Carroll County, GA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Section
- IPMC § 302.4 Weeds
- Covers
- Kudzu, ragweed, thistle, obnoxious-odor plants
- Exempts
- Cultivated flowers, fruit, vegetables, gardens
- Self-help remedy
- County/contractor may cut, bill owner
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Carroll County only
Summary
Carroll County's property maintenance code bans weeds and unsightly plant growth like kudzu, ragweed and thistle on any unincorporated premises, and if an owner does not cut them after a notice of violation, county crews or a contractor can do it and bill the owner for the cost.
302.4 Weeds. All premises and exterior property shall be maintained free from weeds or plant growth. Weeds means vegetative growth including but not limited to kudzu, poison ivy, jimsonweed, burdock, ragweed, thistle, cocklebur, dandelion, plants of obnoxious odors, or other similar unsightly vegetative growths. This term shall not include cultivated flowers, fruits and vegetables, and gardens. Upon failure of the owner or agent having charge of a property to cut and destroy weeds after service of a notice of violation, they shall be subject to prosecution in accordance with Section 106.3 and as prescribed by the authority having jurisdiction. Upon failure to comply with the notice of violation, any duly authorized employee of the jurisdiction or contractor hired by the jurisdiction shall be authorized to enter upon the property in violation and cut and destroy the weeds growing thereon, and the costs of such removal shall be paid by the owner or agent responsible for the property.
Full Breakdown
4, adopted as part of the county's 2012 International Property Maintenance Code under Section 18-91, requires that all premises and exterior property in unincorporated Carroll County be maintained free from weeds or plant growth. The code defines "weeds" broadly: kudzu, poison ivy, jimsonweed, burdock, ragweed, thistle, cocklebur, dandelion, plants of obnoxious odors, and similar unsightly vegetative growth, while expressly excluding cultivated flowers, fruits, vegetables and gardens from the ban, so a working garden bed is not a violation. The section does not set a numeric height trigger; the standard is that the listed vegetation must not be allowed to grow on the property at all.
3 for prosecution if the owner or agent in charge of the property fails to cut and destroy the weeds after that notice. If the owner still does not comply, the section authorizes any duly authorized county employee, or a contractor hired by the county, to enter the property, cut and destroy the weeds, and charge the removal cost back to the owner or responsible agent. Like the rest of Chapter 18, Article IV, this applies only within unincorporated Carroll County under Section 1-5; Carrollton, Villa Rica, Temple, Bowdon, Whitesburg, Mount Zion and Roopville each enforce their own weed ordinance under their own codes.
Violations & Fines
A property owner who ignores a weed notice of violation is subject to prosecution under Section 106.3, and separately under Section 106.4's general penalty the maximum fine is $1,000.00 with up to 60 days of incarceration per violation, with each continuing day after notice a separate offense. The county can also self-help: it may send its own crew or a hired contractor onto the property to cut and destroy the weeds and then bill the removal cost to the owner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a maximum grass height under Carroll County's rule?
Are vegetable gardens or flower beds covered?
What happens if I do not cut weeds after a notice?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Carroll County
How Carroll County compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Compare Carroll County to another location·View the Georgia landscaping rules overview
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