Glendale, AZ Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Glendale Code of Ordinances § 25-21(g) tells every property owner or occupant that grass or weeds cannot exceed six inches in height. For desert landscape property, meaning yards primarily composed of crushed stone, aggregate stone, pavers and natural desert vegetation, the standard shifts to whether the growth creates a blighting condition, may harbor infestations, or is likely to become a public health or safety hazard, applied to the yard and the strip between the property line and the street. Separately, any property fronting a street, alley or public place cannot let grass or weeds grow in sidewalk cracks, curb line openings, or other adjacent areas including parking lots in a way that creates a tripping hazard.

This sits in Chapter 25's nuisance article, so enforcement runs through Section 25-36: a code compliance inspector or police officer can issue a written notice of violation first, then a citation if the condition is not corrected within the stated deadline. If the owner does not act, the city can abate under Section 25-37 and recover the cost, plus a 10 percent inspection charge, as a lien recorded with the Maricopa County Recorder under Section 25-39, senior to other liens except general property taxes. Three or more Chapter 24 or 25 violations within 12 months makes the responsible person a "repeat offender" under Section 25-22, carrying its own escalating civil fine separate from the underlying nuisance citation.