Tree Removal Permits in Dothan, AL

Verified against Dothan city sources · last checked 2026-08-07

Do you need a permit?

No permit required for most private trees

A Dothan homeowner on a developed single-family lot needs no permit to remove a tree, and the exemption is written out expressly rather than left to inference. Do not look for the rule in the chapter called Vegetation - most of that chapter is marked Reserved, and the operative tree ordinance sits in the zoning code at Chapter 114, Article XIII. That article exempts any lot in an R-1, R-2, R-3 or smaller R-4 district on which a house has been built or permitted. The catch is on the other side of the transaction: anyone who cuts trees for money in Dothan needs a 5 dollar per-job permit, a city business license, a cleanup bond and 50,000 dollars of liability insurance. And the exemption depends on the house existing - clearing a vacant lot before you build is squarely regulated.

Size threshold

No threshold reaches an exempt developed residential lot. The thresholds below govern undeveloped land, non-residential parcels and rights-of-way. Section 114-26 defines a protected tree as "Any pine tree 18 inches or greater DBH and any non-pine species 12 inches or greater DBH except for those classes or species of trees included in the list of non-protected trees," and DBH as "Diameter of a tree measured at four and one-half feet (54 inches) above the ground." Note that the split here is by species group, pine versus non-pine, but both are measured the same way by diameter - this is not one of the codes that measures conifers by height. Section 114-236(b)(4): "Except as otherwise provided for in this article, trees of eight inches or greater DBH shall not be removed from any local street right-of-way, utility easement or public easement unless such removal is in accordance with an approved tree removal plan or landscaping plan." Section 114-237(b)(2): "No tree of 12 inches or greater DBH, including non-protected trees, shall be removed from the portion of the tree protection area on any lot or parcel unless the property is zoned A-C or a tree removal plan has been approved."

What's protected in Dothan

Protected trees on land that is not an exempt developed residential lot - pines at 18 inches DBH and up, other species at 12 inches DBH and up, excluding anything on the city's non-protected list.
Trees of 8 inches DBH or more in a local street right-of-way, utility easement or public easement, under Section 114-236(b)(4). This is the category most likely to catch a homeowner by surprise, because the strip out front is usually not yours.
Trees of 12 inches DBH or more in a tree protection area, which Section 114-26 defines as "The portion of a lot or parcel located in a required setback or yard." The core area, by contrast, is "The portion of a lot or parcel of property that is not located within the tree protection area or the residential buffer."
All vegetation in a residential buffer on a lot that has not yet been permitted for a house. Section 114-237(a)(2): "No trees, including non-protected trees or other vegetation, shall be removed from any residential buffer, except on A-C zoned property, prior to the issuing of a building permit or the approval of a tree removal plan."

Fees, penalties, and the ordinance

Fee: No fee for a homeowner, because no permit applies. The tree service pays: Section 18-229 provides that "A fee of $5.00 shall be charged for each permit issued under this article. Failure to obtain a permit prior to beginning work shall result in a penalty of $50.00 in addition to the permit fee." The Section 18-22 license schedule lists classification 9993, "Tree Cutting," at 50.00 dollars.
Penalties: Section 114-236(b)(1): "Enforcement and penalties. Violation of the provisions of this article shall be a class C misdemeanor and shall be punishable as such. Employees of the planning and development department shall be authorized to issue stop work orders and citations for violations of this article." Right-of-way violations run through Section 1-4 instead: "punished by a fine of not less than $1.00 nor more than $500.00 or by imprisonment in the jail or at hard labor for a period of not exceeding six months or by both. Each day any violation shall continue shall constitute a separate offense." For an unpermitted tree cutter, Section 18-229 adds "a penalty of $50.00 in addition to the permit fee."
Ordinance: Dothan Code of Ordinances, Chapter 114 (Zoning), Article XIII, Sections 114-236 through 114-242, adopted by Ordinance No. 2015-336, Section 1, on December 1, 2015. Municode reports no amendment to any section of the article since. Contractor regulation is separate, at Chapter 18, Article XIV (Tree Cutters), Sections 18-226 through 18-230, adopted by Ordinance No. 2007-393, Section 1, on November 13, 2007. Note that Chapter 106 (Vegetation) Article I, Sections 106-1 through 106-30, and Article III, Sections 106-61 and 106-62, are both marked "Reserved" - the chapter a reader would naturally check is empty. Code current through Ordinance No. 2026-96, enacted April 21, 2026 (Supp. No. 67). On enabling authority, which matters in a weak-home-rule state, Section 114-4 recites Code of Alabama 1975, Section 11-52-14, Title 11 Chapter 52, Section 11-82-1 et seq., Section 11-52-80, and Alabama Act Number 97-673.

Worth knowing

The exemption, verbatim, from Section 114-237(a)(4)g. The section lists exceptions and provides that it "shall not prohibit the removal of a tree: start ... g. That is located on a lot or parcel in an R-1, R-2, R-3, or R-4 (three attached dwelling units or less), zoning district on which a residential structure has been constructed or for which a permit to construct a residential structure has been issued." The stray word "start" is in Municode's official text and is quoted as-is rather than silently cleaned up.
Two words in that exemption do the work. "Has been constructed or for which a permit... has been issued" means a vacant lot is not exempt. And the R-4 exemption is capped at "three attached dwelling units or less," so a larger attached-dwelling project in R-4 does not get it.
There is also no vehicle for a homeowner to apply even if they wanted to. Section 114-75 limits development plan approval - the process tree removal plans run through - to non-residential parcels, multi-family apartments, manufactured home communities, expansions, PUDs, the downtown overlay district, conversions to a more intense use, and cases the administrative official designates. A single-family house on an existing lot appears nowhere on that list, and the trigger is "prior to the issuance of any building permit," not tree removal. The city's Land Development applications page correspondingly lists no tree removal form.
This is the clearest contractor-side regulation in the state alongside Montgomery's. Section 18-228: "a permit must be obtained by the licensee or any person engaged in the cutting of trees for profit or other consideration prior to the commencement of the removal of any tree. Each permit shall be good for 30 days and shall only be valid for one location. A permit shall not be required for the grinding of tree stumps." The duty falls on the cutter, not on you.
Before you hire, there are three more things the company should have. Section 18-226 requires "a bond of $250.00 cash or a surety bond of $1,000.00... to ensure removal of debris to a satisfactory place of disposal." Section 18-227 requires "a general liability insurance policy in an amount of at least $50,000.00" deposited with the city clerk, though "The requirement for insurance shall not apply to persons engaged in the business of tree stump grinding only." And Section 18-22 requires the Tree Cutting business license.
Hazard trees are separately excepted in any event. Section 114-237(a)(4) lists a tree "That constitutes a safety hazard or a threat to property or other trees," one "That creates a sight obstruction for public streets," and one "That, by virtue of harboring insects, vermin or other animals, constitutes a public health hazard."
The city will not haul contractor debris. Section 82-20 excludes from collection "Any trees or limbs in excess of eight inches in diameter and associated stumps" and "Any trees, tree trunks, tree tops, tree limbs, stumps or any other tree part thereof resulting from cutting or any other work performed by contractors or any other person for economic gain... shall be removed by the owner, occupant or producer." That is why the cutter posts the cleanup bond.
Stormwater permitting does not reach a homeowner. Section 83-22 attaches only to "non-residential development, regardless of size, or that disturb either (i) greater than or equal to one acre; or (ii) less than one acre but... part of a larger common plan of development or sale that disturbs one acre or more."
The weed ordinance does not reach trees. Chapter 106, Article II targets overgrown grass and weeds and expressly excludes "properties which are in a heavily wooded area, areas in their natural state."
Dothan has no tree board, tree commission or Tree City USA program in its code. Chapter 2, Administration, contains no tree references at all.

What we could not confirm

We would rather tell you what we don't know than guess. Call the office below to confirm these before you cut.

— Whether the Section 114-237(a)(4) exceptions also override subsection (b), the tree removal subsection. The exception reads "This section shall not prohibit," which by normal drafting convention reaches all of Section 114-237, but structurally the list is nested inside subsection (a), which is headed Tree preservation. The contradiction is recorded rather than resolved. It does not change the bottom line, because Section 114-75 independently keeps a homeowner out of the development plan process, but it is the clause worth asking about at (334) 615-4410 if a lot has an unusual configuration.
— Whether a Dothan historic district adds a tree review. Section 50-96(a) bars any "material change in the exterior appearance" without a Certificate of Appropriateness, and Section 50-1 defines material change to include changes affecting "environmental features... or... landscape feature... within a historic district," with exterior environmental features meaning "all those aspects of the landscape or the development of a site which affect the historical character of the property." The five enumerated examples do not list tree removal, but the list is prefaced "such as" and so is not exhaustive. No assertion is made either way. If you are in a Dothan historic district, call Planning and Development before removing a mature tree.
— What a "residential buffer" is. The term is operative in Section 114-237(a)(2) and (b)(1) but is not defined in the zoning definitions at Section 114-26, which defines only "Buffers" as a landscaping screen. This is a genuine gap in the ordinance.
— The list of non-protected trees. Section 114-26 says such a list "shall be maintained by the planning and development department," but it is not published on dothan.org.
— Who the city horticulturist is. The position is referenced in Sections 114-26 and 114-236(b)(3) but no name, title or phone line for it appears anywhere on dothan.org.
— Where a tree service actually buys the 5 dollar permit. The code implies the City Clerk for insurance and Business Services for the license, but the city's Occupational Permits page lists only solicitors, taxi drivers, ambulance attendants and gold and silver dealers, with no tree cutter permit. The provision is codified and current but is not surfaced publicly and may be administered informally. Verify with Business Services at (334) 615-3166.
— Tree removal plan and development plan review fees. Neither is stated in the code.
— Three code defects, recorded rather than resolved. Chapter 106's footnote cross-references "Tree cutters, Section 18-357 et seq." but the article actually sits at Sections 18-226 through 18-230, a stale reference left over from a renumbering. Section 83-22 exempts activities "set out in section 5," a dangling reference to the original ordinance's numbering with no corresponding code section. And the word "start" appears mid-sentence in Section 114-237(a)(4).
— Whether the city has ever said in its own words that homeowners need no tree permit. No such statement exists on dothan.org. The conclusion here rests on ordinance text and scope, not on a city FAQ.

Sources

Who to contact in Dothan

Land Development Division, City of Dothan Planning and Development Department. The division's own page states that it "administers and enforces Dothan's land development regulations such as the zoning ordinance, subdivision regulations, tree preservation ordinance, and historic preservation ordinance," which makes it the right office despite the tree rules living in the zoning chapter.

(334) 615-4410 is the Planning and Development main line and the correct first call for any tree question; fax is (334) 615-4419. (334) 615-3810 is the Street Division, which is who to call about a tree in the street or right-of-way and about storm debris - their hours are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (334) 615-3166 is Business Services, where a tree service buys its Tree Cutting license. (334) 615-3160 is the City Clerk, where Section 18-227 says the cutter's insurance policy is deposited. (334) 615-4450 is Permits and Inspections, for building permits rather than trees. Planning hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. planning@dothan.org for Land Development; businesslicense@dothan.org for the tree cutter license; cityclerk@dothan.org for the City Clerk. Official page

126 N. Saint Andrews Street, Room 305, Dothan, AL 36303. Mailing address P.O. Box 2128, Dothan, AL 36302.

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Size threshold

What's protected in Dothan

Protected trees on land that is not an exempt developed residential lot - pines at 18 inches DBH and up, other species at 12 inches DBH and up, excluding anything on the city's non-protected list.

Trees of 8 inches DBH or more in a local street right-of-way, utility easement or public easement, under Section 114-236(b)(4). This is the category most likely to catch a homeowner by surprise, because the strip out front is usually not yours.

Trees of 12 inches DBH or more in a tree protection area, which Section 114-26 defines as "The portion of a lot or parcel located in a required setback or yard." The core area, by contrast, is "The portion of a lot or parcel of property that is not located within the tree protection area or the residential buffer."

All vegetation in a residential buffer on a lot that has not yet been permitted for a house. Section 114-237(a)(2): "No trees, including non-protected trees or other vegetation, shall be removed from any residential buffer, except on A-C zoned property, prior to the issuing of a building permit or the approval of a tree removal plan."

Fees, penalties, and the ordinance

Fee

No fee for a homeowner, because no permit applies. The tree service pays: Section 18-229 provides that "A fee of $5.00 shall be charged for each permit issued under this article. Failure to obtain a permit prior to beginning work shall result in a penalty of $50.00 in addition to the permit fee." The Section 18-22 license schedule lists classification 9993, "Tree Cutting," at 50.00 dollars.

Penalties

Section 114-236(b)(1): "Enforcement and penalties. Violation of the provisions of this article shall be a class C misdemeanor and shall be punishable as such. Employees of the planning and development department shall be authorized to issue stop work orders and citations for violations of this article." Right-of-way violations run through Section 1-4 instead: "punished by a fine of not less than $1.00 nor more than $500.00 or by imprisonment in the jail or at hard labor for a period of not exceeding six months or by both. Each day any violation shall continue shall constitute a separate offense." For an unpermitted tree cutter, Section 18-229 adds "a penalty of $50.00 in addition to the permit fee."

Ordinance

Dothan Code of Ordinances, Chapter 114 (Zoning), Article XIII, Sections 114-236 through 114-242, adopted by Ordinance No. 2015-336, Section 1, on December 1, 2015. Municode reports no amendment to any section of the article since. Contractor regulation is separate, at Chapter 18, Article XIV (Tree Cutters), Sections 18-226 through 18-230, adopted by Ordinance No. 2007-393, Section 1, on November 13, 2007. Note that Chapter 106 (Vegetation) Article I, Sections 106-1 through 106-30, and Article III, Sections 106-61 and 106-62, are both marked "Reserved" - the chapter a reader would naturally check is empty. Code current through Ordinance No. 2026-96, enacted April 21, 2026 (Supp. No. 67). On enabling authority, which matters in a weak-home-rule state, Section 114-4 recites Code of Alabama 1975, Section 11-52-14, Title 11 Chapter 52, Section 11-82-1 et seq., Section 11-52-80, and Alabama Act Number 97-673.

Worth knowing

The exemption, verbatim, from Section 114-237(a)(4)g. The section lists exceptions and provides that it "shall not prohibit the removal of a tree: start ... g. That is located on a lot or parcel in an R-1, R-2, R-3, or R-4 (three attached dwelling units or less), zoning district on which a residential structure has been constructed or for which a permit to construct a residential structure has been issued." The stray word "start" is in Municode's official text and is quoted as-is rather than silently cleaned up.
Two words in that exemption do the work. "Has been constructed or for which a permit... has been issued" means a vacant lot is not exempt. And the R-4 exemption is capped at "three attached dwelling units or less," so a larger attached-dwelling project in R-4 does not get it.
There is also no vehicle for a homeowner to apply even if they wanted to. Section 114-75 limits development plan approval - the process tree removal plans run through - to non-residential parcels, multi-family apartments, manufactured home communities, expansions, PUDs, the downtown overlay district, conversions to a more intense use, and cases the administrative official designates. A single-family house on an existing lot appears nowhere on that list, and the trigger is "prior to the issuance of any building permit," not tree removal. The city's Land Development applications page correspondingly lists no tree removal form.
This is the clearest contractor-side regulation in the state alongside Montgomery's. Section 18-228: "a permit must be obtained by the licensee or any person engaged in the cutting of trees for profit or other consideration prior to the commencement of the removal of any tree. Each permit shall be good for 30 days and shall only be valid for one location. A permit shall not be required for the grinding of tree stumps." The duty falls on the cutter, not on you.
Before you hire, there are three more things the company should have. Section 18-226 requires "a bond of $250.00 cash or a surety bond of $1,000.00... to ensure removal of debris to a satisfactory place of disposal." Section 18-227 requires "a general liability insurance policy in an amount of at least $50,000.00" deposited with the city clerk, though "The requirement for insurance shall not apply to persons engaged in the business of tree stump grinding only." And Section 18-22 requires the Tree Cutting business license.
Hazard trees are separately excepted in any event. Section 114-237(a)(4) lists a tree "That constitutes a safety hazard or a threat to property or other trees," one "That creates a sight obstruction for public streets," and one "That, by virtue of harboring insects, vermin or other animals, constitutes a public health hazard."
The city will not haul contractor debris. Section 82-20 excludes from collection "Any trees or limbs in excess of eight inches in diameter and associated stumps" and "Any trees, tree trunks, tree tops, tree limbs, stumps or any other tree part thereof resulting from cutting or any other work performed by contractors or any other person for economic gain... shall be removed by the owner, occupant or producer." That is why the cutter posts the cleanup bond.
Stormwater permitting does not reach a homeowner. Section 83-22 attaches only to "non-residential development, regardless of size, or that disturb either (i) greater than or equal to one acre; or (ii) less than one acre but... part of a larger common plan of development or sale that disturbs one acre or more."
The weed ordinance does not reach trees. Chapter 106, Article II targets overgrown grass and weeds and expressly excludes "properties which are in a heavily wooded area, areas in their natural state."
Dothan has no tree board, tree commission or Tree City USA program in its code. Chapter 2, Administration, contains no tree references at all.

What we could not confirm

We would rather tell you what we don't know than guess. Call the office below to confirm these before you cut.

— Whether the Section 114-237(a)(4) exceptions also override subsection (b), the tree removal subsection. The exception reads "This section shall not prohibit," which by normal drafting convention reaches all of Section 114-237, but structurally the list is nested inside subsection (a), which is headed Tree preservation. The contradiction is recorded rather than resolved. It does not change the bottom line, because Section 114-75 independently keeps a homeowner out of the development plan process, but it is the clause worth asking about at (334) 615-4410 if a lot has an unusual configuration.
— Whether a Dothan historic district adds a tree review. Section 50-96(a) bars any "material change in the exterior appearance" without a Certificate of Appropriateness, and Section 50-1 defines material change to include changes affecting "environmental features... or... landscape feature... within a historic district," with exterior environmental features meaning "all those aspects of the landscape or the development of a site which affect the historical character of the property." The five enumerated examples do not list tree removal, but the list is prefaced "such as" and so is not exhaustive. No assertion is made either way. If you are in a Dothan historic district, call Planning and Development before removing a mature tree.
— What a "residential buffer" is. The term is operative in Section 114-237(a)(2) and (b)(1) but is not defined in the zoning definitions at Section 114-26, which defines only "Buffers" as a landscaping screen. This is a genuine gap in the ordinance.
— The list of non-protected trees. Section 114-26 says such a list "shall be maintained by the planning and development department," but it is not published on dothan.org.
— Who the city horticulturist is. The position is referenced in Sections 114-26 and 114-236(b)(3) but no name, title or phone line for it appears anywhere on dothan.org.
— Where a tree service actually buys the 5 dollar permit. The code implies the City Clerk for insurance and Business Services for the license, but the city's Occupational Permits page lists only solicitors, taxi drivers, ambulance attendants and gold and silver dealers, with no tree cutter permit. The provision is codified and current but is not surfaced publicly and may be administered informally. Verify with Business Services at (334) 615-3166.
— Tree removal plan and development plan review fees. Neither is stated in the code.
— Three code defects, recorded rather than resolved. Chapter 106's footnote cross-references "Tree cutters, Section 18-357 et seq." but the article actually sits at Sections 18-226 through 18-230, a stale reference left over from a renumbering. Section 83-22 exempts activities "set out in section 5," a dangling reference to the original ordinance's numbering with no corresponding code section. And the word "start" appears mid-sentence in Section 114-237(a)(4).
— Whether the city has ever said in its own words that homeowners need no tree permit. No such statement exists on dothan.org. The conclusion here rests on ordinance text and scope, not on a city FAQ.