Augusta-Richmond County, GA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Height limit
- 12 inches for weeds/undergrowth
- Applies to
- vacant, undeveloped, unoccupied lots
- Notice period
- 14 days to comply
- Enforcement
- Director of Environmental Services / code enforcement
- Non-compliance
- county abates work and liens property
Summary
Augusta-Richmond County bars weeds, undergrowth, or other plant life from growing past twelve inches on vacant, undeveloped, or unoccupied lots, with code enforcement authorized to cut and bill violators.
No owner of any vacant lot, undeveloped lot or unoccupied parcel of land within Augusta shall permit or allow the existence of excessive accumulation or untended growth of weeds, undergrowth or other plant life grow to a height exceeding twelve (12) inches; or stagnant water, rubbish, garbage, refuse debris, trash... upon any lot, tract or parcel of land... to the extent and in the manner that such lot, tract or parcel of land ... threatens or endangers the public health, safety, or welfare.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Recodification).
Full Breakdown
Augusta-Richmond County Code § 4-2-2 prohibits property owners from letting weeds, undergrowth, or other plant life grow past twelve inches on any vacant, undeveloped, or unoccupied lot, alongside bans on rubbish and stagnant water that could breed mosquitoes or vermin. The county mails one written notice per parcel per year; if the owner doesn't cut the growth within fourteen days, the Director of Environmental Services has crews do it and bills the owner, with unpaid costs becoming a property lien. This rule covers the consolidated Augusta-Richmond County government; the separately incorporated cities of Blythe and Hephzibah enforce their own municipal codes.
Violations & Fines
Violating property owners get one written notice per year and fourteen days to cut back growth; after that the county remedies it and bills the owner, with unpaid costs becoming a lien against the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply to my occupied home's lawn?
What happens if I don't cut the weeds?
Does this rule apply in Blythe or Hephzibah?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Augusta-Richmond County
How Augusta-Richmond County compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Compare Augusta-Richmond County to another location·View the Georgia landscaping rules overview
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