Seminole County, FL Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Height limit
- 12 inches, uncultivated vegetation
- Ag exemption
- Gardens, trees, palms, crops, pasture
- Applies to
- Lot plus adjoining right-of-way
- Notice to Remedy window
- 15 days to cut
- Repeat fine
- $100 second, $200 third+ in 12 months
- Also codified in
- IPMC § 302.4 as amended (Sec. 95.5(c)(21))
Summary
Seminole County Code Section 95.3(b) declares "uncultivated vegetation" a nuisance, and Section 95.2 sets the trigger at growth exceeding 12 inches in height, or vegetation that is unhealthy, unsanitary, or a harboring place for mosquitoes, vermin or vectors. Gardens, trees, palms and bona fide agricultural crops and pasture are exempt, but every other property must stay under the line or face a County-ordered mowing and fines.
Uncultivated vegetation. All unmaintained vegetation that has grown in an uncontrolled manner to more than twelve (12) inches in height or that is liable to produce an unhealthy or unsanitary condition or becomes a harboring place for mosquitoes, vermin, or vectors. This term does not include controlled plants and gardens, trees, palms, active crops or pasture lands associated with bona fide agricultural uses. ... Sec. 95.3. Nuisances declared. ... (b) Uncultivated vegetation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23 Update 1 | Land Development Code: Supplement 2).
Full Breakdown
3(b) lists uncultivated vegetation among the conditions the Board of County Commissioners has declared a nuisance in the unincorporated area. 4 ("Weeds") of the International Property Maintenance Code, 2024 edition, to insert "12 (twelve) inches" as the maximum growth height. 11 requires every owner to "reasonably regulate and effectively control" vegetation growth not only on their own lot but on the adjoining public right-of-way out to the roadway, paved or not. 5 by 11 inches, describing the violation and warning that uncorrected growth will be cut by the County within 15 days at the owner's expense, with an estimated cost included on the notice.
Violations & Fines
Letting uncultivated vegetation exceed 12 inches and ignoring the Notice to Remedy is unlawful under Section 95.4. If the owner does not cut the growth or file a written appeal within 15 days, the County may mow it and bill the owner for the actual cost plus administrative charges; a second such abatement on the same property within 12 months adds a $100 fine, and every abatement after that within the same 12 months adds $200, recorded as a lien against the land under Section 95.16 if unpaid.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can grass or weeds get before it's a violation in unincorporated Seminole County?
Does the height limit apply to my vegetable garden or a pasture?
Do I have to mow the road frontage in front of my lot too?
What happens if I don't cut overgrown weeds after a County notice?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Seminole County
How Seminole County compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Florida rules heatmap·Compare Seminole County to another location·View the Florida landscaping rules overview
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