Pinellas County consolidated its tree rules into a new ordinance effective January 23, 2026, and the county's own pages have not all caught up. What is protected at four inches, why every palm over six feet now needs a permit regardless of species, the 24-inch homestead exception and exactly who qualifies for it, the state law route that can replace the permit entirely, the rating system that decides whether a healthy tree can come out at all, and the eight steps to apply.