Oakland County does not maintain a county-wide grass-height ordinance. Each of the 62 cities, villages, and townships (Royal Oak, Troy, Farmington Hills, Pontiac, Southfield, Bloomfield Hills, etc.) sets its own maximum height under authority of Michigan's Noxious Weeds Act (MCL 247.61 et seq.). Typical caps on improved residential lots range from 6 to 12 inches; unimproved lots are often 16 inches or higher.
Under MCL 247.64, property owners statewide must destroy noxious weeds before they reach seed-bearing stage and prevent them from becoming a public-health detriment. MCL 247.62 defines noxious weeds to include Canada thistle, dodders, mustards, wild carrot, bindweed, perennial sowthistle, hoary alyssum, giant hogweed, ragweed, poison ivy, and poison sumac (milkweed is expressly excluded). MCL 247.61 allows each city, village, or township to appoint a Commissioner of Noxious Weeds who may enter property and order destruction. Within Oakland County, examples include Oak Park (8 inches on improved, 16 inches on unimproved), Orion Township (12 inches), and Pontiac (8 inches). If a property is not cut after notice, the municipality may abate the nuisance and place the cost on the tax roll as a lien.
Per MCL 247.66, failure to comply is punishable by a fine of up to $100, plus the actual cost of municipal abatement assessed as a special charge or tax lien. Most Oakland County municipalities further classify it as a municipal civil infraction with escalating fines ($50-$500) for repeat offenses, plus contractor abatement costs typically $150-$400 per mowing.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Oakland County, MI
Outdoor music in Oakland County is regulated municipally. Public events, parades, and concerts are typically exempt or permit-driven. Pontiac (Ch. 58-IV) exe...
Oakland County, MI
Oakland County does not set a county-wide dBA limit. Royal Oak Zoning §770-94 caps noise at 75 dBA between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. and 60 dBA between 10:00 ...
Oakland County, MI
Amplified music in Oakland County is governed by each municipality. Charter Township of Oakland (Ch. 274) bans speakers and sound amplifiers loud enough to b...
Oakland County, MI
Oakland County has no county-wide leaf-blower ordinance. Birmingham (an Oakland County city) adopted a resolution on September 11, 2023 to phase out two-stro...
Oakland County, MI
Oakland County Animal Control does not respond to barking-dog complaints. Barking is enforced by each municipality's police department under its local noise/...
Oakland County, MI
Construction-noise hours are set by each Oakland County municipality, not the county. Common windows: Charter Township of Oakland (Ch. 274) allows constructi...
See how Oakland County's grass height limits rules stack up against other locations.
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