Tree Removal Permits in Orlando and Orange County (2026 Guide)

Whether you need a permit to remove a tree around Orlando depends mostly on one thing people get wrong: which government your property is actually in. An "Orlando" mailing address doesn't mean you're in the City of Orlando, and the City and unincorporated Orange County have very different rules. Here's how each one works as of October 2026.

Step 1: Find out if you're in the City or the County

Many homes with an Orlando address are in unincorporated Orange County, or in another city like Winter Park, Maitland, or Ocoee. The City's own website warns about this. Two quick ways to check:

• Use the City of Orlando's address lookup on orlando.gov (search "Check Your Address"), which shows whether a property is inside city limits.
• Look up your property on the Orange County Property Appraiser's website. Your property card lists the municipality separately from the mailing city.

City of Orlando: when you need a permit

Inside city limits, any tree with a trunk 10 inches or more in diameter, measured 4.5 feet above the ground, is a protected tree, and removing it requires a Tree Removal Permit unless state law exempts it. Invasive species like those on Florida's Category I and II invasive lists aren't protected. An older section of the City code also covers some trees from 6 inches up in the setback areas of a lot, between the house and the property lines, so if your tree is borderline, ask the City before cutting.

• How to apply: online through the City's OpenCounter permit portal, with photos of the tree. You'll be asked to mark the tree for the inspection.
• Fee: $25 for residential properties. The City can waive it for hazardous or invasive trees.
• Timing: the City lists up to 3 business days for processing and an arborist inspection within 3 business days.
• The permit is good for 90 days after it's issued.
• The City may require replacement trees, which must be planted within 60 days.
• Questions: City of Orlando Families, Parks and Recreation, trees@orlando.gov or 407-246-2283.

Two kinds of trees get extra protection anywhere in the city: Historic Trees, which are healthy trees 30 inches or more in diameter, and trees the City has designated as Specimen trees. Removing one of those without a permit is treated as an irreversible violation, with fines up to $15,000. Other violations go to the City's Code Enforcement Board, which can fine up to $1,000 a day for a first violation.

Trees in the city-owned strip between the sidewalk and the street are different again: those belong to the City and need written City approval to remove.

Unincorporated Orange County: most homeowners don't need one

Orange County's tree rules only apply outside city limits, and they have a big homeowner exception: no county tree removal permit is needed for a tree on a lot actively used as a single-family home that's 2 acres or smaller. That covers most homes in places like Dr. Phillips, Hunters Creek, and other unincorporated neighborhoods. The exception doesn't apply to trees in a designated conservation area or wetland, which need approval from the County's Environmental Protection Division.

A permit is required for single-family lots over 2 acres and for vacant or undeveloped land, for regulated trees 8 inches and larger in diameter. In those cases:

• You apply through Orange County's Fast Track online system, with a tree survey from a licensed surveyor dated within the last 2 years.
• The County lists a $121 fee for single-family or duplex lots over 2 acres, plus smaller review fees where they apply.
• Review includes a 14-day arborist review and a site visit.
• Removed trees are replaced inch for inch, and at 3 to 1 for specimen trees (such as live oaks 24 inches and up) and 5 to 1 for heritage trees (such as live oaks 40 inches and up).
• Questions: Orange County Zoning Division Arbor Office, Arborist@ocfl.net or 407-836-5807.

Removing a regulated tree without a permit where one is required can be expensive in the County: penalties run from $106 per inch of trunk diameter, and much more for specimen and heritage trees, plus replacement trees.

Dangerous trees: Florida's homeowner exemption

Florida Statute 163.045 overrides both the City and the County for dangerous trees at single-family homes. If an ISA-certified arborist or a Florida-licensed landscape architect does an onsite tree risk assessment and documents that the tree poses an unacceptable risk, meaning removal is the only practical way to bring the risk below moderate, no local permit, fee, notice, or replacement tree can be required. It applies to single-family detached homes, not townhomes or duplexes. Keep a copy of the signed assessment.

Don't forget your HOA

Even when no government permit is needed, many Orlando-area HOAs require architectural approval before a tree is removed. HOA rules are separate from City and County rules, so check both.

Rules change, so confirm with the City or County before removing a large tree. We check which rules apply to your tree as part of every free quote.