Catoosa County, GA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Height limit
- 12 inches average height for weeds/grass
- Also nuisance
- Dead weed/brush piles sheltering vermin
- Complaint threshold
- 3 households' signed affidavit, or staff-initiated
- Fine range
- $50 to $1,000 per offense, per day
- Exemption
- Bona fide agricultural, food-production operations
Summary
Unincorporated Catoosa County caps weeds and grass at 12 inches in average height under UDC § 9.05.01(A)(1), declaring anything taller, or any dead-weed and brush pile that could shelter rats, mice or snakes, a public nuisance. The Zoning Administrator enforces the limit through a written notice to abate, backed by magistrate court fines of $50 to $1,000 per day.
1)Weeds or grass allowed to grow to a height of greater than 12 inches on the average, or any accumulation of dead weeds, grass, or brush, that may provide safe harborage for rats, mice, snakes and/or other vermin. ... D.Penalties for Violation.1)Following a hearing in the magistrate court and upon a finding by the magistrate court that a nuisance exists and upon the failure of the owner or occupant of the property or the person causing or maintaining the nuisance to fail to abate the nuisance, that person shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction, shall be punished for each offense according to the law with the fine to be not less than $50.00 and not more than $1,000.00.
Full Breakdown
UDC § 9.05.01(A)(1) declares it a public nuisance for weeds or grass to be 'allowed to grow to a height of greater than 12 inches on the average,' or for dead weeds, grass or brush to accumulate in a way that could shelter rats, mice, snakes or other vermin. This nuisance provision applies on occupied and unoccupied land alike, and to public or private property, under § 9.05.01(A)'s opening language. Enforcement starts with a complaint: at least three persons from different households must sign an affidavit with the Zoning Administrator, unless the administrator elects to act on his own motion (§ 9.05.01(C)(2)-(3)), and the administrator can decline to pursue a complaint he believes was filed to harass a neighbor.
Once a violation is confirmed, § 9.05.01(C)(4) requires a written notice to abate that identifies the location and nature of the overgrowth, states what must be done to fix it, and warns that the county will pursue the matter in Catoosa County Magistrate Court if it is not corrected. A magistrate finding that the overgrown-vegetation nuisance exists and was not abated is a misdemeanor under § 9.05.01(D)(1), with fines running from $50.00 to $1,000.00 and each day of continued violation counted separately. The same nuisance section separately targets vegetation that blocks the sightline of drivers or pedestrians at an intersection or driveway under § 9.05.01(A)(2).
Section 9.05.01(E) exempts bona fide agricultural and food-production operations from the nuisance definition, consistent with O.C.G.A. § 41-1-7's policy of protecting farm operations, so working farmland is not swept into the 12-inch cap.
Violations & Fines
A magistrate court finding that grass or weeds exceed 12 inches and were not corrected after the Zoning Administrator's written notice is a misdemeanor under UDC § 9.05.01(D)(1), carrying a fine of not less than $50.00 and not more than $1,000.00 per offense, with each day the overgrowth continues treated as a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can grass or weeds legally get on my property in unincorporated Catoosa County?
Does the 12-inch weed rule apply to working farmland?
What happens if I don't cut my grass after the county sends a notice?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Catoosa County
How Catoosa County compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Compare Catoosa County to another location·View the Georgia landscaping rules overview
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