No countywide grass-height ordinance applies in Dutchess County. Most towns set 10-12 inch limits under property maintenance codes. City of Poughkeepsie limits grass to 10 inches under its Property Maintenance Code. City of Beacon limits grass to 10 inches. Rural agricultural parcels are typically exempt.
Dutchess County does not regulate grass height; enforcement is municipal. City of Poughkeepsie Property Maintenance Code Chapter 15 caps grass at 10 inches with $100-$500 fines and city-performed abatement billed to the owner. City of Beacon Code Chapter 145 also caps grass at 10 inches. Town of Wappinger, Town of Hyde Park, and Town of Poughkeepsie typically use a 10-12 inch threshold under their respective property maintenance chapters. Agricultural parcels enrolled in NY ag districts are exempt under AGM §305-a. Vacant lots are treated identically to occupied residential lots. Enforcement follows a complaint-driven notice-and-cure process: notice of violation, 7-10 day cure period, then ticket or abatement. Bard College, Vassar, and Marist campuses manage their own grounds.
Poughkeepsie: $100 first offense, $250 second, $500 third within 12 months, plus city abatement costs ($150-$500 typical). Beacon: similar graduated fines plus lien on property for abatement. Repeat offenders may face NY Supreme Court injunction.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Dutchess County, NY
Aircraft noise in Dutchess County is preempted by federal law under 49 USC 40103 (FAA sole authority over navigable airspace). Dutchess County Airport (POU) ...
Dutchess County, NY
No countywide quiet-hours statute in Dutchess. Each town, city, and village (Poughkeepsie, Beacon, Fishkill, Hyde Park, Rhinebeck, Red Hook, Wappinger, etc.)...
Dutchess County, NY
NY Vehicle and Traffic Law Section 375(31) prohibits excessive vehicle noise and requires mufflers in working order. The SLEEP Act (effective April 2022) rai...
Dutchess County, NY
Amplified music in Dutchess County is regulated by local noise codes and NY ABC Law for licensed premises. Poughkeepsie and Beacon require special permits fo...
Dutchess County, NY
NY Executive Order 22, Executive Law Section 66-p (Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act), and NYSERDA's Charge Ready NY program support EV infrast...
Dutchess County, NY
Street parking governed by individual town/village codes across Dutchess County. NY Vehicle and Traffic Law Section 1201 prohibits parking within 15 feet of ...
See how Dutchess County's grass height limits rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.