Brookhaven, GA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Height limit
- 12 inches or more is unlawful
- Who is responsible
- Owner of improved or previously improved property
- Areas covered
- Front, side and rear yards and the right-of-way
- Zoning distinction
- None: residential, commercial, industrial or other
- Maximum fine
- $1,000.00 or six months in jail, or both
- Continuing violations
- Each day is a separate offense
Summary
In the City of Brookhaven, Georgia, Sec. 16-122 makes it unlawful for the owner of improved or previously improved property to let grass, weeds or other undergrowth reach 12 inches or more, in the front, side or rear yard or the right-of-way. Growth at that height is declared a public nuisance and abatable.
It shall be unlawful for the owner of improved property or previously improved property in the city, whether zoned residential, commercial, industrial or other, to have, place or allow grass, weeds and/or other undergrowth to exceed the height of 12 inches or more on such property, including but not limited to, the front, side or rear yard, or right-of-way. Notwithstanding the above, grass, weeds and/or other undergrowth of a height of 12 inches or more are declared to be a public nuisance and abatable as such.
Full Breakdown
The limit is one number: 12 inches. Sec. 16-122 applies to the owner of improved property or previously improved property in the city, whether zoned residential, commercial, industrial or other, so the zoning district does not change the height. The prohibition covers grass, weeds and other undergrowth on the property, including the front, side or rear yard, and it reaches the right-of-way, which puts the strip between a lot and the street on the owner.
The section does two things at once. It makes the condition unlawful, which supports a citation, and it declares growth of 12 inches or more a public nuisance, which makes it abatable as such. Sec. 16-125 adds that the remedies in the article are cumulative of all other remedies the city has, that nothing in the article relieves anyone of the duty to comply with the Code, and that any nuisance can be abated in the manner provided by law.
The former notice and hearing sections are gone. Ordinance No. 2017-12-06, adopted December 12, 2017, repealed Sec. 16-123 (notice to abate), Sec. 16-124 (hearing and abatement) and Sec. 16-126 (violations and contempt of abatement order).
The same 12 inch figure appears in Sec. 16-52, which fills in Section 302.4 of the adopted International Property Maintenance Code. Other yard rules sit alongside it: Sec. 16-193 bars weeds likely to harbor vermin or insects, and Sec. 16-208 makes the owner and the occupant each independently responsible for keeping the premises, including the full yard, clean and free of garbage, refuse and trash.
Violations & Fines
A violation is prosecuted under Sec. 1-11(c) by summons or citation: a fine not exceeding $1,000.00 or jail not to exceed six months, or both, with each day of a continuing violation a separate offense. Under Sec. 1-11(d), an unpaid fine bars the city from accepting or issuing permits and other applications tied to that person or the land. Sec. 1-11(e) allows injunctive relief.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can grass get in the City of Brookhaven, Georgia?
Does the weed limit include the strip by the street?
Does the rule change in commercial or industrial zones?
What is the penalty for tall weeds in Brookhaven?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Brookhaven
How Brookhaven compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Compare Brookhaven to another location·View the Georgia landscaping rules overview
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