Permit requirements vary depending on land use factors and historic district designation. Visit the City’s My Place mapping tool to find zoning and historic district information (searchable by address).
A permit must be applied for and obtained from the Mobile Tree Commission to prune, move, or remove ANY tree(s) located within the public right-of-way.
Residential Sites (Developed)
Outside Historic Districts: Provided the tree is not located in a public right-of-way, no permit is required.
Inside Historic Districts: A permit is required for the trimming/removal of any Heritage Tree of at least eight (8) inches DBH (diameter at breast height).
Residential Sites (Undeveloped)
Outside Historic Districts: A permit is required for the trimming/removal of any live oak (Quercus virginiana) of at least eighteen (18) inches DBH (diameter at breast height).
Inside Historic Districts: A permit is required for the trimming/removal of any Heritage Tree of at least eight (8) inches DBH (diameter at breast height).
Commercial Sites (Developed and Undeveloped)
If a property has a tree and/or landscaping plan that was approved through previous development activities, a permit is required for tree trimming/removal.
If tree is located outside of a locally designated historic district (and outside of City rights-of-way), a tree permit is required for the trimming/removal of any Heritage Tree of at least eighteen (18) inches DBH (diameter at breast height).
If tree is located WITHIN a locally designated historic district, a permit is required for the trimming/removal of any Heritage Tree of at least eight (8) inches DBH (diameter at breast height).
A Heritage Tree is defined as any of the following list of trees which is at least eighteen (18) inches DBH: hickory (Carya spp.); longleaf pine (Pinus palustris); magnolia (Magnolia spp.); oak (Quercus spp.), excluding water oak (Quercus nigra); river birch (Betula nigra); sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua); sycamore (Platanus occidentalis); and yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera). In historic districts,
Heritage Trees include the species previously noted, but have a minimum size of at least eight (8) inches DBH.
There is a $75 per tree permit fee, with a cost cap of 3 trees for residential property ($225) and 9 trees for commercial property ($675). Tree permit fees are payable online via the online permit application system.
Tree permit applications can be submitted online through the Customer Self Service (CSS)
portal.
1. Go to the Build Mobile: Citizen Self Service website.
2. On the top navigation bar, click on “Apply”
3. In the “Search for application names and keywords” search box, type “tree”
4. Choose “Trimming/Removal application for Right-of-Way trees” if the proposed tree work is in
the Right-of-Way, or “Tree Trimming/Removal application for Private Property trees” if the
proposed work is on private property.
5. Click “Apply”
6. Log In with an existing account or register to create a new account (Note: the account may take
up to 24hrs to be approved before you may complete the application)
Once the application is submitted, Urban Forestry received a request for an inspection. Based on the findings of the inspection, the permit will either be issued or denied.
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