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Do You Need a Permit to Remove a Tree in Unincorporated Pasco County, Florida?

Forest
4 days ago
30 min read

Published September 26, 2026. Last reviewed September 26, 2026. Next review due March 26, 2027. By Forest, Property Intelligence Specialist, Ken's Tree Service.

If your address is in unincorporated Pasco County, the county's Land Development Code applies to it, and yes, a homeowner with an existing house does need a county Tree Removal Permit to remove any tree five inches in diameter at breast height (DBH) or larger, unless one of the code's listed exemptions applies. The code states it in one sentence, Section 802.3: "A Tree Removal Permit is required for the removal of all five-inch diameter at breast height (DBH) or greater trees, except in the following circumstances:" None of the listed circumstances is an exemption for an existing single-family or owner-occupied home. The exemptions that matter most to a homeowner are every palm, and every pine other than long-leaf pine, on a single-family lot unless it is part of an adopted replanting plan or landscaping plan; exotic and invasive species, with a condition on exotics; and the Florida Statute 163.045 route, which the county restates in its own code.

Key facts, verified September 26, 2026

Where the rule applies: "all land in unincorporated Pasco County", with a carve-out for registered commercial growers on nursery, botanical garden and tree farm premises (Section 802.2)

Operative text: Land Development Code Section 802, Tree Preservation and Replacement, enacted by Ord. No. 26-08, adopted March 24, 2026

Code codified through: Ordinance No. 26-19, adopted May 19, 2026 (Supp. No. 21, Update 1)

Permit threshold: Five-inch DBH or greater, for every tree not covered by an exemption (Section 802.3)

Existing-home exemption: None. The subsection headed "Single-Family Residential Lots with Existing Homes" contains only the FS 163.045 route

Palms: Every palm species exempt on single-family lots, unless part of an adopted replanting plan or landscaping plan. No height test and no clear-trunk test

Pines: Every pine except long-leaf pine exempt on single-family lots, with the same plan condition

Replacement on an individual lot: One replacement tree for each tree removed, unless exempt under Section 802.3.J (Section 802.5.B.4)

Residential permit fee: Not published in the fee resolutions located

Citation civil infraction maximum, per violation: "The maximum penalty for such a civil infraction shall not exceed $500.00 per violation plus all applicable costs or by imprisonment in the county jail not to exceed 60 days or both a fine and imprisonment." (Code of Ordinances Sec. 1-11). Violations multiply: "When a tree is damaged by acts/omissions prohibited by this section, separate violations (or counts) may be charged for each inch of the tree measured at DBH." (Section 802.8.E), and "Each day that the violation continues shall constitute a separate violation." (Section 108.1)

Permitting office: Building Construction Services, (727) 847-8126

Whose rules apply to an address in Pasco County but outside a city?

The county's tree rules reach every unincorporated parcel. Section 802.2 of the Pasco County Land Development Code reads: "This section shall apply to all land in unincorporated Pasco County, except for the activities of registered commercial growers on the premises of plant or tree nurseries, botanical nurseries, botanical gardens, or tree farms, or where exempt pursuant to this section."

The county code does not reach inside a city on its own. Section 103.1 reads: "Except where otherwise provided for in this Code, the provisions of this Code apply to all land where any portion is within the jurisdiction of unincorporated Pasco County. [...] Other provisions of this Code may apply to incorporated areas of the County pursuant to an interlocal agreement between the County and a municipality(ies)."

The US Census Bureau's TIGERweb places service lists six incorporated places inside Pasco County: New Port Richey, Port Richey, Zephyrhills, Dade City, San Antonio and St. Leo. If your parcel is inside one of them, this article does not describe your rules, because the county's Section 802 applies there only where an interlocal agreement provides for it.

A familiar community name is not the same as a city. The same Census service lists Trinity and Bayonet Point as Census Designated Places, and the Census Bureau's geography glossary says: "Census Designated Places (CDPs) are the statistical counterparts of incorporated places, and are delineated to provide data for settled concentrations of population that are identifiable by name, but are not legally incorporated under the laws of the state in which they are located." Trinity and Bayonet Point are therefore not incorporated. A CDP boundary is statistical, though, so an individual address still needs the parcel check below.

How to check your own address

  1. Look up the parcel on the Pasco County Property Appraiser site. Its FAQ says each parcel's jurisdictional authority is shown underneath the parcel detail's Legal Description, and to contact the jurisdiction shown there.

  2. Or open the county's PascoMapper GIS viewer, linked from the county's GIS services page.

  3. If the parcel shows as unincorporated Pasco County, the rest of this article is written for you. If it shows a city, contact that city.

If your property is across the county line in Pinellas County, Pasco's Section 802 does not reach it, and our Pinellas County tree removal permit guide covers that county's rules on its own sources.

Does the permit reach a homeowner with an existing house?

Yes. The permit requirement in Section 802.3 is not limited to development, clearing or site plans. It reaches the removal of every tree five inches DBH or greater on unincorporated land, and apart from the Section 802.2 carve-out for the activities of registered commercial growers on nursery, botanical garden and tree farm premises, the only way out of it is one of the ten listed exemptions, A through J, set out in full below. None of the ten exempts an existing home as such.

The code also writes a separate track for exactly this reader. Section 802.5.B is headed "Individual Tree Removal and Replacement for Lots Not Associated with a Development Proposal", and it opens: "B. Individual Tree Removal and Replacement for Lots Not Associated with a Development Proposal. 1. Application Requirements. Applications for Tree Removal Permits not in association with a development proposal, shall be submitted on the forms and in the manner prescribed by the County Administrator or designee."

Two things are easy to misread here.

  • Section 802.3.J is headed "Single-Family Residential Lots with Existing Homes", but it is not a general existing-home exemption. Its only content is the state route under Florida Statute 163.045, explained in its own section below.

  • An older rule is still in circulation. The 2022 version of Section 802 (Ord. No. 22-23) carried text limiting permits on single-family lots with existing homes to trees greater than five inches DBH. The editor's note to the current Section 802 records that Ord. No. 26-08, adopted March 24, 2026, repealed the former Section 802 and enacted a new one. The current Section 802.3.J, under the same heading, contains only the FS 163.045 route. Third-party pages still quote the repealed wording.

How does the county decide whether a removal is approved?

Section 802 opens with its purpose, in Section 802.1: "It is the intent and purpose of this section to preserve, manage, and protect existing native and non-invasive trees on site and as a valuable community resource. [...] A list of native trees can be found within the Development Manual."

For a lot not associated with a development proposal, Section 802.5.B.2 lists what the county weighs:

"2. Criteria to Allow Removal. The following shall be considered by the County Administrator or designee when determining whether to approve a request for tree removal: a. Proximity to Structures. Whether the tree or root system is determined to be detrimental to the integrity of a structure or proposed structure's foundation. b. Thinning. Whether the removal of the tree would be beneficial to the enhanced growth of other trees on site. c. Safety. Whether the tree poses a hazard and the hazard cannot be eliminated through other means, such as trimming. d. Condition of Tree. Whether the tree is dead; irreversibly diseased; insect ridden; or weakened by age, storm, fire, or other natural causes or act of God rendering it beyond saving. When this condition is field verified by an ISA Certified Arborist or a Florida Licensed Landscape Architect, tree replacement is not required. e. Not Viable in Future. If the tree will be damaged or killed by required site grading, excavation, and/or fill."

These are criteria the county considers, and the decision is the county's. The Development Manual that Section 802.1 points to for the native tree list is not part of the codified text and was not located for this article.

Which trees count?

The code's definition of a tree, in Appendix A, is short: "Tree. A perennial, woody plant." The permit line is size, not species: five inches DBH or greater, unless an exemption applies.

DBH has its own definition in Appendix A: "Diameter at breast height (DBH). The diameter, in inches, of a tree measured at 54 inches above the natural grade. The diameter of multiple-trunked tree(s) shall be added together for this measurement."

Which palms need a permit in unincorporated Pasco?

On a single-family lot, no palm of any species needs a Tree Removal Permit, unless the palm is part of an adopted replanting plan or landscaping plan. The exemption covers the whole palm family, not only Cabbage/Sabal palm, and it carries no height test and no clear-trunk test. So the common belief that only sabal palms need a permit does not hold in unincorporated Pasco: on a single-family lot, sabal palms are exempt along with every other palm, and Section 802 does not name the cabbage palm or sabal palm anywhere in its tree rules. Section 802.3.H reads:

"H. Palms and Pines. Any tree of the palm family or pine family (other than long-leaf pine) on single-family lots, unless part of an adopted replanting plan or landscaping plan."

Three limits on that answer:

  • Off a single-family lot, the palm exemption does not apply by its own words. The only other threshold in the division is the general five-inch DBH line in Section 802.3. The code does not say how DBH applies to a palm, and the county has not resolved it, so ask the county before a palm on any other kind of property comes down.

  • A palm in an adopted replanting plan or landscaping plan is not exempt, even on a single-family lot.

  • The ten-foot clear-trunk figure in the code is a planting standard, not a removal threshold. Section 802.7.A.9 governs palms planted as replacements: "9. Palm trees may be substituted for shade trees in the following scenarios: a. When a shade tree is not viable due to space constraints; b. The criteria for Section 905.2 of this Code cannot be met; c. For lots adjacent to artificial waterways. The rate of substitution shall be three palm trees, grouped together, for one shade tree. Exceptions may be made for the Phoenix (not including Roebellini), which may be planted individually. Palms must have a minimum of ten feet of clear trunk at the time of installation." That governs palms being planted, never palms being removed.

The pine half of the same exemption works the same way: every pine except long-leaf pine is exempt on a single-family lot, unless part of an adopted replanting plan or landscaping plan. A long-leaf pine five inches DBH or greater is not exempt under 802.3.H.

Heritage trees

Appendix A defines a heritage tree: "Heritage tree. A Quercus virginiana (Live Oak), 34 inches DBH or larger or a Magnolia grandiflora (Southern Magnolia), 24 inches DBH or larger with a condition rating of good or better as determined by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) condition rating system." The heritage class drives the replacement ratio on developments and non-residential lots (inch for inch, under Section 802.7.C) and the preservation credits on development sites.

Trees of special significance

Section 802.9 creates a separate class, designated one tree or group at a time by resolution of the Board of County Commissioners. The designation can only be started by the property owner of the trees, or by County staff if the trees are on County property, and one of the listed grounds is that "It is a specimen or grand tree, which is a tree of high value to the community because of its type, size, age, exceptional characteristics, or other relevant criteria." Removing a designated tree of special significance requires a permit, a site inspection, and a written evaluation by an ISA Certified Arborist or a Florida Licensed Landscape Architect demonstrating that removal is necessary to avoid immediate peril to life and/or property, and/or that the condition of the tree warrants removal; the removal must be approved by the Board, and the Board sets the replacement. "Grand tree" appears in the code only inside this designation route.

Does a dead tree need a permit?

None of the ten exemptions in Section 802.3 is for a dead tree. A dead tree appears in Section 802.5.B.2.d instead, as one of the conditions the county considers when deciding whether to approve a removal, and that criterion says that when the condition is field verified by an ISA Certified Arborist or a Florida Licensed Landscape Architect, tree replacement is not required. Separately, the Code of Ordinances makes certain dead trees the owner's duty to deal with, covered under enforcement below.

How to measure your own tree

The county's own Tree Removal Checklist gives the method in two steps: "Measure the trunk circumference (distance around the trunk) at 54 inches above ground level" and "Divide this number by 3.14 to get the diameter of the tree."

  1. Wrap a tape measure around the trunk at 54 inches above the ground.

  2. Divide the circumference by 3.14.

  3. For a tree with more than one trunk, measure each trunk and add the diameters together, because the code's DBH definition says the diameters of multiple-trunked trees "shall be added together for this measurement."

The five-inch line works out to a circumference of about 15.7 inches. For a single-trunk tree, a trunk that measures less than that around at 54 inches is under the permit threshold, and a trunk that measures that or more is at or over it, unless an exemption applies. For a tree with more than one trunk, the circumference test does not work trunk by trunk: add the diameters together as in step 3 and compare the total with five inches, so a tree whose trunks each measure under 15.7 inches around can still be at or over the threshold.

What is exempt?

Section 802.3 lists ten exemptions, A through J, in the county's exemptions subsection. Each one below is taken from the code's own words.

A. Utilities. "A. Utilities. Removal by agents of a utility for overhead and underground utilities service, including distribution, collection and transmission lines, and pipelines subject to the following limitations: 1. Pruning or trimming a tree inconsistent with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) 300A 2001, as amended, is prohibited. 2. Removal of trees 18 inches DBH and larger within utility corridors and/or easements shall require notification, prior to removal, via email to the County Administrator or designee and notification to the property owner and/or occupant at least three business days prior to removal." For a homeowner, that means a utility removing a tree 18 inches DBH or larger in a utility corridor or easement must notify the owner or occupant at least three business days ahead.

B. County Maintenance. County maintenance projects that the County initiated or fully or partly funded, including County road and drainage projects, maintenance projects and land management projects.

C. and D. Management plans. Projects under a management plan approved by a federal, state or local agency or water management district for removing undesirable invasive or exotic vegetation on land owned, controlled or managed for conservation, excluding vegetation in surface waters, wetlands and wetland buffers; and activities consistent with a management plan adopted, or reviewed and approved in writing, by the County, where the activity furthers the natural values and functions of the ecological communities present, such as clearing firebreaks for prescribed burns.

E. Fencing. This is the exemption a homeowner is most likely to use, and every condition must be met: "E. Fencing. The minimal removal of trees necessary to install a fence or wall defining a property line, provided that all of the following conditions are complied with: 1. The fencing or wall is not related to the requirements of a development plan; 2. The path cleared for the fence does not exceed ten feet in width; 3. No equipment heavier than a one-ton pickup truck, handheld outdoor power equipment, or a standard farm tractor is used in clearing the fence or installing the fence; 4. No dredge or fill activity is required other than the installation of posts and fence materials; 5. Fences shall not be installed in wetlands unless otherwise constructed pursuant to applicable regulations; and 6. Trees within wetlands and their associated buffers shall not be removed, unless otherwise authorized by other provisions of this Code."

F. Survey. "F. Survey. The necessary removal of vegetation by, or at the direction of, a State of Florida licensed professional surveyor and mapper, professional geologist, or professional engineer to conduct a survey, provided that no tree of special significance tree is removed and the path cleared does not exceed ten feet in width." The doubled word "tree" is in the code itself.

G. Exotic and invasive species. "G. Exotic Species (provided the tree is not part of a required landscape plan or tree permit plan) and Invasive Species." An exotic tree is exempt only when it is not part of a required landscape plan or tree permit plan; an invasive tree is exempt without that condition. Section 802 itself names no species list. Appendix A defines the term: "Invasive vegetation or Invasive plant species. These are plant species that are known to spread extensively and uncontrollably in natural and disturbed areas, creating a negative impact on the ecosystems by propagating so aggressively they pose economic or environmental threats and cause a detrimental effect, overtake, or displace beneficial native vegetation and fauna." Separately, the county's Comprehensive Plan Policy CON 1.8.6 says: "Pasco County shall utilize the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council's list of exotic nuisance plant species, as amended, that are likely to occur in Pasco County." That is a planning policy, not a permit rule.

H. Palms and Pines. Every palm, and every pine except long-leaf pine, on single-family lots, unless part of an adopted replanting plan or landscaping plan. Covered in full in the palm section above.

I. Bona fide agricultural land. "I. Bona Fide Agricultural Land. 1. Exemption Qualification. Tree removal on lands classified as bona fide agricultural land for ad valorem taxation purposes pursuant to Section 193.461, Florida Statutes, or proposed for bona fide agricultural purposes after prior written notice to the County Administrator or designee, except that such activity must be done in compliance with applicable Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD), Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC), United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) regulations, and Best Management Practices (BMPs)." The same subsection says the exemption does not apply to tree removal within wetlands except under conditions it lists, and that the exemption expires when a Site Development application (Section 403) or an Operating Permit (Section 404) is submitted, again except under conditions it lists. Those listed conditions are not reproduced in this article, so read 802.3.I in full before relying on the agricultural exemption.

J. Single-Family Residential Lots with Existing Homes. The Florida Statute 163.045 route, covered in its own section below.

The county's Residential Tree Removal submittal page says Pasco County does not have a lot clearing permit of any kind, and no lot clearing permit appears in the code. That does not make clearing unregulated: the tree permit requirement in Section 802.3 still applies to every tree it reaches.

What pruning or damage is prohibited outright?

Section 802.8.E prohibits four things, and each inch of trunk can be charged as a separate count: "E. Activities Prohibited. When a tree is damaged by acts/omissions prohibited by this section, separate violations (or counts) may be charged for each inch of the tree measured at DBH. The following are prohibited: 1. Irreversible damage to a tree. 2. Pruning or trimming any tree (except invasive) in a manner inconsistent with ANSI Pruning Standards, Section A300 2001, as amended, which is incorporated by reference. 3. Topping of any tree. 4. Damaging, in any manner, any tree located on public lands."

The code does not describe any permit that authorises these acts. Topping is defined in Appendix A: "Topping. The cutting back of tree branches to stubs or lateral branches that are not large enough to assume the terminal role. Other names for topping include heading, tipping, hat-racking, and rounding over." Appendix A also incorporates the pruning standard by reference: "For the purposes of this Code, ANSI references relate to the American National Standard for Tree Care Operations, Trees, Shrubs, and Other Woody Plant Maintenance, Standard Practices (ANSI A300-2001, as amended), which is incorporated herein by reference." Pruning that follows that standard is not one of the prohibited acts, and the permit requirement in Section 802.3 is written for removal. The ban on topping applies to any tree; the pruning standard applies to any tree except an invasive one.

Florida Statute 163.045: the state route

Florida Statute 163.045 is a state law that stops a local government from requiring a permit for a tree on residential property when the owner holds a specific kind of documentation. In unincorporated Pasco it matters because the county permit does reach existing homes; the state route is only relevant where a county permit would otherwise be required, so for a palm or non-long-leaf pine that is already exempt on a single-family lot there is no county permit for it to displace.

The county restates the route in its own code, Section 802.3.J: "J. Single-Family Residential Lots with Existing Homes. Pursuant to Section 163.045, Florida Statutes, a single-family property owner may submit documentation of an onsite assessment performed consistent with said Section by an ISA Certified Arborist or a Florida Licensed Landscape Architect demonstrating that the tree poses an unacceptable risk to persons or property. The County may request a copy of said documentation after a tree is removed." That is the only place the county's code cites the statute.

Every condition the statute sets

The route is available only when all four of these are true.

  1. The property is residential property as the statute defines it. Subsection (1)(b):

    (b) "Residential property" means a single-family, detached building located on a lot that is actively used for single-family residential purposes and that is either a conforming use or a legally recognized nonconforming use in accordance with the local jurisdiction's applicable land development regulations.

    The building must be single-family and detached, the lot must be actively used for single-family residential purposes, and the use must be conforming or legally recognized nonconforming.

  2. The owner possesses documentation from an arborist certified by the ISA or a Florida licensed landscape architect, under subsection (2).

  3. The documentation is an onsite assessment, performed to a named standard and signed. Subsection (1)(a):

    (1) For purposes of this section, the term: (a) "Documentation" means an onsite assessment performed in accordance with the tree risk assessment procedures outlined in Best Management Practices - Tree Risk Assessment, Second Edition (2017) by an arborist certified by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) or a Florida licensed landscape architect and signed by the certified arborist or licensed landscape architect.

    The assessment must be performed onsite, following the procedures in Best Management Practices - Tree Risk Assessment, Second Edition (2017), by an ISA certified arborist or a Florida licensed landscape architect, and signed by that same person. A letter that was not based on that onsite assessment is not documentation under the statute.

  4. The documentation shows the tree poses an unacceptable risk to persons or property, as the statute defines it. Subsection (2) sets the test: "A tree poses an unacceptable risk if removal is the only means of practically mitigating its risk below moderate, as determined by the tree risk assessment procedures outlined in Best Management Practices - Tree Risk Assessment, Second Edition (2017)."

The consequence of that test is direct: a structurally sound tree does not qualify, and neither does a tree whose risk can practically be brought below moderate by some means other than removal. The route is for a tree where removal is the only practical way to get its risk below moderate.

What the statute gives, and what it does not reach

Where every condition is met, subsection (2) says: "(2) A local government may not require a notice, application, approval, permit, fee, or mitigation for the pruning, trimming, or removal of a tree on a residential property if the property owner possesses documentation from an arborist certified by the ISA or a Florida licensed landscape architect that the tree poses an unacceptable risk to persons or property."

Subsection (3) bars replanting: "(3) A local government may not require a property owner to replant a tree that was pruned, trimmed, or removed in accordance with this section." The county's own individual-lot replacement rule, Section 802.5.B.4, exempts trees removed under Section 802.3.J.

Subsection (4) sets the scope limit: "(4) This section does not apply to the exercise of specifically delegated authority for mangrove protection pursuant to ss. 403.9321 - 403.9333 ." The mangrove section below covers what the record shows for unincorporated Pasco.

The statute's history line reads "s. 1, ch. 2019-155; s. 1, ch. 2022-121." The operative law is FS 163.045 as amended, and Section 802.3.J cites the statute correctly.

Ken's Tree Service does not sign this documentation itself. Where a homeowner wants it, the signed report is something we arrange as part of the job.

What replacement is owed?

For a lot not associated with a development proposal, Section 802.5.B.4 reads: "4. A replacement tree shall be required to be planted for each tree removed unless otherwise exempt pursuant to Section 802.3.J." Section 802.7.A.2 sets the size of a replacement tree: "2. Trees shall be equal to or greater than two inches in caliper. Multiple-trunk trees shall be equal to or greater than two inches in caliper with a minimum of three trunks."

The code does not settle every case, and a homeowner should know where it leaves a gap. It carries two different replacement triggers:

  • Section 802.5.B.4, above: one replacement for each tree removed, unless exempt under 802.3.J. Separately, Section 802.5.B.2.d says replacement is not required when a dead, irreversibly diseased, insect-ridden or weakened tree's condition is field verified by an ISA Certified Arborist or a Florida Licensed Landscape Architect.

  • Section 802.7.B: "B. Tree Replacement Standards After Development. A replacement tree shall be required to be planted for each tree removed, where the removal will result in fewer beneficial trees remaining on the lot in accordance with Section 905.2.D.1.a, unless otherwise exempt pursuant to Section 802.3.J."

The table 802.7.B points to is Section 905.2, Table 905.2-C, the minimum number of shade trees to be planted or retained on a residential lot:

Size of lot (square feet): 6,000 or less. Minimum number of shade trees: 2

Size of lot (square feet): 6,001 to 8,999. Minimum number of shade trees: 2

Size of lot (square feet): 9,000 to 11,999. Minimum number of shade trees: 3

Size of lot (square feet): 12,000 to 14,999. Minimum number of shade trees: 4

Size of lot (square feet): 15,000 to 17,999. Minimum number of shade trees: 5

Size of lot (square feet): 18,000 to 43,559. Minimum number of shade trees: 6

Size of lot (square feet): 1 acre to under 2.5 acres. Minimum number of shade trees: 8

Size of lot (square feet): 2.5 acres to under 5 acres. Minimum number of shade trees: 6 per developable acre

Size of lot (square feet): 5 acres and larger. Minimum number of shade trees: 4 per developable acre

Section 905.2.D.1.b adds: "b. This requirement does not apply to lots of record existing before February 26, 2002." Which trigger governs an existing home lot is not stated in the code, and the county has not resolved it. Ask the county which replacement rule it will apply before the tree comes down.

The county's guidance is not consistent on this either. The current Tree Removal Checklist says all tree removal permits start with an automatic replant, and that the permit has an open window of 30 days for removal and replanting. The older Residential Tree Removal submittal document says both that replacement applies only on commercial parcels with a landscape plan approved by Current Planning and that all permits have a replanting requirement unless an exemption is granted. The first of those two statements contradicts Section 802.5.B.4.

Section 802.7.D.2 covers a site that cannot fit its replacement trees: "2. If the applicant demonstrates to the satisfaction of the County Administrator or designee that a site cannot accommodate the total number of replacement trees required by this section as a result of insufficient planting area, the applicant shall provide a monetary contribution to the Tree Mitigation Fund at the rate established by resolution of the Board of County Commissioners (BCC)." That rate is not in the code, and the resolution was not located for this article.

What does the permit cost?

The code does not set tree permit fees; Section 107 says: "The BCC is authorized to adopt, by resolution, all necessary fees to administer, implement, and enforce this Code." The county's Resolution 24-030 fee schedule lists tree removal for non-residential property at $50 per tree, plus $30 if an inspection is required, and a Right-of-Way Use Permit serving tree removal at $50. A residential Tree Removal Permit fee was not located in that schedule, so confirm the residential fee with Building Construction Services.

How to apply

  1. Confirm the parcel is unincorporated, using the Property Appraiser lookup above.

  2. Measure each tree you are thinking about at 54 inches and check the exemptions. A tree under five inches DBH, or one that falls inside an exemption, needs no Tree Removal Permit.

  3. Use the county application. The county application form is titled "30 DAY TREE REMOVAL PERMIT APPLICATION", allows up to five trees per parcel, requires notarization and carries a deed restriction notice. The form's revision date, 11/10/16, predates Ord. No. 26-08, and no newer revision was located.

  4. Apply through PascoGateway, the county's online portal: PascoGateway. The county's guide to filling out a Tree Removal Permit has an Applicant/Contractor section for when a professional or an authorized agent pulls the permit on the property owner's behalf.

  5. Sequence it with any other permit. The same guide says that if the reason for removal involves another permitted project, the tree removal permit cannot be issued before the other permit or permits are issued.

  6. Contacts. Building Construction Services, 8661 Citizens Drive, Suite 100, New Port Richey 34654, (727) 847-8126, and the tree permit email [email protected].

The code sets no review clock for an individual tree permit. The county's Residential Tree Removal submittal page reports an average review time for the month of 3 to 4 business days, which is a county guidance figure and not a codified deadline.

Building, subdividing or developing?

If the tree removal is part of a development, a different track applies. Section 802.5.A reads: "A. Development Plan Applications. Approval to remove trees shall be part of the overall development approval and shall only be allowed after the development approval is granted. Applications shall include the following documentation: 1. Tree Survey. A tree survey shall be provided, identifying all trees ten inches DBH and larger." It also requires a tree plan: "3. Tree Plan. A tree plan shall be prepared or approved by an ISA Certified Arborist, or a Florida licensed Landscape Architect as authorized by Chapter 481, Florida Statutes, as amended, or other type of professional as approved by the County Administrator or designee shall be submitted."

Development sites also carry a canopy preservation standard under Section 802.4.A: "A. Tree Canopy Preservation Standards. For the purpose of calculating the existing tree canopy, the DBH of a tree shall be used as a proxy for the coverage of the tree's canopy. Sites shall preserve a minimum of 20 percent of the total number of inches of upland trees surveyed on the property, ten inches DBH and larger. [...] For the purposes of tree canopy preservation standards, minor rural subdivisions, redevelopment projects, commercial sites five acres and smaller, and industrial sites are exempt from the standards in this subsection of the Code." That is a development rule, not a homeowner rule.

In Northeast Pasco, the scenic roadway corridor and rural residential standards in Sections 604.4 and 604.5 apply, under Section 604.2.A, to development or redevelopment of three or more residential units, not to an individual existing lot.

What happens if a tree is removed without a permit?

The county's enforcement tools are in the Land Development Code and the Code of Ordinances.

  • Fines and jail. Code of Ordinances Sec. 1-11 sets the codified ceiling for a citation: "A code enforcement officer does not have to provide the person with a reasonable time period to correct the violation prior to issuing a citation and may immediately issue a citation if a repeat violation is found or if the code enforcement officer has reason to believe that the violation presents a serious threat to the public health, safety, or welfare, or if the violation is irreparable or irreversible. [...] The maximum penalty for such a civil infraction shall not exceed $500.00 per violation plus all applicable costs or by imprisonment in the county jail not to exceed 60 days or both a fine and imprisonment." The officer does not have to give time to correct a violation that is irreparable or irreversible.

  • A count per inch. Under Section 802.8.E, when a tree is damaged by a prohibited act, separate violations may be charged for each inch of the tree measured at DBH.

  • Each day counts. Section 108.1 says: "Each violation of this Code shall be a separate offense. Each day that the violation continues shall constitute a separate violation."

  • The fine schedule. Code of Ordinances Sec. 1-6 makes the Pasco County Uniform Fine Schedule, including court costs, the sole schedule of fines when ordinance violations are prosecuted in county court. The schedule itself, and any tree violation class in it, was not located.

  • Who can be held responsible. Section 108.2: "The owner, tenant, or occupant of any land or structure or part thereof, and any architect, builder, contractor, agent, or other person who participates in, assists, directs, creates, or maintains any situation that is contrary to the requirements of this Code, or any person otherwise responsible as provided elsewhere in this Code, may be held responsible for the violation and be subject to the penalties and remedies provided for in this Code." The tree service that does the cutting is exposed along with the owner.

  • Permits withheld. Section 108.5: "County officials authorized to issue development approvals including, but not limited to, Building Permits and Certificates of Occupancy, may withhold such approvals from any person found to be in violation of this Code or in violation of any prior, unexpired, development approval issued in accordance with the provisions of this Code."

  • Injunctions. Section 108.3 lets the Board or any aggrieved person seek remedies in law and equity, including injunctive relief.

  • Permit conditions count too. Section 108.12 lists "Failing to observe any condition of any permit or approval" and "Failing to pay required fees" among the acts and omissions that constitute a violation.

The Code of Ordinances also puts a duty on owners for some dead trees. Sec. 42-1 opens: "It shall be the duty of the owner of any lot, tract, or parcel of land within the unincorporated areas of the county to reasonably and effectively control and prevent nuisances or threats to the public health, safety and welfare as described in subsection (1) below." Among those nuisances it lists "Dead, decaying, or irreversibly damaged trees that pose an actual threat of collapse into rights-of-way." The section sets the charge as the actual costs of correcting the offending condition(s), plus a penalty in the amount equal to the costs or $75.00, whichever is greater, plus administrative costs.

Can a denial be reconsidered or appealed?

Section 802 writes one route for a denied individual request, Section 802.5.B.3: "3. Denied Requests. In circumstances where the request to remove a tree or trees is denied by the County Administrator or designee, the applicant may supply additional information from an ISA Certified Arborist or a Florida Licensed Landscape Architect for review."

Beyond that, Section 407.1 limits appeals to final determinations, and lists administrative final decisions related to an application for development as appealable to the Planning Commission within 30 days. The code does not say whether a tree permit denial is a final determination; under 407.1.A that depends on what the written decision says. Read the decision letter, and ask the county, before a deadline passes.

Trees in the county right-of-way

A tree in a county-owned right-of-way is a different permit. Section 406.5.B reads: "B. Applicability. This section shall apply to all construction activity; temporary use or closure of the right-of-way, such as for a sporting event; and the removal, placement, installation, or location of structures, facilities, or landscaping in or above (overhead facilities or structures) County owned rights-of-way." Under the same section, the application must show the location of any tree five inches DBH proposed for removal from the right-of-way. Section 406.5.I, headed Bond Requirement, requires the permit holder to post cash or a performance and maintenance security with the County Clerk and Comptroller. The county's right-of-way tree removal guide says both permits are issued together once the requirements for each are completed and fees are paid; its contacts are [email protected] and (727) 847-8140. That guide does not mention the 406.5.I requirement. Planting a tree in a right-of-way also needs a County Right-of-Way Use Permit under Section 905.2.D.2.b.

Mangroves

The county code carries no mangrove trimming or removal rule. The word appears only in the Appendix A definition, "Mangrove stand. An assemblage of mangrove trees", in a floodplain development permit application item in Section 1104.5 that asks for a description of the extent to which any mangrove stand or sand dune will be altered by proposed development, and in a Comprehensive Plan glossary definition.

Florida Statute 163.045 does not apply to the exercise of specifically delegated authority for mangrove protection under ss. 403.9321 to 403.9333. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection's list of local governments delegated mangrove trimming authority names Miami-Dade County, Broward County, Hillsborough County, Pinellas County, the Town of Jupiter Island, the City of Sanibel and Sarasota County. Pasco County is not on it. This article does not state who governs a mangrove on an unincorporated Pasco parcel.

Where the county's guidance and its code differ

The codified Land Development Code is the law. Where a county web page or handout says something different, the code governs. These are the differences a homeowner would act on.

  • Ten inches or five? The county's Code Compliance page answers the question of whether a permit is required to remove a tree with a Type I to Type IV permit scheme, a Type IV permit for a tree ten inches DBH and larger (five inches and larger for non single-family), penalties under Sections 602.11 and 602.16, and a duty to post the permit. None of that is in the code. Section 802.3 sets five-inch DBH or greater for every non-exempt tree, the Type I to IV scheme and Section 602.16 appear nowhere in the code, and the code carries no permit posting requirement.

  • Palms and non-native trees without their conditions. The current Tree Removal Checklist says non-native trees are exempt and that palms and pines except longleaf pine are exempt, without limits. The code exempts palms and non-long-leaf pines only on single-family lots and not when part of an adopted replanting plan or landscaping plan, and exempts exotic species only when not part of a required landscape plan or tree permit plan. The checklist also predates Ord. No. 26-08.

  • The checklist's threshold wording. The same checklist says both that all native trees over a 5-inch DBH require a permit and that protected trees at 5 inches or greater DBH require a permit. The code says "five-inch diameter at breast height (DBH) or greater". The checklist also says developer planted trees need a permit even below 5 inches DBH; Section 802 carries no such threshold, and the county has not resolved how that statement relates to the code.

  • Replacement. Covered above: the older submittal document contradicts itself and the code, and the code's own two triggers are unresolved.

  • The repealed 2022 rule. Covered above: the existing-home wording from Ord. No. 22-23 was repealed by Ord. No. 26-08.

  • Grand trees. The Residential Tree Removal document says wetlands and grand trees are subject to additional review. In the code, "grand tree" exists only inside the Section 802.9 designation route; the size-defined class is the heritage tree. The county has not resolved which trees the handout means.

What the county does not publish

Each item was checked against the whole codified text: the Code of Ordinances, the Land Development Code and the Comprehensive Plan. Items marked not located were also looked for in the county documents named.

  • No licensing, registration or insurance requirement for a tree service or tree trimming contractor.

  • No permit posting requirement for a tree removal permit.

  • No codified lot clearing permit.

  • No review clock for an individual tree permit.

  • No codified residential Tree Removal Permit fee; none was located in Resolution 24-030.

  • No codified Tree Mitigation Fund rate; it is set by a Board resolution that was not located.

  • The Uniform Fine Schedule is incorporated by reference and was not located.

  • The Development Manual, which holds the native tree list and the forms, is not codified and was not located.

Screening a tree service for work in unincorporated Pasco

Because the county code sets no licensing, registration or insurance requirement for tree services, a bid in unincorporated Pasco comes with no county credential attached. What the code does do is make any contractor who participates in a violation answerable for it under Section 108.2. Two questions are worth asking any company before work starts: will it confirm, before cutting, whether each tree is exempt or needs a permit, and will it show you its general liability and workers compensation certificates. Ken's Tree Service leads with both certificates.

Where this leaves your tree

  1. Confirm the parcel is in unincorporated Pasco County with the Property Appraiser lookup or PascoMapper.

  2. Measure the tree at 54 inches and divide the circumference by 3.14. Under five inches DBH, no Tree Removal Permit is required.

  3. Check the ten exemptions. On a single-family lot, every palm and every pine other than long-leaf pine is exempt unless it is part of an adopted replanting plan or landscaping plan.

  4. If no exemption applies, the tree needs a county Tree Removal Permit, unless every condition of Florida Statute 163.045 is met.

  5. Ask the county which replacement rule it will apply.

Whether a particular tree could be a candidate for removal, whether it falls inside an exemption, and whether it could meet the statute's unacceptable-risk test are questions about that tree, and they are the questions an on-site residential tree assessment is there to clarify. Ken's Tree Service has worked since 1996 from Tarpon Springs, and our service area covers west Pasco County along with north Pinellas County and the northwest corner of Hillsborough County. An assessment clarifies what is on the lot, the size and species of each tree, and which questions to put to the county before anything is removed.

To start, open a conversation with our website agent and describe the tree and where it stands. Our phone number is 727-934-5804.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit to remove a tree in unincorporated Pasco County?

Yes, unless an exemption applies. Section 802.3 of the Pasco County Land Development Code requires a Tree Removal Permit for the removal of all trees five inches in diameter at breast height (DBH) or greater, except in ten listed circumstances. None of the ten is an exemption for an existing single-family or owner-occupied home. The exemptions that matter most to a homeowner are every palm, and every pine other than long-leaf pine, on a single-family lot unless it is part of an adopted replanting plan or landscaping plan; exotic and invasive species, with a condition on exotics; and the Florida Statute 163.045 route.

My address is in Pasco County but not inside a city. Whose rules apply?

The county's. Section 802.2 applies the tree rules to all land in unincorporated Pasco County, except for the activities of registered commercial growers on nursery, botanical garden and tree farm premises. Inside New Port Richey, Port Richey, Zephyrhills, Dade City, San Antonio or St. Leo, the county code applies only where an interlocal agreement provides for it. To check an address, look up the parcel on the Pasco County Property Appraiser site, where each parcel's jurisdictional authority is shown under the Legal Description, or use the county's PascoMapper viewer.

Do all palms need a permit in unincorporated Pasco, or only sabal palms?

On a single-family lot, no palm of any species needs a Tree Removal Permit, unless the palm is part of an adopted replanting plan or landscaping plan. The exemption in Section 802.3.H covers the whole palm family, not only Cabbage/Sabal palm, with no height test and no clear-trunk test. So the common belief that only sabal palms need a permit does not hold in unincorporated Pasco. Off a single-family lot, the palm exemption does not apply by its own words, and the code does not say how the five-inch DBH line applies to a palm, so ask the county.

Is there an exemption for an existing home?

No. Section 802.3.J is headed Single-Family Residential Lots with Existing Homes, but its only content is the Florida Statute 163.045 route. The 2022 wording that limited existing-home permits was repealed by Ord. No. 26-08, adopted March 24, 2026, and third-party pages still quote it.

Does Florida Statute 163.045 let me remove a tree without a county permit?

Only when every condition is met. The property must be a single-family, detached building on a lot actively used for single-family residential purposes, as a conforming or legally recognized nonconforming use. The owner must possess documentation: an onsite assessment performed under Best Management Practices - Tree Risk Assessment, Second Edition (2017) by an ISA certified arborist or a Florida licensed landscape architect, and signed by that person. The documentation must show the tree poses an unacceptable risk to persons or property, which means removal is the only means of practically mitigating its risk below moderate. A structurally sound tree does not qualify. Where every condition is met, the county may not require a notice, application, approval, permit, fee, mitigation or replanting. The statute does not apply to specifically delegated mangrove protection authority.

How do I apply for a Pasco County tree removal permit?

Apply through the county's PascoGateway portal using the county application, which allows up to five trees per parcel and requires notarization. The permitting office is Building Construction Services, 8661 Citizens Drive, Suite 100, New Port Richey 34654, (727) 847-8126, and the tree permit email is [email protected]. If the removal involves another permitted project, the county's guide says the tree removal permit cannot be issued before the other permit.

Sources and scope

Every regulatory statement above is taken from these sources, read September 26, 2026.

Scope: this article explains the county's rules for unincorporated Pasco County as codified on the dates above. It is not legal advice and it does not determine whether any particular tree or property needs a permit; that decision belongs to Pasco County. Pending ordinances adopted after May 19, 2026 are outside it. For the current position, contact Building Construction Services at (727) 847-8126.

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