Livermore, CA Invasive Plant Rules: Prohibited Species (2026)
Key Facts
- Core ban
- Cal-IPC-listed invasive/noxious species prohibited outright
- Applies to
- Every landscape design plan under Chapter 13.25
- Extra check
- Prescriptive option adds "Don't Plant a Pest" list
- Consequence
- Can suspend an already-issued development permit
- Enforcing office
- Public Works Director
Summary
Livermore's landscape ordinance flatly prohibits installing invasive or noxious plant species in any regulated project. LMC § 13.25.080(A)(1)(g) bars species listed by the California Invasive Plant Council outright, and the prescriptive compliance alternative at § 13.25.200(B)(3)(c) separately requires excluding anything named in Cal-IPC's "Don't Plant a Pest" brochure for the project's region.
The use of invasive and/or noxious plant species, such as those listed by the California Invasive Plant Council, are prohibited. ... At a minimum, it is required that species listed in the California Invasive Plant Council's "Don't Plant a Pest" brochure as invasive in the project's region are not installed.
Full Breakdown
080(A)(1). 050. 200(B)(3)(c), that plant list must additionally exclude species named in the California Invasive Plant Council's "Don't Plant a Pest" brochure for the project's own region, tying the local ban to a specific, regionally tailored reference document rather than a single statewide list. 080(A)(1)(a), so a single plan is checked for both water efficiency and invasive-species exclusion at once. Because the ban is embedded in permit-level plan review rather than a standalone code enforcement chapter, it is caught before installation, at plan check, rather than through after-the-fact citation of a homeowner who plants something on their own initiative outside a permitted project.
Violations & Fines
A landscape design plan listing a California Invasive Plant Council species, or a prescriptive-option plant list containing a species from Cal-IPC's "Don't Plant a Pest" brochure for the project's region, fails Chapter 13.25 review. Under LMC § 13.25.220, the City can suspend any development permit already issued for the property until the applicant demonstrates compliance to the Public Works Director's satisfaction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use California Invasive Plant Council-listed species anywhere in my Livermore landscape?
I'm using the prescriptive compliance option instead of a full landscape plan. Does the invasive-species ban still apply?
What happens if an inspector finds a banned species already planted?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Livermore
California rules heatmap·Compare Livermore to another location·View the California invasive plant rules overview
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Prohibited Species in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Alameda County handle prohibited species.