Ventura County, CA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Weed abatement in the unincorporated County is primarily a fire-hazard program run by the Ventura County Fire Protection District (VCFPD) under its adopted Fire Code (Ordinance No. 32, California Fire Code Chapter 49) and the Fire Hazard Reduction Program (FHRP). Owners must remove weeds, grasses, shrubs, and dead trees that pose a fire hazard. Guidance applied to VCFD-area clearance calls for year-round compliance on native brush, weeds, grass, trees, and hazardous vegetation within 200 feet of any structure or building (whether on the owner's property or an adjoining one) and within 10 feet of any combustible fence or roadway/driveway used for vehicular travel. Grass is generally cut to about three inches and native brush reduced to about three inches in height, with shrubs spaced apart. The District also imposes operational rules: metal cutting blades must be non-ferrous/non-sparking, and brush clearance is prohibited on red-flag days when fire-weather conditions peak. This overlaps the statewide 100-foot defensible-space mandate of Public Resources Code section 4291. Each spring the District conducts inspection sweeps and issues abatement notices; debris should typically be cleared before the inspection season. If an owner does not abate, the District can have the work done and bill the owner, recording the cost as a special assessment on the property tax bill. Owners may appeal through the FHRP Abatement Assessment and Appeal process.