No San Luis Obispo County-specific ordinance directly addresses a maximum lawn or grass height for unincorporated residential properties. Instead, dry grass and vegetation are regulated as a fire hazard under California Public Resources Code Sec. 4291 and California Health and Safety Code Sec. 14875.
Unlike the City of San Luis Obispo (which limits weeds and grass over 12 inches under SLO Municipal Code Sec. 17.76.060), the unincorporated County does not impose a numeric grass-height standard for routine residential lawns. Vegetation enforcement instead focuses on fire risk. California Public Resources Code Sec. 4291 requires owners of any building or structure in a State Responsibility Area or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone to maintain 100 feet of defensible space, with a more intensive 'lean, clean and green' zone within 30 feet of the structure and an ember-resistant zone within 5 feet. California Health and Safety Code Sec. 14875 defines 'weeds' to include 'dry grass, stubble, brush, litter, or other flammable material which endangers the public safety by creating a fire hazard in an urbanized portion of an unincorporated area.' CAL FIRE / SLO County Fire conducts annual inspections and issues abatement notices to properties whose grass and brush growth poses a fire risk; tall green ornamental grass that is not a fire hazard is generally not regulated.
If vegetation is determined to constitute a fire hazard, CAL FIRE or the County Fire Code Official issues a notice ordering abatement. Failure to comply allows the County or fire district to abate the hazard and place the cost as a lien on the property via the tax roll under Health and Safety Code Sec. 14875 et seq. PRC Sec. 4291 violations are an infraction punishable by fine and may trigger reinspection fees.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
San Luis Obispo County, CA
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See how San Luis Obispo County's grass height limits rules stack up against other locations.
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