Santa Clara County, CA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Right-of-way limit
- 12+ inches onto public right-of-way
- Trigger
- Fire hazard or public-safety danger
- Zone
- Urban Residential & Commercial districts
- Citation
- Ordinance Code § B38-11(a)
Summary
Unincorporated Santa Clara County bans dead, diseased, or overgrown weeds and vegetation that create a fire hazard or spread 12 inches or more onto a public right-of-way.
(a)The property contains overgrown, diseased, dead, or decayed trees, weeds, or other vegetation and that vegetation also:(1)Constitutes a fire hazard or other condition that is dangerous to the public health, safety, or welfare;(2)Creates the likelihood for the harboring of Vectors or other similar nuisances;(3)Is overgrown onto a public right-of-way at least 12 inches; or(4)Is completely dead, over 12 inches in height, and covers more than 50 percent of the front or side yard visible from any street.(b)The property fails to comply with any vegetation or landscape requirements imposed by or as part of any County-issued permit.(c)A swimming pool, pond, or other body of water is not attended, filtered, or otherwise maintained such that the water has become Polluted Water. (Ord. No. NS-300.932, 12-18-18)
Sec. B38-12. - Graffiti. Any property that contains conditions in violation of Division B27 of this Code constitutes property blight.
(Ord. No. NS-300.932, 12-18-18)
Sec. B38-13. - Garbage and refuse. Any property that contains conditions in violation of Division B11, Chapter IX of this Code constitutes property blight. For purposes of this Section, a property shall be considered to contain conditions in violation of Division B11, Chapter IX if any Person places refuse or yard waste from that property in a nearby road right-of-way, street, or curbside in violation of Division B11, Chapter IX.
(Ord. No. NS-300.932, 12-18-18)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 65).
Full Breakdown
The county's Community Preservation ordinance (Division B38) makes overgrown, diseased, dead, or decayed weeds and other vegetation a form of property blight on privately-owned Urban Residential or Commercial parcels in the unincorporated county. Vegetation qualifies as blight if it constitutes a fire hazard or other danger to public health, safety, or welfare, or if it extends at least 12 inches onto a public street or sidewalk right-of-way. Vegetation that violates the landscaping conditions of a County-issued permit is also blight. The rule is enforced by the Department of Planning and Development and does not apply inside any of the county's 15 incorporated cities.
Violations & Fines
Violations are declared a public nuisance abatable under Division A1 Chapter III; owners face administrative fines or County-performed weed abatement billed back to the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a countywide weed height limit?
Who enforces weed complaints in the unincorporated county?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Clara County
How Santa Clara County compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Clara County to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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