992. Scope and the 18-inch definition.
- Leon County, Environmental Services: Frequently Asked Questions. County position on tree removal, site-specific factors, certified arborist hazard removal.
- Leon County, Environmental Services division. Jurisdiction, permit types, Service Advisor contact.
- Florida Legislature, Fla. Stat. §163.045, Tree pruning, trimming, or removal on residential property, 2026 Florida Statutes. History: s.1 ch.2019-155; s.1 ch.2022-121.
This page is published by Tallahassee Tree Service, a referral service that connects Leon County property owners with local tree companies. We are not a licensed arborist or a law firm and this is not legal advice. Verify anything decision-critical with the City or County directly.