Loudoun County, VA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Codified Ordinances Ch. 690
- Prohibited acts
- Seed-set, import, sale of Johnsongrass
- Cure period before referral
- 10 days written notice
- Penalty (via § 202.99)
- Class 1 misdemeanor, up to $2,500/12 mo.
- Enforcement body
- 18-member Johnsongrass Control Committee
- County eradication cost share
- 50% landowner / 50% County
Summary
Loudoun County declares Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense) a public nuisance under Codified Ordinances Chapter 690. Landowners may not let it set seed, import it, or transport, sell, or offer it for sale in any growable form. An 18-member Johnsongrass Control Committee appointed by the Board of Supervisors runs the control program, and the County has separately adopted Virginia's Musk Thistle and Curled Thistle Code as local law.
690.03 PROHIBITED ACTS. (a) No person shall willfully, knowingly and intentionally allow Johnsongrass to set seed on any land within the County, unless such person is engaged in a good faith attempt or effort to prevent the setting of seed on any land within the County when such seed set occurs. (b) No person shall willfully, deliberately, knowingly and intentionally import Johnsongrass into the County, or willfully, deliberately, knowingly and intentionally transport, sell or offer to sell Johnsongrass within the County, in any form capable of growth, unless such person in so doing is attempting to control the importation or transportation of Johnsongrass.
Full Breakdown
" A landowner can sign a compliance agreement with the Committee instead. 04(f) splits the cost 50/50 between the County and the landowner, billed and collectible with reimbursements deposited into a dedicated Johnsongrass control account. " Refusing the Committee entry to inspect or spray is itself a violation reportable to the Commissioner of Revenue, who may weigh it against special agricultural-land tax assessments; the Committee can also seek a search warrant through the Commonwealth's Attorney or a County law enforcement officer if entry is refused.
06 creates the 18-member Committee, drawn from the County's agricultural community, with duties covering surveys, technical assistance, and spraying programs on both public rights-of-way and private land. 07 separately adopts Virginia's Musk Thistle and Curled Thistle Code (Code of Va. 1, Ch. 13, Art. IV) as the "Loudoun County Musk Thistle and Curled Thistle Code," extending the same noxious-weed framework to those two species.
Violations & Fines
Section 690.99 defers to the general Code penalty in Section 202.99: absent a specific penalty, a violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $2,500, up to twelve months in jail, or both, plus prosecution costs, with each day a violation continues treated as a separate offense. Before that, Section 690.05 requires a written notice and a ten-day cure period; only after that window lapses is the matter referred to the Commonwealth's Attorney for prosecution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Johnsongrass illegal to grow in Loudoun County?
What happens if I ignore a Johnsongrass notice in Loudoun County?
Who enforces Loudoun County's weed ordinance?
Does Loudoun County regulate weeds other than Johnsongrass?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Loudoun County
How Loudoun County compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Compare Loudoun County to another location·View the Virginia landscaping rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.