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

A search of the full Modoc County Code of Ordinances returns no chapter that fixes a maximum lawn or weed height, and no standalone 'weed abatement' chapter exists (the older nuisance-abatement ordinance was repealed and replaced by Chapter 8.20). This reflects the county's rural high-desert, sagebrush, and rangeland character, where most parcels are an acre or larger and large-lot 'tall grass' rules are impractical. Instead, dangerously overgrown or hazardous vegetation can be pursued as a public nuisance under Chapter 8.20 (Nuisance Abatement and Civil and Criminal Penalties for Code Violations). Section 8.20.020 declares a public nuisance to include any condition 'dangerous to human life, unsafe or detrimental to the public health or safety,' which the county may abate after notice and hearing. The real height-and-clearance requirements come from California state law: under Chapter 8.31 the county adopts CAL FIRE fire-hazard-severity maps and the defensible-space requirements of Public Resources Code Sections 4290 and 4291. PRC 4291 requires owners of structures in State Responsibility Areas to maintain 100 feet of defensible space, which in practice limits grass and light flashy fuels near buildings.