Grass Valley, CA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Nevada County's weed ordinance is framed entirely around wildfire risk. Sec. G-IV 7.4.A declares 'Hazardous Vegetation and Combustible Materials within one hundred (100') feet of a Structure... or along roadways that serve as primary ingress and egress routes' a public nuisance. 'Hazardous vegetation' (Sec. G-IV 7.3.L) expressly includes dry grass and leaves, brush, weeds, green waste, dead or dying trees, and other flammable vegetation - but excludes an actively grown commercial agricultural crop. Owners have a duty (Sec. G-IV 7.4.B) to abate hazardous vegetation from their parcel and adjacent sidewalks/roadways (except county-maintained roads). The ordinance is enacted under California Health & Safety Code 14930-14931 and Government Code 25845-25845.5 (Sec. G-IV 7.1.F), and supplements - rather than replaces - state PRC 4291 defensible-space duties. Enforcement runs through a 'Public Official' (County Fire Marshal, local fire district chief, OES staff, or Code Compliance), who issues a Notice to Abate giving at least 30 days to comply (Sec. G-IV 7.6.D). Unabated parcels can be cleared by the County with costs assessed as a property-tax lien (Sec. G-IV 7.11, 7.14). For unincorporated complaints, the County directs residents to the Office of Emergency Services' Defensible Space Division; Grass Valley and Nevada City enforce their own municipal vegetation codes.