Lodi, CA Fire Regulations: Brush Clearance (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcement officer
- Fire chief (Sec. 15.31.030)
- Notice period
- 14 days to remove weeds
- Hearing request window
- 10 days after notice posted
- Cost recovery
- Special assessment lien on property
- Emergency power
- Summary abatement, no notice (Sec. 15.31.130)
Summary
Chapter 15.31 of the Lodi Municipal Code lets the fire chief order weeds destroyed on any private lot once they grow tall or dry enough to become a fire or safety hazard. Owners get a posted 14-day notice, and if it's ignored the city removes the growth and liens the property for the cost.
The fire chief of the city is designated as the enforcement officer, whose duty it is shall be to administer and enforce provisions of this chapter, except as otherwise provided herein. ... "Weeds" means any weeds or grasses which when mature bear seeds of a downy or wingy nature, or which because of having attained, or which may attain, such a large growth that when dry shall become a fire or safety hazard, or which are otherwise noxious or dangerous to health.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 68).
Full Breakdown
030 designates the fire chief as the enforcement officer for weed and refuse abatement citywide. 070. 080 authorizes the fire chief and city crews or contractors to enter the lot and remove the growth themselves. 090 turns the resulting cost into a special assessment lien on the property, collected the same way as general city property taxes. 130 lets the fire chief skip the notice-and-hearing steps entirely and order immediate removal, without any notice, whenever weeds or refuse pose "an immediate threat to the public health, safety and welfare," billing the owner afterward through the same lien process.
Violations & Fines
Failing to comply with a posted weed-abatement notice lets the city remove the growth itself and bill the property owner through a special assessment lien collected with the property tax bill (Sec. 15.31.090). Beyond the abatement cost, Sec. 15.31.170 subjects any violation of the chapter to Chapter 1.10's general enforcement and penalty provisions. Where the fire chief finds an immediate threat, Sec. 15.31.130 allows summary removal with no advance notice at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who enforces weed abatement for fire risk in Lodi?
How much warning do I get before the city acts?
Can I contest a weed abatement order?
Does the city ever remove weeds without any notice?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lodi
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Brush Clearance in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Joaquin County handle brush clearance.