St. Petersburg: the strictest big-tree rules in the county.
St. Pete protects its canopy harder than anywhere I work: you need a permit even to TRIM a large branch on a Grand tree, there’s a Signature category for four beloved non-natives, and I’ve laid out what skipping the permit actually costs.
St. Pete permits removal of protected trees (shade species at 4″ DBH, understory at 8″), native palms with 4+ feet of clear trunk, and all Grand (30″+) and Signature trees — and uniquely, even trimming a branch 8 inches or thicker on a Grand tree needs a permit. Unprotected species (a long list including citrus, mango, avocado, camphor and ficus) and prohibited invasives need none. Code: §16.40.060.5.
Categories worth knowing
Grand trees — any protected tree at 30 inches DBH, with laurel oaks excluded by name (the code’s quiet verdict on the species). Signature trees — Royal Poinciana and Jacaranda at 8 inches, Kapok and Banyan at 30: four non-natives the city protects for neighborhood history, a category no other Pinellas city has. Citywide, it’s also unlawful to top any tree or remove more than a quarter of its canopy in a year — the rule applies to every tree, protected or not.
Process, fees, and the famous math
Apply through the city’s permit portal or trees@stpete.org; covers the initial staff inspection (the city will also send its arborist to assess a suspected hazard for the same ); permits run six months. Replacement on residential lots: one shade tree per removal that drops you below the lot minimum, or per tree in lieu. The city publishes its own cautionary arithmetic for skipping the process: an unpermitted 30-inch Grand tree removal can total about ,855 (after-the-fact permit, in-lieu replanting, fine) — and the code makes the tree company directly liable alongside the owner, which tells you something about who’s been blamed historically. St. Pete is also the one city that documents the state §163.045 hazard-tree route openly: the arborist documentation goes to Trees@StPete.org.
Verified 2026-07-14 against the current municipal code and official city materials; ordinances change — confirm current rules with the city before cutting. This is plain-language guidance from a tree service, not legal advice. Weave's handles permit questions as part of every removal quote.
Questions Cody hears every week.
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in St. Petersburg?
For a shade tree 4 inches DBH or larger, an understory tree 8 inches or larger, any native palm with 4+ feet of clear trunk, or any Grand (30″+) or Signature tree — yes. The city’s unprotected list (citrus, mango, avocado, camphor, ficus and more) needs no permit, and prohibited invasives never do.
What's a Signature tree?
St. Pete’s own invention: Royal Poinciana and Jacaranda at 8 inches DBH, Kapok and Banyan at 30 inches — non-native species the city protects anyway for their place in neighborhood history. Unique in the county.
Is it true laurel oaks can't be Grand trees?
True — the code excludes laurel oaks from Grand status by name, a quiet municipal acknowledgment of the species’ 50-70-year lifespan. They’re still protected at 4 inches like other shade trees.
Tell Cody about your tree.
Three fields. He answers his own phone — you’ll hear back fast.
Faster: text a photo of the tree to (727) 761-8618.