Tree Removal Permits — Sebastian, Florida

Inside Sebastian city limits, removing most trees four inches or more in diameter requires a city permit. The City of Sebastian's Residential Guide to Sebastian's Tree Protection Ordinance, a brochure dated April 7, 2023 that summarizes Article XIV, Tree Protection, of the city's Land Development Code, states that permits are required for the removal of all protected, specimen and historical trees. The same brochure gives the cost of a tree removal permit in Sebastian as $25.

The requirement sits alongside the city's other site work permits. The city's frequently asked questions page explains that the City Code of Ordinances requires permits for site work in Sebastian such as fill placement, grubbing, land clearing and tree removal, in addition to the building permits required under the Florida Building Code. Tree removal is therefore handled through the same Building Department system at Sebastian City Hall that processes fences, driveways and other site permits.

Two state laws narrow the city rule. Florida Statutes section 163.045, adopted in 2019, bars Sebastian and every other Florida local government from requiring a permit for removing a tree on single-family residential property when an ISA certified arborist or Florida licensed landscape architect documents that the tree poses an unacceptable risk. Mangroves along the Indian River Lagoon are governed separately by the state Mangrove Trimming and Preservation Act. The sections below set out the Sebastian definitions, the permit steps, the state exemption, the mangrove rules and the replanting requirements.

The Sebastian brochure defines four categories. A protected tree is any tree of four inches diameter, measured at 4 1/2 feet above grade, plus any scrub oak measuring 1 1/4 inch in diameter (4 inch circumference) or greater at the base.

A specimen tree, under the Sebastian brochure, is any tree twenty inches DBH (diameter at breast height) or more; the printed brochure reads twenty (10), so the numeral and the word disagree, and the full Article XIV text held by the city is the controlling version. Specimen status also covers all red and black mangroves, and excludes all palm trees except Sabal palms, which qualify when they have a clear trunk of 6 feet or greater. A historical tree is any tree designated by resolution of the Sebastian City Council.

Some species sit outside the protection scheme. The Sebastian brochure lists earpod, chinaberry, Australian pine, punk or cajeput, and Brazilian pepper as prohibited trees for which a permit may not be required, while still directing property owners to contact the city for approval before removal. The Sebastian Natural Resources Board's Florida Landscaping page separately warns that many undesirable, invasive plant species can harm local ecosystems.

The Sebastian brochure states that tree removal and land clearing permits may be obtained online through the Building Department's permitting system or in person at City Hall, 1225 Main Street. According to the city's Online Permits page, the preferred online route is the MGO Connect customer portal, which is used to apply for permits, upload documents, pay fees and schedule inspections in Sebastian. The page notes that owner/builder permits can use the portal, but the initial owner/builder application has to be made in person at the building department at 1225 Main St. in Sebastian.

After a Sebastian application is submitted, the brochure states, city staff visit the property to conduct an inspection, and the permit is issued after approval. Once the permitted tree has been removed, the owner calls the Building Department at (772) 589-5537 to arrange a final inspection so the permit can be closed. The city's Tree Protection Homeowner's Packet adds that a clearing and tree removal application must include a detailed tree survey showing the botanical or common name and size of all trees on the lot, noting which trees are to be saved and which removed.

Environmental review sits with planning staff. The Community Development Department at Sebastian City Hall lists environmental planning and permitting and land development regulation among its services, and the Natural Resources Board page names an Environmental Technician as the city contact for tree and landscaping questions.

Section 163.045 of the Florida Statutes applies in Sebastian as it does statewide. It provides that a local government may not require a notice, application, approval, permit, fee, or mitigation for the pruning, trimming, or removal of a tree on a residential property if the owner has documentation from an arborist certified by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) or a Florida licensed landscape architect that the tree poses an unacceptable risk to persons or property. The documentation must be an onsite assessment following the tree risk assessment procedures in Best Management Practices, Tree Risk Assessment, Second Edition (2017).

The exemption is narrower than it first appears for Sebastian lots. The statute defines residential property as a single-family, detached building on a lot actively used for single-family residential purposes, so commercial sites and multifamily parcels in Sebastian remain under the city permit. A tree poses an unacceptable risk under the statute only if removal is the only practical way to bring its risk below moderate. Where the exemption applies, the statute also says a local government may not require a property owner to replant a tree that was pruned, trimmed, or removed under the section.

The law began as CS/HB 1159, Private Property Rights, in the 2019 session; the Sebastian brochure records its passage on April 25, 2019. The statute's history note cites chapter 2019-155 and an amendment in chapter 2022-121.

Mangroves on Sebastian's Indian River Lagoon shoreline fall under a separate state framework. Section 163.045 states that it does not apply to the exercise of specifically delegated authority for mangrove protection under sections 403.9321 to 403.9333, the Mangrove Trimming and Preservation Act. The legislative intent section of that act states the goal of protecting mangrove resources from unregulated removal, defoliation and destruction, while allowing waterfront owners to trim riparian mangrove fringes for view without prior government approval when the trimming does not remove or destroy the mangroves.

The exemptions section sets the limits that apply to lagoon-front lots in Sebastian. With no herbicide used, an owner may trim riparian mangrove fringe on land the owner controls if the mangroves do not exceed 10 feet in pretrimmed height and are not cut below 6 feet, on a property with a shoreline of 150 feet or less. Taller mangroves, up to 24 feet, may be trimmed under the exemption only by a professional mangrove trimmer. On the city side, the Sebastian brochure classifies all red and black mangroves as specimen trees, so removal of a mangrove inside Sebastian city limits falls within the permit requirement for specimen trees.

Removal is tied to minimum tree counts. Sections 54-3-14.8 and 54-3-14.9 of the Sebastian code, adopted by Ordinance O-05-18 on October 16, 2005 and published by the city as the City Residential Landscaping and Tree Ordinance, set the minimum number of trees per residential lot: five trees for lots of 10,000 square feet or less, seven for 10,000 to 15,999, twelve for 16,000 to 19,999, fifteen for 20,000 to 29,999, eighteen for 30,000 to 39,999, and twenty for 40,000 square feet or more. A quarter acre in Sebastian is 10,890 square feet, which places a quarter-acre lot in the seven-tree tier.

Existing trees count toward the Sebastian minimum through credits by trunk diameter. The code gives one credit for a 2 to 4 inch tree, two for over 4 to 10 inches, three for over 10 to 20 inches, and five for a tree over 20 inches; the 2023 brochure table lists four credits for trees over 20 inches, so the code text and the brochure differ on the top tier. Palms and scrub oaks count one for one. New trees must be Florida grade 1 or better, and replacements for protected trees must be at least 8 feet tall with a trunk diameter of 1 1/2 inches at 54 inches above grade. Palms may make up no more than 35 percent of the requirement, and under the Sebastian code any required tree that dies must be replaced within 30 days.

Construction sites carry added rules. The Sebastian homeowner packet requires barricades at least 4 feet tall around preserved trees, placed 5 feet from trees of 10 inches DBH or less and 10 feet from historic trees and larger trees, plus 1 foot for each additional inch over 10 inches.

The Natural Resources Board is the city advisory body for trees in Sebastian. According to the city, it has 7 members and 2 alternates and meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. in City Council Chambers, and it champions the Sustainable Sebastian program adopted by City Council through Resolution R-19-30. The board's landscaping page notes that the Pelican Island Audubon Society offers local residents free Live Oak trees, and the 2023 brochure lists native canopy trees the board recommends for Sebastian, including bald cypress, live oak, slash pine, southern magnolia and dahoon holly.

The city's tree ordinance is also one of the criteria behind its national recognition. Sebastian Daily reported on January 9, 2026 that Sebastian was named a 2025 Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation, the 24th consecutive year, along with a Growth Award; to qualify, a community must maintain a tree board or department, adopt a tree ordinance, spend at least $2 per capita on forestry and hold an Arbor Day event. The 2023 brochure counts 2021 as Sebastian's 19th consecutive year, so the two running tallies differ slightly. In January 2021 Sebastian Daily reported that the city's second consecutive Growth Award followed work at Riverview Park, where the city moved a pathway away from groupings of trees to protect them.