San Benito County, CA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Weed abatement in unincorporated San Benito County is handled through the County Code rather than a single fixed grass-height rule. Section 19.37.120 (paragraphs C and D) addresses weed abatement, and the public-nuisance section (Section 1.06.030) defines a nuisance to include 'overgrown, dead, decayed, deceased or hazardous trees and vegetation that can attract rodents and other nuisances or constitute a fire hazard or is dangerous to the public safety and welfare.' In 2023, the Hollister Fire Department proposed stricter numeric standards, including no weeds taller than three feet on parcels of five acres or less and 30-foot crisscross fuel breaks on larger parcels, but the Board of Supervisors rejected those amendments and kept the existing nuisance-based ordinance, which it described as robust. The County's Agriculture Department also operates a weed-management program. Owners of structures on mountainous, forest-, brush-, or grass-covered land in the State Responsibility Area additionally must clear flammable vegetation to maintain 100 feet of defensible space under California Public Resources Code 4291. Because the County enforces a condition-based standard rather than a single height, owners should clear dry grass and brush ahead of fire season and respond promptly to any abatement notice.