Memphis requires property owners to keep yards clear of dead vegetation and overgrowth under the weed and blight ordinance. Brush exceeding 10 inches must be cut, and accumulations near structures that create a fire hazard are abated by the city with costs liened to the property.
Memphis Code Chapter 13 (Property Maintenance) and the adopted International Property Maintenance Code require owners to keep grass and weeds below 10 inches and to remove accumulated brush, yard waste, and dead vegetation. Tennessee Code §13-21-111 authorizes municipalities to declare blight and abate unsafe conditions. Humid subtropical Memphis produces aggressive vegetation growth from April through October; enforcement activity peaks in summer. Properties adjacent to wooded stream corridors along Wolf River and Nonconnah Creek must manage edge vegetation where it encroaches on structures. Memphis does not have wildfire-urban interface zones in the western U.S. sense, so brush clearance is driven by blight, rodent harborage, and structural fire hazard rather than wildfire defensible space. Code Enforcement inspects on complaint; notice gives 10 days to comply. Abatement cost plus administrative fee is assessed to the tax parcel. Vacant lots with repeat violations may be added to the city mow list.
Specific penalty amounts for this ordinance are not published in a publicly accessible fine schedule. Contact Memphis code enforcement directly for current fines, enforcement procedures, and hearing options.
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See how Memphis's brush clearance rules stack up against other locations.
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