Edmonds, WA Invasive Plant Rules: Prohibited Species (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- ECC 6.30.010, first adopted 1916
- Applies to
- Any lot within Edmonds city limits
- Also covers
- Adjoining street/alley to center line
- Inspecting official
- Director of public works
- Notice service
- By police, in person, mail or posting
Summary
Edmonds bans letting noxious weeds, thistles or nettles grow on any lot or on bordering streets, alleys or highways within city limits under ECC 6.30.010, a rule dating to 1916. The public works director inspects and issues abatement notices, with failure to comply drawing Chapter 6.20 nuisance penalties.
6.30.010 Noxious plants prohibited. ... It shall be unlawful for any owner, lessee, occupant, agent or other person having the care or charge of any lot, lots or parcel of land within the city limits of the city of Edmonds to suffer or permit any noxious weeds, thistles or nettles to grow thereon or on any street, alley or highway bordering on such property, to the center thereof. ... 6.30.040 Refusal or failure to abate – Penalties. If the owner, lessee, occupant, agent or other person in charge of property on which noxious weeds, thistles or nettles exist fails or refuses to destroy the same within the time set forth in the notice, said person shall be subject to the penalties and remedies for public nuisances set forth in Chapter 6.20 ECC.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4444, passed August 3, 2026).
Full Breakdown
010 makes it unlawful for any owner, lessee, occupant, agent or other person with care or charge of a lot or parcel within Edmonds city limits to suffer or permit noxious weeds, thistles or nettles to grow on that property, or on any bordering street, alley or highway out to its center line. The prohibition originates in Ordinance 285 from 1916 and remains in force largely unchanged. 020 to inspect lots, parcels, streets, alleys and highways citywide; when noxious weeds, thistles or the like are found, the director issues notice to the responsible party specifying a deadline to destroy the growth.
030 requires the notice to be served in writing by the police, delivered in person or left with a suitable resident at the person's usual abode, or, for a nonresident or unknown address, mailed or posted on the property. 042(A)(2), which ties enforcement to species the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board classifies as Class B or Class C, plus uncultivated berry vines, once they exceed an average of three feet in height within five feet of a neighboring lot line.
Violations & Fines
If the responsible party fails or refuses to destroy the noxious weeds within the deadline set in the notice, ECC 6.30.040 subjects them to the penalties and remedies for public nuisances set out in Chapter 6.20 ECC, meaning civil enforcement under ECDC Chapter 20.110 or criminal misdemeanor prosecution, plus recovery of the city's abatement costs if it has to remove the growth itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
What plants does Edmonds prohibit under its noxious weed rule?
Who enforces the noxious weed ban in Edmonds?
What happens if I don't remove noxious weeds after notice in Edmonds?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Edmonds
Compare Edmonds to another location·View the Washington invasive plant rules overview
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Prohibited Species in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Snohomish County handle prohibited species.