Rio Rancho, NM Fire Regulations: Brush Clearance (2026)

Rio Rancho's brush and weed control is handled mainly through its Nuisances; Health and Sanitation code (Chapter 91) and Code Enforcement, rather than a separate wildfire defensible-space ordinance. Weeds and grass over 12 inches in height are a violation, and property owners AND tenants are responsible for keeping their lawns mowed. The code defines weeds broadly to include plants that, through abandonment or lack of maintenance, choke out other plant material, plus dead, dying, or unattended overgrown plant life. Properties must also be kept free of unsightly accumulations of litter, garbage, and junk. The city runs a Weed Mitigation program and removes weeds and litter from major arterials such as Unser, Northern, and Southern Boulevards - spraying pre-emergent in early spring and clearing weeds in summer after the rains begin. Because Rio Rancho borders open high-desert and the Rio Grande Bosque, keeping dry tumbleweeds and grasses cleared reduces wildfire fuel; dry tumbleweeds may be burned only under the Chapter 93 burn rules. For specific overgrowth complaints or clearance questions, residents are directed to Code Enforcement.