Bristol, PA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Weed and overgrown vegetation enforcement in Bucks County operates under two frameworks. First, municipal property maintenance codes — most Bucks townships and boroughs have adopted the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) 2018 or 2021 edition, which requires premises to be kept free from weeds or plant growth in excess of 10 inches (IPMC §302.4). Second, the Pennsylvania Noxious Weed Control Act (3 P.S. §255.1-255.8), administered by the PA Department of Agriculture, lists specific noxious species that property owners must control: Canada thistle, multiflora rose, purple loosestrife, shattercane, musk thistle, bull thistle, jimsonweed, kudzu, and more recently spotted lanternfly host plants. The PA Noxious Weed Committee may designate additional species. Bucks County municipalities typically follow a three-step enforcement: notice of violation (10-14 days to comply), second notice with cost estimate, then municipal mowing/clearing with costs plus 15-20% administrative fee assessed as a lien on the property per the Municipal Claims and Tax Liens Act (53 P.S. §7101 et seq.). Vacant lots receive intensified scrutiny. Agricultural land in production is generally exempt under the PA Right to Farm Act. Spotted lanternfly quarantine (administered by PA Department of Agriculture) requires all Bucks County businesses moving articles to carry permits; homeowners are encouraged but not mandated to destroy egg masses and tree-of-heaven host plants.