Tree work rules in Florida

Florida has no state tree license. Since July 1, 2025 state law has voided local occupational licenses not authorized by general law, and that ended county tree trimmer licenses such as Broward's.¹

Florida law limits local tree rules in one case. At a single-family home, a city or county can't require a permit, fee, mitigation or replanting to prune or remove a tree when an ISA arborist or Florida landscape architect documents that it poses unacceptable risk.²

If a tree is touching the power line to your house, keep clear and call your utility first. Clearing the line is the utility's job, and a tree company can't start until it's done.

In Florida the federal OSHA rule is the one that applies: workers who aren't trained for line work keep 10 feet from lines up to 50,000 volts.³

Florida's one-call law doesn't name stump or root removal, and it exempts an owner digging on their own single-family lot to a depth of 10 inches. Sunshine 811 says to call 811 before pulling out or grinding a stump.^4-6

Pest control businesses in Florida need a certified operator in the Lawn and Ornamental category, and the ornamental part of that category includes trees.^7-8