Landscaping Rules in San Diego County, CA (2026)

California Public Resources Code § 4291 (defensible space — vegetation management around structures)

99] ( Chapter 3 added by Stats. 1965, Ch. 1144. ) 4291. (a) A person who owns, leases, controls, operates, or maintains a building or structure in the state responsibility area shall at all times do all of the following: (1) (A) Maintain defensible space of 100 feet from each side and from the front and rear of the structure, but not beyond the property line, except as provided in subparagraph ...

San Diego County Code § 71.501

No person shall trim, prune, cut, break, deface, destroy, burn or remove any tree, hedge, plant, shrub, or flower growing or to grow upon any County-owned public property within the unincorporated territory of the County unless authorized in writing to do so by the Director, or the Director, Department of Parks and Recreation, whichever is the appropriate County officer, or the Board.       (b)...

California Food and Agricultural Code § 5004 (definition of "noxious weed" for plant quarantine and pest control)

5004. “Noxious weed” means any species of plant that is, or is liable to be, troublesome, aggressive, intrusive, detrimental, or destructive to agriculture, silviculture, or important native species, and difficult to control or eradicate, which the director, by regulation, designates to be a noxious weed. In determining whether or not a species shall be designated a noxious weed for the purpose...

California Department of Water Resources — Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) (Water Conservation in Landscaping Act, Gov. Code § 65591 et seq.)

by the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) . The MWELO is also referenced by Title 24, Part 11, Chapters 4 and 5 CalGreen Building Code. All local agencies must adopt, implement, and enforce the MWELO or a local Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (WELO) that is at least as effective as the MWELO. Usually, local agencies that adopt WELOs create a more stringent ordinance than MWEL...

California AB 1750 (2012, Rendon) — Rainwater Capture Act of 2012 (Water Code § 10570 et seq.)

to read: PART 2.4. Rainwater Capture Act of 2012 10570. This part shall be known, and may be cited, as the Rainwater Capture Act of 2012. 10571. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) As California has grown and developed, the amount of stormwater flowing off buildings, parking lots, roads, and other impervious surfaces into surface water streams, flood channels, and storm...

California Department of Water Resources — Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) (Water Conservation in Landscaping Act, Gov. Code § 65591 et seq.)

by the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) . The MWELO is also referenced by Title 24, Part 11, Chapters 4 and 5 CalGreen Building Code. All local agencies must adopt, implement, and enforce the MWELO or a local Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (WELO) that is at least as effective as the MWELO. Usually, local agencies that adopt WELOs create a more stringent ordinance than MWEL...

California Civil Code § 4735 (common interest developments — HOAs may not prohibit low water-using plants, artificial turf, or compliance with water-efficient landscape ordinances)

rticle 1 added by Stats. 2012, Ch. 180, Sec. 2. ) 4735. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, a provision of the governing documents or architectural or landscaping guidelines or policies shall be void and unenforceable if it does any of the following: (1) Prohibits, or includes conditions that have the effect of prohibiting, the use of low water-using plants as a group or as a replacement of exis...

California Health and Safety Code § 39730.6 (SB 1383)

(a) Consistent with Section 39730.5, methane emissions reduction goals shall include the following targets to reduce the landfill disposal of organics: (1) A 50-percent reduction in the level of the statewide disposal of organic waste from the 2014 level by 2020. (2) A 75-percent reduction in the level of the statewide disposal of organic waste from the 2014 level by 2025. (b) Except as provide...