Do you need a permit?
Yes — a permit is required
Fort Lauderdale regulates tree removal under its Landscape and Tree Preservation Ordinance, and removal permits are issued through the Development Services Department. Pruning is treated differently from removal — the city does not require a permit to prune, but the work has to meet national pruning standards.
What's protected in Fort Lauderdale
- Trees covered by the city's Landscape and Tree Preservation Ordinance (ULDR Section 47-21)
Fees, penalties, and the ordinance
- Ordinance
- Unified Land Development Regulations (ULDR) Section 47-21 — Landscape and Tree Preservation
Worth knowing
- Pruning does not require a permit, but Fort Lauderdale requires pruning to follow accepted national standards — ANSI A300 (Part 1) — and city code.
- When tree removal is part of a larger construction project, a separate Tree Removal and Relocation sub-permit is filed at the time of the master permit submittal.
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.
- — The permit fee.
- — Size or species thresholds that trigger the permit requirement, and whether small private trees are exempt.
- — Mitigation or replacement-tree requirements after an approved removal.
- — Penalties for unpermitted removal.
- — Direct phone number for the tree permit desk — the city's site blocks automated access, so call the main Development Services line and ask for tree permits.