Leesburg, FL Tree Removal Permits and Burning Rules

The short version

Leesburg's tree protection rule

The rule is Section 25-337.1, "Tree protection," in Article V of Chapter 25 of Leesburg's code, part of the site design rules the city adopted in 2011. This guide read it in the Zoneomics republication of the city code; the official version is on Municode, and Planning and Zoning's reading of it is the one that counts (checked Nov 9, 2026).

It designates as protected:

• all trees and palms native to Florida or Florida-Friendly, four inches or more in diameter at breast height;
• sand pine and xeric oak scrub, four inches and up;
• wetland trees of any size;
• historic, specimen and heritage trees.

Its protected list names live oak, laurel oak, cabbage (sabal) palm, slash pine and southern magnolia, among others. The code says it is unlawful to "clear, kill or remove a protected tree or palm by any method without first obtaining a tree removal permit," and that each tree damaged or destroyed without a required permit is a separate violation. Unpermitted removals must be replaced at 1.25 to 1, and a restoration plan is due within 30 days.

A permit can be issued when a tree blocks a street, utilities, drainage or access; restricts reasonable use of the property; is a hazard to life or property that can't be fixed without removing it; or is dying or dead beyond practical repair. Permits expire 12 months after issue, and each tree approved for removal is marked with an X in bright paint or tape. Where replacement is required, it's 25 percent of the removed trunk inches for protected trees and 50 percent for specimen trees. A specimen tree is one 30 inches or more across, about 100 years old, or notable for its form, ecological value or rarity (checked Nov 9, 2026).

The city's homeowner form, "Tree Removal Permit," cites Florida Statute 163.045 at the top and has boxes for the reason: street opening, utilities and drainage, property access, property use, hazards, location and poor tree health. For a hazard, it says Planning and Zoning may ask for a professional's written opinion. The Planning and Zoning fee schedule lists the tree removal permit at $50 (checked Nov 9, 2026). The office is at the Leesburg Municipal Services Center, 204 N. 5th Street, open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

Leesburg's exemptions

The code lists situations where no tree removal permit is needed (city code, checked Nov 9, 2026). None of them apply inside a wetland conservation area. The ones that matter most to a homeowner:

• One to three trees whose combined trunk diameter is no more than 30 inches, within any three-year period, and that aren't needed for a landscape requirement.
• Hazardous trees that endanger public health, safety or welfare. The owner provides photos before removal, and the city manager or a designee authorizes it; if the tree had to come down at once, a letter and photos are due within 15 days.
• Dead and diseased trees. Trees that died of natural causes or disease don't have to be replaced or relocated.
• Routine maintenance, including trimming and pruning that isn't meant to kill the plant.
• Utility work in an easement by or for the utility that owns it.
• Keeping existing access open to the property.
• Prohibited trees, among them Australian pine, melaleuca, chinaberry, Brazilian pepper, tree of heaven, Chinese tallow, camphor and California privet. These aren't protected and can't count as replacement trees.
• Trees under four inches in diameter at breast height.

The state's hazard-tree law

Florida Statute 163.045 (2026 Florida Statutes, checked Nov 9, 2026) says a local government may not require a notice, application, approval, permit, fee or mitigation for pruning, trimming or removing a tree on residential property if the owner has documentation that the tree presents an unacceptable risk to people or property. It also bars requiring the owner to replant.

• Residential property means a single-family detached building on a lot actively used as a single-family home.
• Documentation means an on-site assessment following the tree risk assessment best practices the statute names, signed by an arborist or a landscape architect, as the statute describes.
• Unacceptable risk means removal is the only practical way to bring the tree's risk below moderate.
• The law doesn't apply to mangrove protection.

Leesburg's form cites the statute, Lake County lists it as an exemption, and Lady Lake and Fruitland Park both say how to send the documentation in. Keep a copy after the tree is gone.

Fruitland Park

Fruitland Park's trees page says "tree removal requires a building permit through the Community Development Department," under Section 164.090 of its land development code. Historic trees, 36 inches or more across with historical significance, and specimen trees of 24 to 36 inches can't be removed without a finding by the city commission. The city's checklist (revised August 2021) asks for a signed and notarized application, an aerial plan marking each tree to be removed with an X and showing the remaining trees six inches and up, proof of ownership, and any HOA or architectural review approval. It says hazard-tree documentation under the state law can be emailed to permits@fruitlandpark.org. City Hall: (352) 360-6727 (checked Nov 9, 2026).

Lady Lake and The Villages

Lady Lake's tree removal page says "a permit or arborist report is required prior to removing trees within the Town limits." It asks for a site plan showing the trees to be removed and the trees that stay, and written permission from the park owner for homes in a rental park. Invasive species can come out without a permit. For a tree that endangers people or property, a signed arborist report showing the danger takes the place of the permit and should be emailed to the building department; the town says it can't require replanting in that case. Home lots must keep a minimum number of canopy trees, from one tree on lots up to 6,500 square feet up to one per 5,000 square feet on lots over 26,000. Town Hall is at 409 Fennell Boulevard, 352-751-1501 (checked Nov 9, 2026).

In the Lake County part of The Villages, which rule applies depends on whether an address falls inside Lady Lake, Fruitland Park or another city, or on county land. Deed restrictions or community rules may add their own approval step; check those too.

Unincorporated Lake County

Okahumpka, Yalaha and other communities outside city limits fall under Lake County's land development regulations. The county's Tree Removal Permit Exemption form (revised December 2019), citing Section 9.02.04, says neither a permit nor mitigation is needed for any tree on a single-family residential lot of two acres or less that has a house on it, other than the trees required under the county's landscape section 9.01.08(A). It also exempts dangerous trees on residential property under the state statute, and says trees that died naturally, or were killed or toppled by lightning, hurricanes or tornadoes, don't need replacing unless a development order requires them (checked Nov 9, 2026).

Larger or non-residential properties may need a county permit. The county's permit form (revised January 2021) lists a $200 application fee and $35 per tree, capped at $1,000 for residential work, with after-the-fact removals at $70 per tree (checked Nov 9, 2026). In February 2026 the county's Planning and Zoning Board took up a draft amendment to the tree protection rules, including stronger protection for heritage trees 40 inches and up; this guide couldn't confirm whether it has been adopted. County Planning is at 315 W. Main Street in Tavares, 352-343-9641.

Tavares and Eustis

Both cities have their own tree removal permit applications. Tavares's form asks for a site plan or inventory showing trees six inches and up, says permits expire six months after approval, and lists (352) 742-6435 for inspections. Eustis's form (revised April 2019) lists the reasons it will issue a permit, including hazards, poor health and trees within 15 feet of a single-family home, and asks for replacement trees of at least two inches (both checked Nov 9, 2026). Call the city before cutting.

Trees along the road

A tree in the strip between the sidewalk and the street, or along a county road or state highway, may stand on public right-of-way. Leesburg's exemption for trees in public rights-of-way covers only trees removed as part of a project the city commission approved. For trees by a county road, the county's Public Works line is 352-253-6000; state highways belong to the Florida Department of Transportation. Find out who owns the strip before anyone cuts there.

Trees and power lines

Leesburg's code exempts utility work in an easement done by or for the utility. Homeowners are on their own for the service wire to the house: Duke Energy and SECO Energy both say the pole-to-house line is the owner's to keep clear, and both will disconnect it on request before tree work (checked Nov 9, 2026). When planting a replacement tree, SECO's guidance is to plant small trees, under 25 feet tall when grown, at least 15 feet from its lines, and trees that grow over 40 feet 50 to 70 feet away.

Burning yard waste

The Florida Forest Service's "Know the Law" sheet says a homeowner doesn't need a burn authorization for yard waste when all of these are true (checked Nov 9, 2026):

• The waste is vegetation from your own property: leaves, brush, limbs, palm fronds.
• It fits in a pile up to 8 feet across or a noncombustible container.
• It's lit after 9 a.m. Eastern time and out at least an hour before sunset.
• The setbacks are met and no local ordinance bans burning.

The setbacks are in the state's open-burning rule, Florida Administrative Code rule 62-256.700: the fire must sit at least 25 feet from wildland, brush or any combustible structure, 50 feet from a paved public road, and 150 feet from any occupied building other than one you own or lease (checked Nov 9, 2026). Bigger piles need a Forest Service authorization, and so does burning land-clearing debris. Burning household trash is illegal. Inside city limits, ask the fire department first; Leesburg's fire department office is at 352-728-9780.

Burn bans

Lake County orders countywide burn bans in dry spells. In April 2023 the county banned yard debris burning, land burning, recreational fires and debris piles the Forest Service hadn't approved after the Keetch-Byram drought index stayed above 500 for more than three weeks. Spectrum News 13 reported on March 26, 2025, that the county had done the same once the index reached 500. Both times, grills and outdoor fireplaces or pits no larger than 3 feet across and 2 feet high stayed allowed (checked Nov 9, 2026). A ban overrides the Forest Service's yard waste allowance until it's lifted.

Yard waste pickup

• Leesburg. Yard waste goes out by 6:30 a.m. on the second scheduled pickup day of the week. Small amounts can go in the city's green cans; larger amounts must be stacked or bundled, with limbs no longer than four feet and no more than six inches thick, set at least four feet from the city can. The city says contractors doing yard, landscaping or tree work are responsible for removing all waste from the property, and that some bulk pickups carry a fee. Work orders: solid.waste@leesburgflorida.gov or (352) 728-9878 (checked Nov 9, 2026).
• Fruitland Park. The yard waste page asks for limbs stacked neatly, no more than four feet long and under four inches thick, with bulk pieces such as stumps no heavier than 50 pounds. The city's tree permit checklist gives a looser limit, 6 feet long and 6 inches across, so ask the city which applies (both checked Nov 9, 2026).
• Elsewhere. Ask your town hall or the county about limits before stacking a tree's worth of brush at the curb.

Before any digging

Stump grinding and replanting both count as digging. Sunshine 811 says to contact it at least two full business days before you dig, not counting weekends, holidays or the day you call, and calls it the law under Chapter 556 of the Florida Statutes. In yards with gopher tortoises, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says no permit is needed if every burrow is avoided by 25 feet; closer work may need one (both checked Nov 9, 2026). See stump grinding.

Permit questions

Does Leesburg charge for a tree removal permit?

The Planning and Zoning fee schedule lists it at $50 (checked Nov 9, 2026). Call 352-728-9760 to confirm before applying.

Is a laurel oak protected in Leesburg?

Yes. Laurel oak is on the code's protected list, as is live oak, once the trunk is four inches across at breast height (city code, checked Nov 9, 2026).

Can I take out a camphor tree without a permit?

Camphor is on Leesburg's prohibited list, which the code says isn't protected. UF/IFAS also lists it as invasive in Central Florida.

I live outside city limits near Okahumpka. Do I need a permit?

Lake County's exemption form says a single-family lot of two acres or less with a house on it is exempt, apart from the trees the landscape code requires (checked Nov 9, 2026). Larger lots may need a county permit; call 352-343-9641.

This site connects each request with one independent contractor in the Leesburg area. Permits, burn decisions and pickup rules come from the offices named here.

• Tree removal
• Oak tree removal
• Stump grinding
• Hiring a tree service

• City of Leesburg Code of Ordinances, Chapter 25, Article V, Sec. 25-337.1 Tree protection, as republished by Zoneomics (official text on Municode); Planning and Zoning page and fee schedule; Tree Removal Permit form (2023). Checked Nov 9, 2026.
• Florida Statutes section 163.045, 2026 edition. Checked Nov 9, 2026.
• City of Fruitland Park, Trees page, tree removal checklist (revised 08-13-21) and Yard Waste page. Town of Lady Lake, Tree Removal Permits. Checked Nov 9, 2026.
• Lake County Office of Planning and Zoning, Tree Removal Permit Exemption form (revised 2019/12) and Tree Removal Permit form (revised 2021/01); Planning and Zoning Board packet, February 4, 2026, draft tree protection amendment. Checked Nov 9, 2026.
• City of Tavares, Tree Removal Permit form. City of Eustis, tree removal permit application (rev. 4/19). Checked Nov 9, 2026.
• Florida Forest Service, "Know the Law" (DACS-P 00149); Florida Administrative Code rule 62-256.700 (open burning). Lake County burn ban notices of April 7, 2023 (Lake County Water Atlas) and March 26, 2025 (Spectrum News 13). Checked Nov 9, 2026.
• City of Leesburg, Garbage page and Fire Department page. Duke Energy, Trees and Rights-of-Way FAQ. SECO Energy, Vegetation Management. Sunshine 811, Homeowner page and FAQs. FWC, Gopher Tortoise FAQs. UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions, Camphor Tree. Checked Nov 9, 2026.