Salt Lake City, UT Invasive Plant Rules: Prohibited Species (2026)
Key Facts
- Max weed height
- 6 inches
- Species list source
- Utah Noxious Weed Act
- Zero-height species
- Puncturevine, poison ivy, bindweed
- Enforcing agency
- Division of Building Services
- Penalty
- Class B misdemeanor per day
Summary
Salt Lake City requires property owners to remove and eradicate noxious weeds, including every species named on the Utah Noxious Weed Act list, from real property citywide.
WEEDS: Vegetation growing upon any real property within Salt Lake City which will attain such a growth as to become a fire hazard when dry, or which is otherwise noxious, a nuisance or dangerous, as determined by the division. Weeds include, but shall not necessarily be limited to, the following:
A. Dry grasses, stubble, brush, tumbleweeds and clippings which endanger the public health and safety by creating a fire hazard, insect or rodent harborage, or any other nuisance;
B. Poison ivy, when the public health and safety in residential or other developed and populated areas are affected;
C. Those plants named in the Utah Noxious Weed Act, title 4, chapter 17, Utah Code, and its subsequent regulations and successor sections. (Ord. 55-18, 2018)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-21: Code current through: Ord. 40-26, passed June 16, 2026).
Full Breakdown
City Code Chapter 9.16 defines "weeds" to include any plant named in the Utah Noxious Weed Act (Utah Code Title 4, Chapter 17), plus fire-hazard vegetation and poison ivy in populated areas. Owners must keep weeds under 6 inches and immediately eradicate low-growing puncturevine, poison ivy, and bindweed by root removal or chemical treatment before they exceed that height, on the parcel and in the strip between the property line and the roadway.
Violations & Fines
Division of Building Services inspectors issue written notice; unresolved violations let the city abate and bill costs, plus a Class B misdemeanor with each day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which plants count as prohibited noxious weeds in Salt Lake City?
Can I just mow noxious weeds instead of removing them?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salt Lake City
Compare Salt Lake City to another location·View the Utah invasive plant rules overview
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Prohibited Species in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Salt Lake County handle prohibited species.