Indian Shores Tree Removal Permits and Tree Ordinance Guide
Last reviewed October 5, 2026. Next review due April 5, 2027. By Forest, Property Intelligence Specialist, Ken's Tree Service.
Do you need a tree removal permit in Indian Shores?
Indian Shores calls it a tree permit: Town Section 102-38 requires a County permit for removal of a tree on the County protected species list, while Section 102-36 adopts the County tree ordinance with amendments. Town Sections 102-38 and 102-36. The adopted County size test generally protects trees at least 4 inches DBH and palms at least 6 feet tall; removal, effective removal or transplanting of protected trees requires a permit unless exempt. See the protected-trees section and guidance-versus-code discussion for the qualifications and conflict. County Section 58-813(a) and (b). The deciding office remains unresolved because code and guidance conflict. County tree permit guidance.
Use our Pinellas County city-or-county permit hub to understand the jurisdiction question. The practical starting point is to confirm the property jurisdiction, ask both offices to identify the deciding office and applicable requirements, then obtain the required authorization before work.
Why does Indian Shores adopt the County tree ordinance?
The Town adopts the County ordinance “with amendments thereto,” and the current County article applies within incorporated and unincorporated areas, excluding County-maintained rights-of-way from the article's general coverage and giving a conflicting municipal ordinance priority. Town Section 102-36 and County Section 58-809.
This is a preservation framework, not an automatic removal approval: County Section 58-813 prohibits unauthorized removal or effective removal of protected trees and sets rating-based removal criteria. County Section 58-813(a) and (b)(3).
The County's Article XIX was enacted by Ordinance No. 26-3, effective upon filing January 23, 2026; that date belongs to the County instrument, not every older Town landscaping or penalty provision. Filed Ordinance No. 26-3.
Which trees and palms are protected?
The adopted County size tests, subject to the homestead provision, state-law route and unresolved Town species-list wording, protect trees at least 4 inches DBH measured 4.5 feet above ground and all palm species at least 6 feet tall, not only cabbage palms. County Section 58-813(a)(1) to (3) and Town Section 102-38.
The County defines a tree as a self-supporting woody perennial, single- or multiple-stemmed, that will reach at least 10 feet in height with one or more stems at least 4 inches DBH; its definition also includes trees planted, relocated or replaced under the article and any mangrove or buttonwood specimen. County Section 58-807, Tree.
There are two important uncertainties, not permission to disregard protection:
Palms exactly 6 feet tall: Section 58-813(a)(2) says “six feet in height or larger,” but the definition says “more than six feet”; both texts remain in the code. County Sections 58-813(a)(2) and 58-807, Tree.
Qualifying homestead property: Section 58-813(a)(3) uses DBH greater than 24 inches only where the property has a Pinellas County Property Appraiser homestead exemption and an existing detached single-family residence actively used for single-family residential purposes; the text does not expressly explain the interaction with its separate all-palms rule. County Section 58-813(a)(2) and (3).
The Town tree article itself sets no numerical size threshold or palm threshold; its protected-species-list trigger sits beside the adoption of the amended County size-based ordinance, and this guide does not decide that conflict for a particular property. Town Sections 102-36 to 102-40 and 102-38.
How is tree diameter measured?
The County defines DBH as diameter in inches measured 4.5 feet above the substrate, and its operative tree trigger specifies 4.5 feet above ground. County Section 58-807, DBH and 58-813(a)(1).
For an accessible trunk, circumference at that height divided by 3.14 gives an approximate diameter: 12.56 inches circumference corresponds to 4 inches DBH, and 75.36 inches corresponds to 24 inches DBH. These are arithmetic conversions, not separate legal thresholds; the qualifying-homestead wording is greater than 24 inches DBH, not 24 inches or larger. County Section 58-813(a)(1) and (3).
Do not climb, enter traffic or approach an unstable tree to measure it. Ask the deciding office how it wants multiple stems, unusual trunk form or inaccessible trees documented.
Are dead trees, emergencies or invasive trees exempt?
Dead or dying trees are not automatically outside the County permit process: Grade 0 trees may be removed with an approved permit, with no replant trees or minimum-landscape requirement under that rating, subject to an applicable exemption or the separate state-law route. County Section 58-813(b)(3), Table 58-813(a).
The Town disaster provision lets the building official waive its tree article after a hurricane, windstorm, flood, freeze or other disaster only upon finding that the waiver is necessary so restoration work is not impeded; it does not expressly say that the official can waive an independently administered County permit. Town Section 102-40.
For invasive species, a no-fee permit is not the same as no permit: County Section 138-3653 expressly requires no-fee permits for removing nuisance and invasive species, while the rating table treats them as Grade 0. County Section 138-3653 and 58-813(b)(3).
Use the County's current nuisance and invasive plant list rather than a short informal list; it includes Tier I and Tier II species and incorporates additional invasive species by reference. The Town separately excludes Australian pine, punk and Brazilian pepper from its required landscape plantings. County Section 138-3653 and Town Section 110-442.
Does pruning a private tree require a permit?
Under the adopted County Article XIX, ordinary private-tree pruning short of effective removal does not itself require a tree permit, but pruning that effectively removes a protected tree requires a permit unless exempt; mangroves, preservation land, rights-of-way and required landscaping retain their separate restrictions. County Sections 58-813(b) and 58-807, Effectively remove, Town Sections 110-278(2), 106-36(b) and 110-443.
Effective removal means removing branches, foliage or stems so severely that natural function and form are impacted, including topping, defoliating or excessive root pruning; the definition directs use of current professionally accepted pruning standards to avoid that result. County Section 58-807, Effectively remove.
In the Town's Preservation district, unauthorized trimming or removal of vegetation is expressly prohibited. The nuisance provision concerning damaged growth over 12 feet that endangers people or surrounding property is not written as a tree-permit exemption. Town Sections 110-278(2) and 34-112(13).
Who may apply, including an HOA or company?
The County tree application procedure requires enough information to evaluate the activity, including a tree survey, risk assessment, proof of ownership or authorization and other requested information; a Town site-plan applicant who is not the owner must furnish two copies of an owner-signed affidavit designating the applicant as agent. County Section 58-813(b)(1)a. and Town Section 18-55(1)d..
If you manage an HOA common area or company property, ask the deciding office which authorized signatory and owner authorization it requires rather than using an individual owner's homestead exemption. The County's published application requires its owner section and its agent section when an agent, representative or contractor is used. County habitat and tree management application.
When does Florida Statute 163.045 apply?
Florida Statute 163.045 limits local regulation only when the owner of a qualifying residential property possesses the specified documentation that the tree poses an unacceptable risk and removal is the only practical means of mitigating that risk below moderate; a dead tree, a homestead exemption or an unsigned opinion alone does not meet that statutory test. Florida Statute 163.045(1) and (2).
Property: A detached single-family building on a lot actively used for single-family residential purposes, conforming to local land development regulations or legally recognized as a nonconforming use. Section 163.045(1)(b).
Documentation: An onsite assessment performed and signed by an ISA-certified arborist or, in the statute's words, a “Florida licensed landscape architect,” using the named Best Management Practices, Tree Risk Assessment, Second Edition (2017). Section 163.045(1)(a).
Local restrictions: When the statutory conditions are met, local government cannot require notice, application, approval, a permit, a fee or mitigation for pruning, trimming or removal. Section 163.045(2).
Replanting: Local government cannot require replanting after removal under the statute. Section 163.045(3).
Mangroves: The statute does not apply to exercise of delegated authority for mangrove protection under Sections 403.9321 to 403.9333. Section 163.045(4).
This property definition does not reach commercial premises, multifamily buildings, institutional sites or HOA common areas as such. The statute's assessment credentials are not credentials claimed by Ken's Tree Service. Section 163.045(1)(a) and (b).
What changes when mangroves or shoreline vegetation are involved?
Mangrove trimming has a separate regulatory route: the County identifies its Division of Environmental Management as administering mangroves through state delegation, and its mangrove page says trimming requires a qualifying exemption or permit, with 727-453-3385 for questions. County tree guidance and County mangrove guidance.
Florida Statute 403.9324 authorizes local delegation and limits mangrove alteration or trimming to one permit within a delegated jurisdiction; do not infer that this eliminates unrelated development, wetland or federal approvals. Florida Statute 403.9324(2).
Town Section 106-36(b) requires all applicable permits and approvals before cutting, trimming or removing native vegetation in its listed marine wetland and mangrove areas; it still names the former Departments of Environmental Regulation and Natural Resources, whose existing legal authorities and actions were transferred to the Department of Environmental Protection by the 1993 law. Town Section 106-36(b) and Chapter 93-213, Laws of Florida, Section 3(3).
For coastal high hazard areas, Town Section 86-73 requires Department of Environmental Protection approval and the prescribed engineering analysis showing no increase in potential flood damage. The mangrove setback is 6 feet from the outermost branches for buildings, structures, paving or improvements, except a boardwalk leading to an approved dock. Town Sections 86-73 and 110-327(6).
Shoreline stabilization should use dunes and native vegetation wherever practicable, and Town Section 110-340 requires a dune preservation zone addressing destruction of native vegetation if a dune system develops after beach renourishment. These rules concern the particular site's conditions, not an assumption that every Indian Shores lot contains mangroves. Town Section 110-340.
For Town landscaping, native species should be used wherever possible and salt-tolerant species on waterfront property wherever practicable. These are the stated qualifications, not an absolute all-native planting requirement. Town Section 110-445.
What are the penalties for unauthorized tree removal?
Town and County penalties are different enforcement provisions, not a verified cumulative bill for an Indian Shores property; Town Section 102-37 incorporates its general conviction penalty and treats each unlawfully removed protected tree as a separate offense. Town Section 102-37 and County Section 58-810.
Provision | Codified consequence and limits |
|---|---|
Town 1-16(a) | Where no specific penalty is provided, conviction can bring a fine up to $500, imprisonment up to 60 days, or both at the judge's discretion; each continuing day is a separate offense. Section 1-16(a). |
Town 2-208(a) | Special magistrate proceedings can impose up to $250 per day after the compliance date for a first violation or up to $500 per day for a repeat violation on the stated findings; an irreparable or irreversible violation can bring up to $5,000 per violation. Section 2-208(a). |
Town 2-213 | An uncontested citation uses a separate Council resolution schedule; a contested citation has a maximum $500 civil penalty determined by the special magistrate. Section 2-213. |
County 58-810(c) | Unauthorized removal or effective removal carries $150 per DBH inch paid to the tree bank, and replant requirements still apply; Ordinance No. 26-3 became effective on filing January 23, 2026. Section 58-810(c) and filed Ordinance No. 26-3. |
Town money figures are reproduced from the codified provisions, not presented as a verified current citation schedule; effective dates for those historical penalty amounts and the resolution setting uncontested citations were not located in the Town records reviewed October 5, 2026. Town Sections 1-16, 2-208, 2-213 and Town records.
A Town special-magistrate fine order may become a recorded lien, but the article bars foreclosure of that lien on constitutionally protected homestead real estate; after three months with an unpaid lien, the magistrate may recommend foreclosure or a money judgment. County remedies include replacement or tree-bank payment, withholding permits for unresolved violations, stop-work orders and qualifying after-the-fact permits, with joint and several liability for contributing persons and specified property interests. Town Section 2-208(c) and (f) and County Section 58-810(a) and (b).
How are removal ratings and replacement trees determined?
The County system rates trees outside wetlands and native vegetative communities from Grade 0 to Grade 3, with County staff making the final determination even when the applicant supplies a qualified professional's rating. County Section 58-813(b)(2).
The table summarizes the code's complete rating descriptions and permitted-action tests; it is not a way to self-approve removal. County Section 58-813(b)(3), Table 58-813(a).
Grade | Rating description | Removal and replacement test, subject to applicable exemptions |
|---|---|---|
0, Poor | Dead or dying, nuisance or invasive; poor vigor and foliage density, extensive dieback; serious or multiple significant defects such as uprooting or splitting that actions will not improve or mitigate; condition below 40%. | Approved permit; no replants; no minimum-landscape requirement under this rating. |
1, Fair | Reduced vigor; dieback, defoliation or dead branches up to 40% of crown; potentially significant pest or disease damage; significant single or multiple moderate defects; major form deviation; correction impractical or requiring multiple treatments over years; condition 40% to 59%. | Approved permit; replants and minimum landscaping. |
2, Good | Normal vigor; no significant pest or disease damage; minor dieback, defoliation or discoloration; well-developed structure; minor correctable defects and health disorders; minor form deviation; condition 60% to 79%. | Approved permit when interfering with proposed or existing improvements or utilities, or threatening public health, safety or welfare as verified by County staff; replants and minimum landscaping. |
3, Excellent | Native tree in excellent condition, no visible decay, less than 10% deadwood and no significant structural defects; historic, unusual or rare trees; also hardwoods over 36 inches DBH and softwoods under 20 inches DBH otherwise Grade 2, exactly as written; condition at least 80%. | Permit when preventing development of or access to a lot, interfering with utilities, or removal necessary for public health, safety or welfare as verified by County staff; replants and minimum landscaping. |
For removed Grade 1 to 3 trees, the default is replacement on the same site using this schedule. County Section 58-813(b)(4), Table 58-813(b).
Removed DBH in inches | Grade 1 replants | Grade 2 replants | Grade 3 replants |
|---|---|---|---|
4 to 14 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
14.1 to 24 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
24.1 to 34 | 3 | 6 | 9 |
Greater than 34 | 4 | 8 | 12 |
Trees with trunks within a proposed building footprint are exempt from replanting only where impacts are unavoidable and feasible removal alternatives do not exist; that is not a permit exemption. A replant centered in a native community at least 10 feet in diameter with at least two other native plant species receives double credit, provided 80% coverage is achieved within one year. County Section 58-813(b)(4)a. and c..
Nuisance or invasive removal not otherwise required by Section 138-3653 can earn these replant credits, with regrowth prevented. County Section 58-813(b)(5), Table 58-813(c).
Nuisance or invasive tree DBH in inches | Replant credits |
|---|---|
4 to 14 | 1 |
14.1 to 24 | 2 |
24.1 to 34 | 3 |
Greater than 34 | 4 |
Replant type | Inspection specification | Composition limits |
|---|---|---|
Trees | At least 1.5 inches DBH per stem and 6 feet overall height. | An additional species for every 10 required replants; canopy-enhancing small, medium and large trees; small trees no more than 25% of required trees. |
Palms | At least 6 feet overall height. | No more than 25% of required trees. |
The specifications require approved Section 138-3664 species, exclude Section 138-3653 nuisance and invasive species, require Florida Grade No. 1 or better and at least 60% native tree species; a market-shortage DBH reduction needs the specified administrative approval. County Section 58-814 and Table 58-814(a).
Where onsite replanting is infeasible, the County text allows a Board-set tree-bank contribution; it also allows specified transplanting or planting alternatives, including planting on a different owner's property within the same jurisdiction, with owner or HOA written permission where stated. Tree-bank payment is not an option to purchase removal approval, and dead establishment-period replants must be replaced within 30 days. County Section 58-813(b)(6) and (7) and 58-812(e).
What changes for commercial property or an HOA common area?
For existing commercial, multifamily, institutional and HOA common-area property, the County's general 4-inch DBH and all-palms 6-foot tests apply subject to the unresolved Town wording and relevant exemptions; the homestead detached-residence provision and Section 163.045 do not establish an exemption for those uses. County Section 58-813(a) and Florida Statute 163.045(1)(b).
The County replant schedule is rating-based, not a separately published commercial replacement table, and its tree-bank rate is Board-set rather than specified numerically in Section 58-813(b)(6). A current Indian Shores nonresidential tree application fee and current fee-in-lieu rate were not confirmed in the records reviewed October 5, 2026; request the instrument and effective date from the deciding office. County Section 58-813(b)(4) and (6) and County tree application guidance.
If a tree belongs to an approved landscape plan, continued landscaping maintenance remains an owner, tenant and agent responsibility; ask the Town to identify the plan-change approval before altering that required landscape. Sections 110-442 and 110-443 do not themselves state a standalone tree-removal plan-amendment procedure. Town Sections 110-442 and 110-443.
What must development and construction preserve?
All new projects must preserve at least 50% of existing native onsite vegetation, with onsite relocation allowed for reasonable development only if necessary preservation steps are taken; landscape-plan approval precedes consideration of a building-permit application. Town Sections 102-39 and 110-442.
If you are building a pool, adding to a building, redeveloping or demolishing, separate permit categories include pools, demolition, grading, filling, excavation and landscaping; site-plan review generally applies to a new structure, substantial improvement, footprint change or exterior-appearance change, subject to the section's exceptions and the building official's specified determination. Town Sections 18-53(a) and 18-55.
The Town also lists landscaping valued above $750 when not covered by general permit activity; the records reviewed do not confirm whether ordinary tree removal or replacement planting requires that permit alongside the tree permit. Ask the Building Department to decide the scope rather than treating that valuation line as a tree-removal exemption. Town Section 18-53(b)(3).
Plans, credentials and permit sequencing
Submittal | What the Town provision requires |
|---|---|
Site-plan survey | Two copies, signed, sealed and dated within the six months before application by a “state-licensed land surveyor,” in the code's words, including protected vegetation locations. Section 18-55(1)a., item 7. |
Detailed site plan | Three copies with architect's certification, including buildings, pools, drainage, paved areas and the other listed improvements. Section 18-55(1)b.. |
Landscape plan | Three copies prepared according to Chapter 110; this paragraph does not itself specify an arborist or landscape-architect credential. Section 18-58(4). |
Outside approvals | Applicable state or County right-of-way entrance approvals and one copy of each required federal, state, County and district permit or approval. Section 18-58(13) and (14). |
“Protected vegetation” is used in the survey provision but is not separately defined in the supplied Town code; do not substitute a guessed survey definition. Town Section 18-55(1)a.7..
The County tree-survey definition requires preparation by a qualified professional, with species, DBH, locations and applicable ratings; its professional definition includes a certified arborist, certified landscape architect, professional forester, professional wetland scientist or similarly trained and experienced individual qualified to assess tree health. This is separate from the narrower state-law documentation credential. County Section 58-807, Tree survey and Qualified professional.
All necessary Town and appropriate federal, state, district or County permits must precede development work, including grading, filling, excavation, dredging and paving. Section 82-1 excludes tree and grubbing permits from “development permits” only for its concurrency definition, not from the obligation to obtain necessary approvals. Town Sections 18-51 and 82-1.
Town landscaping points and buffers
New construction, additions and substantial improvements receive Town committee review under Section 110-337(b); the landscaping rule requires at least two palms for every 40 feet of street frontage, 550 points per acre of buildable area prorated for smaller portions, or 650 for buildings over 50 feet, with at least half the points for trees, at least half from native vegetation and no more than 25% for sod. Town Section 110-337(b) and (b)(9)a. to c..
Preserved vegetation | Size band or area | Points |
|---|---|---|
Large or medium trees | Up to and including 4 inches DBH | 15 |
Large or medium trees | Greater than 4 through 8 inches DBH | 30 |
Large or medium trees | Greater than 8 through 16 inches DBH | 45 |
Large or medium trees | Greater than 16 inches DBH | 60 |
Small trees | At least 6 feet tall | 10 |
Palms | At least 6 feet tall | 10 |
Removal of undesirable species in preserved areas | 500 square feet | 10 |
The preserved-credit table is Town Section 110-337(b)(9)d.; its DBH bands award landscape points, not permission to remove a protected tree. Town Section 110-337(b)(9)d..
Planted vegetation or material | Points | Associated landscaped area |
|---|---|---|
Large or medium native tree | 10 | 100 square feet |
Large or medium nonnative tree | 5 | 100 square feet, shared cell with native trees in the source |
Small tree | 5 | 20 square feet |
Palm | 5 | 50 square feet |
Sod | 5 per 100 square feet | No separate area cell |
Hedges or shrubs | 10 per 100 square feet | No separate area cell |
Native vegetation | 10 per 100 square feet | No separate area cell |
The planted-credit table is Town Section 110-337(b)(9)e.; Town open area is 20% for buildings up to 30 feet, 25% over 30 feet and 30% over 50 feet, with approved landscaping plans. Town Sections 110-337(b)(9)e. and 110-332.
Special Town buffer | Tree or planting requirement and scope |
|---|---|
Specified wireless facilities east of Gulf Boulevard on institutional or transportation/utility property | If the building official requires the buffer, shade trees at least 3 inches DBH every 20 feet, leaf-to-leaf hedges reaching at least 8 feet at maturity, evergreen landscaping, and drought-tolerant or irrigated plants maintained for viability. Section 110-457, opening and (7) to (9). |
Travel park | Landscaped strips at least 35 feet along public roadways and 15 feet along other boundaries, except boundaries adjoining another travel park or waterfront; a plant or structural screen at least 75% opaque and 6 feet high, with newly planted screens meeting those standards within 12 months of opening. Section 58-11. |
Gulf Boulevard and intersections | Gulf-parallel planting other than spaced trees should stay at or below 3 feet above grade; intersection landscaping must preserve unobstructed cross-visibility. Sections 110-446 and 110-444. |
The County tree article cross-references minimum landscaping in Sections 138-3658 and 138-3659, but County Chapter 138's general review applicability is unincorporated property; do not automatically substitute the entire County commercial-buffer system for Town Chapter 110. Ask both offices which cross-referenced minimum applies to the proposed Indian Shores approval. County Sections 58-813(b)(3)a. and (4)b. and 138-75.
These County tables are provided to explain that cross-reference, not to declare them unconditional Town requirements. Section 138-3658 caps the minimum at 15 trees, allows one tree per individual mobile-home-park lot, and sets completion before certificate of occupancy or final inspection where applicable. County Section 138-3658(a).
County residential lot size in square feet | Minimum trees |
|---|---|
Up to 2,500 | 1 |
2,501 to 5,000 | 2 |
5,001 to 7,500 | 3 |
7,501 to 10,000 | 4 |
Greater than 10,001, exactly as written | 4 plus one per 3,000 |
The last County row leaves exactly 10,001 square feet unstated; this guide does not repair that boundary. County Section 138-3658(a)(1).
County preserved-tree DBH in inches | Minimum-landscape credits |
|---|---|
4 to 14 | 1 |
14.1 to 24 | 2 |
24.1 to 34 | 3 |
Greater than 34 | 4 |
These credits come from Table 138-3658.b, not the Town's point table. County nonresidential and multifamily tree-bearing landscape dimensions are summarized separately here. County Sections 138-3658(a)(2) and 138-3659(a).
County feature, if required for the approval | Tree-bearing standard |
|---|---|
Surface-parking perimeter | At least 5 feet wide, 3 landscape trees per 100 linear feet, continuous shrubs or ornamental grasses at least 2 feet high spaced no more than 30 inches on center; may combine perimeter areas. |
Interior islands for parking lots over 10 spaces | Islands every 24 spaces on average and at each row end; at least 8 feet wide and 150 square feet; 1 tree per 150 square feet or fraction above half, at least 1 per island; nonturf ground cover or ornamental grasses reaching 100% coverage within 2 years. |
Divider medians for lots over 250 spaces | Along access drives, parking abutting drives and at least half of abutting parking rows; at least 4 feet wide, 3 trees per 100 linear feet and a continuous hedge. |
Street-facing fence or wall | Continuous hedge and 3 trees per 100 linear feet or fraction; may combine perimeter areas. |
County Section 138-3659 also governs fence-side plant placement, equipment screening, foundation planting and buffer averaging; its allowed alternatives need approval, and Section 138-3658 allows a monetary alternative for up to 40% of residential landscape trees at a Board-set rate. Ask the offices to reconcile those County cross-references with the Town plan rather than mixing the standards. County Sections 138-3659(a)(4) to (7) and (b) and 138-3658(b).
Clearing, construction protection and completion
Clearing and grading trees or wetlands must comply with other Town and state rules; except clearing necessary to establish approved sediment controls, clearing waits until sediment controls and best management practices are installed and stabilized, and construction-access stabilization precedes clearing. Town Section 86-133(c)(6)a. and c., and (c)(10)c..
Required state or district stormwater or environmental-resource coverage and proof to the Town precede clearing or construction; identified contractors and subcontractors must sign the erosion-plan certification before site activity. Town Section 86-133(b)(4) and (c)(3).
The County tree permit may condition retention on barricades, protected trees remaining unless authorized, final inspections and interval monitoring; it may expire 90 days after issuance unless otherwise noted, with written extensions. That paragraph supplies no numerical barricade height or setback, and no universal replacement-completion date for every Indian Shores project. County Section 58-813(b)(8).
For a pool or construction project, have the Town identify tree barricade placement, root-zone restrictions, inspection milestones, replant deadlines and any certificate-of-occupancy condition in the approved documents. The County minimum-landscape section sets completion before certificate of occupancy or final inspection where that section applies; its application to an Indian Shores approval needs confirmation rather than assumption. County Section 138-3658.
The Town's current permit checklist requires contractor insurance documentation naming the Town as certificate holder, a state credential copy, workers' compensation documentation or exemption, owner and contractor signed and notarized applications, and itemized labor and material valuation; do not assume a tree-only application uses every building-permit requirement. Town permit submittal checklist.
How do you apply for an Indian Shores tree permit, and what does it cost?
The current fee for an Indian Shores tree-only application was not confirmed as of October 5, 2026: the County code requires a Board-set application fee, while the Town's current August 19, 2026 schedule has no tree-permit line and does not settle the deciding office. Confirm the tree fee, any landscaping permit and applicable payment instrument with both offices before submitting. County Section 58-813(b)(1) and Town fee schedule.
Confirm jurisdiction: Use the County's My Neighborhood address lookup, not a postal-city label.
Resolve the route: Contact the Town Building Department at 19305 Gulf Boulevard, Indian Shores, FL 33785, 727-474-7786, permits@myindianshores.com, and the County Tree Desk at 727-464-3480, treepermit@pinellas.gov; ask who accepts and decides the tree application for the parcel and whether a separate Town landscaping application is needed. Town Building Department and County tree permit guidance.
Obtain current forms: The Town's posted permit application is headed “FLOODPLAIN DEVELOPMENT PERMIT APPLICATION,” alongside its June 2024 submittal checklist; the County posts a habitat and tree management application, but neither posted form proves the tree-only route for Indian Shores. Town application, Town checklist and County application.
Prepare the deciding office's package: Supply its requested survey, tree identification, ownership or agent authorization, proposed activity and development plans; Town development projects use the site-plan and landscape requirements described here. County Section 58-813(b)(1)a. and Town Section 18-55.
Use the confirmed submission route: Town registrations and permits use its permit portal, reached through the Building Department; County environmental applications use the County Access Portal instructions, with application and site plan uploaded as instructed. Do not submit to both portals merely because the public descriptions conflict.
Obtain authorization and conditions: Check the issuer, approved trees, authorized activity, fees, replants, protection, inspection and expiry terms before work; Town development cannot begin without necessary agency permits. County Section 58-813(b)(8) and Town Section 18-51.
For Town development, Resolution No. 13-2026 adopted the Building Department fee schedule effective August 19, 2026: site-plan review is $2,500 plus additional review costs, and sitework is $30 plus $9 per $1,000 of total valuation; these are not quoted as tree-only fees. The June 2025 site-plan form instead describes $500 for each subsequent site plan after the first two, so ask the Town which additional-cost basis applies. Current schedule, August 19 Council minutes in the September 9 packet and site-plan application.
Town Section 18-54(10) imposes double the normal permit fees for permit-required work begun without the Town permit, with an emergency exception subject to the building official's approval; its codified historical provision does not establish the price of a tree-only application. Town Section 18-54(10).
Where do the Town code and government guidance disagree?
The law is the enacted ordinance and applicable statute, not a simplified web page, but neither the Town's old species-list references nor the County's narrower service guidance can be silently discarded. Town Sections 102-36 and 102-38 require reading the adopted amendments alongside the older County department and lists; the amended County article uses size tests and Section 138-3664 approved replant species instead. Town Sections 102-36, 102-38 and County Sections 58-813(a) and 58-814(a)(1).
The County news release likewise says the new rules apply to unincorporated Pinellas County, Belleair Bluffs and Belleair Shore, while Section 58-809 says incorporated and unincorporated property subject to municipal conflicts. Obtain the offices' written route and interpretation for an Indian Shores address rather than choosing whichever wording seems simpler. County news release and County Section 58-809.
Is the property actually in Indian Shores?
Check the parcel in Pinellas County My Neighborhood before applying; Indian Shores and Indian Rocks Beach are distinct municipalities, not interchangeable names. The Town code also identifies separate adjacent communities for development notices. Town Section 18-55(1)f..
Related reading, not authority for Indian Shores law, includes our unincorporated Pinellas County guide, Indian Rocks Beach guide, Redington Shores guide and Belleair Bluffs guide. Use each place's own jurisdictional process.
What about Gulf Boulevard, Town streets and utility work?
Gulf Boulevard is a state highway with its road and drainage system operated by the Florida Department of Transportation, according to the Town's stormwater page; Town Section 66-1 accepts public streets except state-owned roads. Start with the responsible road authority, not the assumption that a roadside tree belongs to the adjacent homeowner. Town stormwater page and Town Section 66-1.
Town right-of-way construction applications require a restoration plan covering landscaping and irrigation, and disturbed rights-of-way and private property must be restored at the registrant's expense; failure to restore within 30 days, or a longer reasonably required period, can lead to Town restoration charges. Town Sections 66-33(a)(12) and 66-38(a) and (b).
County-maintained rights-of-way are excluded from Article XIX's general coverage but tree removal there still needs an approved permit; this does not authorize private utility work or identify the permit for a state-maintained Gulf Boulevard tree. For state-right-of-way work, ask the Town and FDOT to identify the required authorization for the proposed activity. County Section 58-809 and Town Section 18-58(13).
Can you appeal or seek a variance?
The actual appeal route and deadline for an Indian Shores tree-permit decision depend on the confirmed issuer and decision authority; this guide does not substitute the Town zoning appeal for an unidentified tree-permit appeal. Town Section 110-63 applies to decisions under Chapter 110 and allows an appeal to the Board of Adjustment within 30 days after rendition. Town Section 110-63(a).
A final Town special-magistrate administrative order has a different route: circuit court within 30 days after execution, limited to review of the magistrate's record, not a new hearing. County tree-rule modifications refer to Chapter 138, Article II, Division 7; Town zoning variances are limited to the stated numerical zoning provisions, not a blanket waiver of tree permits. Town Sections 2-209, 110-84(a) and County Section 58-811.
What does the Town tree code not specify?
The supplied whole Town code was searched October 5, 2026 for DBH, palms, pruning, hatracking, topping, arborists, Section 163.045 and protected vegetation; Chapter 102 contains no numerical tree or palm test and no standalone ordinary-pruning permit rule, and the survey phrase “protected vegetation” has no separate definition in that export. That is an absence in the Town text, not an absence from the adopted County law or state law. Town Chapter 102 and Section 18-55.
What was searched but not confirmed?
The October 5 review of the Town Building Department pages, posted forms, fee schedule, Council agenda packets and available embedded minutes, and the County tree pages, code, fee material and meeting records did not confirm the Indian Shores tree decision-maker, separate landscaping-permit interpretation, current tree-only fees or tree-bank rate, actual tree-permit appeal deadline, or current Town uncontested-citation resolution. These remain questions for the offices, not invented rules. Town Building Department, Town Agenda Center and County tree permit guidance.
Sources and scope
This guide uses the supplied Indian Shores Supplement 62 export, codified through Ordinance No. 2025-09, alongside the County's current Article XIX and the Florida statute; the Town's codification banner is not proof that no later legislation exists. Town 2026 agenda packets include later ordinances, while a complete independent reconciliation of every adopted ordinance and minute, including forthcoming agendas, remains unconfirmed. Town code, Town Agenda Center and County tree code.
This is a regional documentary reference, not a determination for a particular tree or project. The deciding offices must identify the applicable permits and conditions.
Where does this leave your tree or project?
A tree may be a candidate for removal or pruning, but candidacy is not authorization. For Indian Shores, take the parcel and proposed activity to the Town Building Department and County Tree Desk to resolve who decides and which approvals apply.
Ken's Tree Service has worked since 1996 from Tarpon Springs, across approximately 20 miles covering north Pinellas County, west Pasco County and the northwest corner of Hillsborough County.
This Indian Shores guide is a regional reference, not an offer to perform work there; for projects within our service area, our number is 727-934-5804. For questions about the code, as distinct from a permit decision for a particular property, talk with our website agent, the chat on this page.