Haltom City Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances Rules (2026)

Haltom City Code of Ordinances Chapter 30 declares weeds, rank vegetation, and other plants over 12 inches tall to be a public nuisance. The ordinance works in parallel with Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 342, which empowers municipalities to require removal of weeds and rubbish that threaten public health or provide harborage for rats, snakes, or mosquitoes. Specifically prohibited are noxious weeds such as Johnson grass and ragweed, and rank vegetation including tall thistle and uncontrolled ivy that climbs structures and fences. Code Compliance officers identify violations through routine patrols and citizen complaints (submitted via the city website or Action Center). The standard process is: inspection, written notice with 7 to 10 day cure period, re-inspection, and abatement if unresolved. Abatement charges include the contractor cost and an administrative fee of 100 to 250 dollars, and unpaid totals are recorded as municipal liens at the Tarrant County Clerk. Texas Property Code 202.007 protects certain drought-tolerant and native plantings from HOA restrictions, but it does not override a municipal weed height limit - compliance is still required even if an HOA approves taller native plantings. Compost piles and intentional wildflower meadows must be contained and maintained to avoid being classified as rank vegetation.