King County, WA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing rule
- IPMC 302.4 as amended, K.C.C. 16.14.460
- Height threshold
- None set - discretionary fire-hazard call
- Trigger
- Notice of violation, then must cut
- Max penalty
- $1,000 fine, 90 days jail per week
- Coverage
- Unincorporated county only, not Seattle
Summary
Unincorporated King County has no fixed inch limit on grass or weeds. Instead, the Fire Marshal or code official can declare overgrown weeds or vegetation a fire hazard, and owners who fail to cut and destroy them after a notice of violation face prosecution.
Any building or portion thereof, device, apparatus, equipment, combustible waste, or vegetation that, in the opinion [of the] Fire Marshal or the Code Official, is in such a condition as to cause a fire or explosion or provide a ready fuel to augment the spread and intensity of fire or explosion arising from any cause shall be considered substandard. Upon failure of the owner or agent having charge of a property to cut and destroy weeds after service of a notice violation, they shall be subject to prosecution in accordance with the provisions of K.C.C. Title 23.
Full Breakdown
King County substituted its own text for IPMC Section 302.4 rather than adopt the model code's fixed height trigger. Under K.C.C. 16.14.460, any vegetation that the Fire Marshal or code official believes could cause or spread fire is "substandard." There's no set inch threshold - the call is discretionary. Once the county issues a notice of violation, the owner or agent in charge of the property must cut and destroy the weeds or face prosecution under the Title 23 code-compliance process. This applies only in unincorporated King County; Seattle, Bellevue, Kent, Renton, Federal Way, Auburn, Redmond, Kirkland, Sammamish, Burien, Shoreline, Issaquah and the county's other 27 or so cities enforce their own municipal codes.
Violations & Fines
Prosecution under K.C.C. Title 23; a willful violation is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and 90 days in jail, with each week of continued violation a separate offense (K.C.C. 23.02.030).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a specific grass height limit in unincorporated King County?
Does this rule apply inside Seattle?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in King County
How King County compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Compare King County to another location·View the Washington landscaping rules overview
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