Yuba County, CA Landscaping Rules: Grass Height Limits (2026)

Yuba County Code Enforcement is responsible for abating public nuisances throughout the unincorporated area. Rather than fixing one statewide grass height, the County relies on its Property Maintenance Ordinance in Title VII, Chapter 7.36. Section 7.36.310 (Conditions creating a public nuisance) ties enforcement to the California weed and rubbish abatement laws in Government Code Section 39500 et seq. and Section 39560 et seq., which let local government order owners to remove weeds and combustible material that create a fire or health hazard. Because much of unincorporated Yuba County sits in foothill State Responsibility Area land, the controlling vegetation standard for fire safety is the state defensible-space rule in Public Resources Code Section 4291, which requires 100 feet of defensible space around structures. In practice, dry grass, brush and weeds that threaten fire spread or harbor vectors are what trigger a case, not a fixed lawn height. Enforcement generally starts with a notice giving the owner time to clear the property before the County abates the nuisance and bills the cost.