Carrollton, TX Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Height limit
- 10 inches; 12 inches on ag land buffer
- Governing section
- City Code § 95.02
- Enforcing official
- Designated City Official (City Manager)
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor under § 95.99, per-day offense
- Only defense
- DCO-designated no-mow zone, § 95.09
- Latest amendment
- Ordinance 4204, adopted May 21, 2024
Summary
Carrollton limits grass, weeds, brush and unsightly vegetation to 10 inches on ordinary lots and 12 inches within a 10-foot buffer on agricultural land under City Code § 95.02, rewritten by Ordinance 4204 on May 21, 2024. The Designated City Official, the City Manager's office, enforces the cap on every occupied or unoccupied parcel across the city's Dallas, Denton and Collin County territory, and prosecutors need not prove intent to convict.
It shall be unlawful for any owner or occupant of any real property, that is not an agricultural operations property, or a portion thereof, occupied or unoccupied, within the city to permit grass, weeds, brush or unsightly vegetation to grow thereon to a height greater than 10 inches. ... It shall be unlawful for any owner or occupant of any agricultural operations property, or a portion thereof, within the city to permit grass, weeds, brush, or unsightly vegetation to grow to a height greater than 12 inches on portions of an agricultural operations property located no more than 10 feet from a property boundary that is adjacent to: (1) A public sidewalk, street, or highway; or (2) A property that: (a) Is owned by a person other than the owner of the agricultural operation; and (b) Has a structure that is inhabited.
Full Breakdown
02(A) sets the base rule: any owner or occupant of real property that is not an agricultural operation, occupied or unoccupied, may not let grass, weeds, brush or unsightly vegetation exceed 10 inches. 02(B), but only outside a 10-foot buffer along any public sidewalk, street or highway and along the boundary of a neighboring lot that has an inhabited structure owned by someone else; inside that buffer the shorter general standard still applies. 02(G). 02(H) removes any culpable-mental-state requirement, so the city does not have to prove the owner knew the vegetation had grown too tall.
03, which makes the owner or occupant responsible for cutting from the curb line (or 10 feet past the property line where no curb exists) out to the center of the adjoining alley or utility easement. 06(C) makes clear notice is not a precondition to prosecution. 08 assesses the cost as a lien against the property, second only to tax liens, accruing 10 percent annual interest starting 180 days after the city pays for the work. 09.
Violations & Fines
Letting vegetation exceed the height limit is a misdemeanor under § 95.99, punishable by the general penalty in § 10.99, with each day of noncompliance counted as a separate offense. The city need not prove intent, and failing to receive the notice described in § 95.06 is not a defense. If the owner ignores a ten-day correction notice, the city may mow the property itself and place a lien on the land under §§ 95.07-95.08, recoverable with 10 percent annual interest.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can grass or weeds legally get in Carrollton?
Does the height limit apply to a lot with no house on it?
Can Carrollton fine me without warning me first?
What happens if I ignore a mowing notice?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Carrollton
How Carrollton compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Texas rules heatmap·Compare Carrollton to another location·View the Texas landscaping rules overview
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Weed Ordinances in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Dallas County handle weed ordinances.