Washoe County, NV Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- NRS 555.150, 555.201
- Notice
- One State Quarantine Officer notice per season
- If ignored
- County controls weeds, bills owner, files lien
- Objection window
- 30 days after cost statement is mailed
- Civil penalty
- $250 / $500 / $1,000 for 1st/2nd/later violation
Summary
Nevada law, not a county ordinance, requires every landowner and the county itself, for streets and rights-of-way it controls in Washoe County, to control state-designated noxious weeds under NRS 555.150. The State Quarantine Officer can order control by notice, and violators face escalating civil penalties up to $1,000 under NRS 555.201.
Every railroad, canal, ditch or water company, and every person owning, controlling or occupying lands in this State, and every county, incorporated city or district having the supervision and control over streets, alleys, lanes, rights-of-way, or other lands, shall control all weeds declared and designated as noxious as provided in NRS 555.130 in any manner specified by and whenever required by the State Quarantine Officer. ... Any person violating any of the provisions of NRS 555.130 to 555.200, inclusive, or failing, refusing or neglecting to perform or observe any conditions or regulations prescribed by the State Quarantine Officer, in accordance with the provisions of NRS 555.130 to 555.200, inclusive, is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed: 1. For the first violation, $250. 2. For a second violation, $500. 3. For each subsequent violation, $1,000.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Washoe County has no separate municipal weed ordinance in Chapter 50 beyond the general nuisance list; the operative law is Chapter 555 of the Nevada Revised Statutes, Control of Insects, Pests and Noxious Weeds. 150 puts the duty to control state-designated noxious weeds on every landowner, occupant, railroad, canal or ditch company, and on every county, city or district that controls streets, alleys or rights-of-way, whenever the State Quarantine Officer requires it. 160, serves written notice on the landowner describing the weeds and the deadline and method for controlling them; one such notice is enough for the whole growing season.
170 lets the Quarantine Officer notify the Washoe County Board of County Commissioners, which must then control the weeds itself using county funds and bill the property. 180, the county treasurer mails the owner an itemized cost statement, and the owner has 30 days to object and get a hearing before the board; if no objection is filed, the cost is entered on the tax roll and becomes a lien on the land, collected the same way as other property tax liens. 201 makes it a civil offense to violate the control requirements or ignore the Quarantine Officer's conditions, with penalties of $250 for a first violation, $500 for a second, and up to $1,000 for each violation after that. 130, so ordinary lawn grass or non-listed weeds fall outside this particular statute's reach.
Violations & Fines
Ignoring a weed-control notice lets the county step in, clear the weeds at the owner's expense, and place the cost as a lien on the property collectible with county taxes. Separately, failing to comply with the State Quarantine Officer's control order carries a civil penalty of $250 for a first violation, $500 for a second, and up to $1,000 for each one after that under NRS 555.201.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Washoe County have its own weed-height ordinance?
What happens if I ignore a weed notice on my property?
What are the penalties for violating the state weed law?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Washoe County
How Washoe County compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Compare Washoe County to another location·View the Nevada landscaping rules overview
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