Hemet, CA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Height limit
- Grass over 6 inches is a declared public nuisance
- Citation
- Hemet City Code § 30-32.1(a)(18)b.1
- Also covered
- Unmowed hedges, trees, unkempt plantings
- Misdemeanor
- Up to $1,000 fine, 6 months jail
- Appeal deadline
- 10 calendar days, no fee
- Daily violation
- Each day uncut is a separate offense
- City remedy
- City can abate and bill the owner
Summary
Hemet treats overgrown grass as a public nuisance under its citywide abatement ordinance. Lawns with grass taller than six inches are listed by name as a nuisance condition, alongside hedges, trees, and other vegetation left unmowed, untrimmed, or otherwise unkempt to the point of hurting neighboring property values. The rule applies citywide to any real property, and the city can order it fixed or abate it itself.
(18)Overgrown vegetation, including, but not limited to, any one of the following:a.Vegetation likely to harbor, or promote the presence of, rats, vermin and/or insects.b.Vegetation causing detriment to neighboring properties, or that is out of conformity with neighboring community standards to such an extent as to result in, or contribute to, a diminution of property values, including, but not limited to:1.Lawns with grass in excess of six inches in height.2.Hedges, trees, lawns, plants, or other vegetation that are not maintained in a neat, orderly, and healthy manner as a result of lack of adequate mowing, grooming, trimming, pruning, fertilizing, watering, and/or replacement.c.Vegetation that creates, or tends to create, the existence of a fire hazard.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 69 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
1(a)(18) of the Hemet City Code lists 'overgrown vegetation' among the conditions the city council has declared a public nuisance. 1 names 'lawns with grass in excess of six inches in height' outright as vegetation causing detriment to neighboring properties. 2, reaches hedges, trees, lawns, plants, or other vegetation that is not kept in a neat, orderly, and healthy condition for lack of mowing, grooming, trimming, pruning, fertilizing, watering, or replacement, so the six-inch lawn is one trigger among several, not the only one. Chapter 30's definitions section, 30-32, separately defines 'weeds' to include any plant that seeds in a way that spreads, any growth that becomes a fire hazard when dry, poison oak and poison ivy where growth conditions threaten public health, and dry grass, rubble, or brush that endangers public safety.
Enforcement runs through the citywide abatement process in division II of the same article: the city serves a written notice of abatement giving the responsible person a compliance period to cut the vegetation, and a property owner who disagrees has ten calendar days from service to file a free written appeal with the city clerk's office at 445 East Florida Avenue before the notice becomes final. If the deadline passes unchallenged, the city can enter and abate the nuisance with its own crews and bill the owner for the cost, and it can record a declaration of substandard property against the parcel with the Riverside County Recorder's Office.
Violations & Fines
Under section 30-33, letting grass exceed six inches is a misdemeanor punishable under section 1-8(f), a fine up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both, and the city can instead pursue an administrative fine under chapter 30, article II. Each day the grass stays uncut is a separate violation. The city can also recover its abatement costs and attorneys' fees if it has to mow the lot itself and sue to collect.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can my grass legally get in Hemet before it's a violation?
What happens if I ignore a Hemet notice to cut my grass?
Can I appeal a weed abatement notice in Hemet?
Does the six-inch rule apply to weeds too, not just lawn grass?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hemet
How Hemet compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare Hemet to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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