Weed control in the City of Erie combines local Article 1129 (Quality of Life Ticketing Program) high-grass-and-weeds enforcement with Pennsylvania's statewide noxious-plant framework under 3 Pa.C.S. Β§255 (the Controlled Plant and Noxious Weed Act administered by the PA Department of Agriculture's Controlled Plant and Noxious Weed Committee). Locally, Erie Code Enforcement issues notice-and-abate tickets for rank vegetation; statewide, the PA Department of Agriculture maintains a tiered controlled-plant list including Japanese knotweed and Tree-of-Heaven.
Erie's weed-control framework operates at two levels. Locally, Article 1129 of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Erie (Ordinance 39-2018) authorizes Code Enforcement to issue quality-of-life tickets for high grass and weeds. The Article defines weeds as 'all grasses, annual plants, and vegetation' excluding cultivated flowers, gardens, trees, and shrubs, so a maintained ornamental planting is distinguished from rank neglect. If the owner does not abate, the City performs the work and recovers the cost as a municipal lien under 53 P.S. Β§7101 et seq. At the state level, Pennsylvania's Controlled Plant and Noxious Weed Act is codified at 3 Pa.C.S. Β§255 and is administered by the PA Department of Agriculture's Controlled Plant and Noxious Weed Committee. The Committee maintains a tiered controlled-plant list with Class A noxious weeds targeted for eradication, Class B for containment, and a watch list. Priority targets in northwestern Pennsylvania include Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica), Tree-of-Heaven (Ailanthus altissima β the spotted lanternfly host), mile-a-minute vine, and giant hogweed. The Erie County Conservation District, PA DCNR, and Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Erie County coordinate identification and removal guidance. Pesticide application by anyone other than the property owner on their own property requires a PA Department of Agriculture Pesticide Applicator License under the Pennsylvania Pesticide Control Act of 1973 (3 Pa.C.S. Β§6101 et seq.).
Failure to abate weeds after Article 1129 notice triggers City-performed mowing and a municipal lien under 53 P.S. Β§7101+, with quality-of-life ticket fines escalating for repeats. Cultivating, selling, or distributing a Class A noxious weed violates Pennsylvania's controlled-plant framework (3 Pa.C.S. Β§255) and is subject to PA Department of Agriculture civil penalties and quarantine/destruction orders. Unlicensed commercial pesticide application violates 3 Pa.C.S. Β§6101 et seq. with PA Department of Agriculture civil penalties separate from local code enforcement.
Erie, PA
Swimming pools in Erie must comply with IRC Chapter 42 Appendix G and IBC Section 3109.4 as adopted by the PA UCC (34 Pa. Code 401-405). Barriers must be at ...
Erie, PA
Erie's Zoning Ordinance regulates fence height, location, and visibility but does not prescribe a list of allowed materials for residential fences. Specializ...
Erie, PA
Erie's Zoning Ordinance Section 204.19 allows a fence to be placed up to but not over the property line, and does not require neighbor consent. Boundary disp...
Erie, PA
The City of Erie requires a fence permit issued by the Bureau of Code Enforcement before installing or replacing a fence. Applications are submitted at Room ...
Erie, PA
Erie's Codified Ordinances Article 505 does not impose a single fixed numerical cap on household dogs and cats but uses nuisance and dangerous-animal provisi...
Erie, PA
Erie's local wildlife-feeding enforcement runs through Article 505 nuisance provisions of the Codified Ordinances and property-maintenance rules against accu...
See how Erie's weed ordinances rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.