Carroll County, MD Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Height threshold
- 12 inches (lawn or weeds)
- Advance notice before abatement
- 15 days
- Appeal window
- 10 business days
- Repeat-violation notice
- None required after 2 notices in 12 months
- Enforcing officer
- County Health Officer
- Cost recovery
- Special tax lien on property
Summary
Carroll County treats weeds or lawn at or above 12 inches as a public nuisance under Code of Ordinances § 3-106. The County Health Officer investigates complaints and can order abatement after 15 days' notice to the owner or occupant.
If for any reason the County Health Officer refuses or fails to investigate a complaint of nuisance due to the growth of weeds, the County may investigate the complaint and may, on a determination that the vegetation is lawn or weeds and is at or exceeds a height of 12 inches, determine the growth to be weeds which constitute a nuisance under the provisions of this section.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-15: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through July 30, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Section 3-106 lets the County Commissioners remove a nuisance arising from the growth of weeds after giving the owner or occupant 15 days' advance notice, by personal service or by mail (notice by mail is effective the fifth day after mailing). If the County Health Officer refuses or fails to investigate a weed complaint, the County itself may investigate and, on finding the vegetation is lawn or weeds at or exceeding a height of 12 inches, determine it to be a nuisance under this section.
Bona fide agricultural land is exempt from the height rule, except that even farmed parcels can be ordered to clear weeds within 50 feet of a bounding residential property line if that strip is a buffer, fence line, or fallow ground rather than active production. Once an owner and occupant have both been notified of a violation more than twice in a 12-month period, the continuing growth is treated as an ongoing violation and the County can act again without a new notice. A property owner or occupant may appeal a nuisance determination to a hearing officer or board of appeals within 10 business days of notice, and that board must hold a hearing and issue a written decision within 5 days; its ruling on whether a nuisance exists is final and binding.
Violations & Fines
If the County abates the weeds itself, the reasonable removal cost is assessed against the property as a special tax under § 3-106(c), collected with the regular county tax bill and subject to the same interest and penalties as unpaid property taxes; it also becomes a lien on the property from the date of assessment until paid. An owner may petition the County Commissioners for relief from the assessment, triggering a hearing within 30 days at which the owner bears the burden of showing good cause against the charge.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can grass or weeds get before Carroll County calls it a nuisance?
Does farmland have to mow weeds like a residential lot?
What happens if I ignore a weed abatement notice?
Can I appeal a weed nuisance determination?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Carroll County
How Carroll County compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Compare Carroll County to another location·View the Maryland landscaping rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.