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Tree Removal Permits in Lakeland and Polk County

Last updated October 19, 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with your city or the County before cutting.

Statewide: Florida Statute 163.045

On "residential property" (a single-family detached home on a lot actively used as one), a local government may not require a notice, application, permit, fee or mitigation to prune, trim or remove a tree if the owner has documentation from an ISA-certified arborist or Florida licensed landscape architect that the tree poses an unacceptable risk. That means removal is the only practical way to bring the risk below moderate, using the ISA Tree Risk Assessment best-practice method. The documentation must be an onsite assessment and must be signed. Local governments also can't require replanting of such a tree.

City of Lakeland (verified from City sources)

• Lakeland's tree rules are in Land Development Code Article 4.5 (Landscaping, Trees and Buffering), with tree preservation in §4.5.10.
• The City offers a Tree Removal Permit Application for removing a tree from residential or commercial property that is dead, diseased, damaged or affected by construction.
• §4.5.10 applies to destroying regulated trees as part of development. As amended by Ordinance 24-037 (2024), it exempts single- or two-family lots under one acre made up of no more than two lots of record and not part of a development or subdivision plan. It now applies to unplatted single- and two-family parcels over one acre. Emergency or disaster recovery and bona fide utility safety work are also excepted.
• Lakeland's Article 6 defines land clearing as removing vegetation from a site, but not removing dead trees or routine trimming and pruning.
• Unverified: exactly when a homeowner on a small lot must file the City's removal application outside development. Call Lakeland Community & Economic Development before removing a large healthy tree.

Unincorporated Polk County (partly verified)

The Polk County Land Development Code (Sections 720–721) handles trees mainly through landscaping and tree-credit requirements during development review. Unverified: we did not confirm with the County that no permit is ever needed for removal on an existing home lot. Wetlands and conservation easements can involve state or water-management-district permits.

Other cities

Winter Haven, Bartow, Auburndale, Mulberry and Haines City each set their own rules. We have not verified their current tree permit requirements. Plant City is in Hillsborough County, not Polk.

HOAs and street trees

UF/IFAS Extension advises checking with your HOA and local government first, since a required street tree may need to be replaced or may not be removable.

Frequently asked questions

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

We have not verified this directly with the County. Polk County's Land Development Code ties tree preservation mainly to development review; secondary sources say routine residential removal doesn't need a county permit. Confirm with Polk County Land Development before removal.

What is Florida's dangerous tree exemption?

Florida Statute 163.045 says a local government may not require a notice, permit, fee or mitigation to prune or remove a tree on a single-family residential property if the owner has signed documentation from an ISA-certified arborist or Florida licensed landscape architect that the tree poses an unacceptable risk.