Hillsboro, OR Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Height trigger
- Grass/weeds over 12 inches
- Legal status
- Automatically a "nuisance"
- Notice period
- Up to 15 days to abate
- Emergency power
- Summary abatement, no advance notice
- Unpaid cost result
- Becomes a property lien in 30 days
- Penalty structure
- Each day = separate offense
- Enforcer
- City Manager; Hillsboro Municipal Court
Summary
Hillsboro caps grass and weeds at 12 inches on every lot in the city. The Municipal Code defines anything taller as "noxious vegetation," which is automatically a public nuisance. The City Manager can order it cleared on 15 days' notice, or summarily abate it without advance notice if it poses an imminent hazard, then bill the owner.
Noxious Vegetation, vegetation that poses a threat to public safety, may provide harborage for rats, mice or other vermin, is likely to become a health, fire or traffic hazard, or grass or weeds that exceed 12 inches in height. ... C. No owner or person in charge of property may allow noxious vegetation over or upon their property or the abutting public right-of-way including sidewalks, planter strips, and streets. ... E. Any person who neglects to comply with the provisions of this section will, in addition to any other penalties provided by the Code, be liable to any person injured by such negligence and to the City for any costs, expenses and attorney fees incurred in defending against a claim and any judgment that the City is required to pay to an injured person.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 1 | Community Development Code: Supplement 1).
Full Breakdown
010 exempts ornamental, food or fuel plantings from the ban so long as they are not themselves noxious, so a maintained vegetable garden or landscaped bed does not trip the rule regardless of height. 28 enforcement machinery. 020, once the City Manager determines a nuisance exists, the City mails notice to the owner (using the county tax-record address) and posts it at the property, giving "a time, not to exceed 15 days," to abate. 04 and seek civil penalties. 030 lets the City skip pre-abatement notice entirely and summarily clear the property, mailing a post-abatement notice with the cost breakdown within 10 days. 020(E) makes an owner who neglects the section liable for injuries and for the City's attorney fees and costs in any resulting claim.
Violations & Fines
Each day the noxious vegetation remains is a separate offense under HMC 6.28.010(C). Abatement costs the City incurs, including administrative costs, must be paid by the owner within 30 days of a summary abatement or the amount becomes an assessment lien on the property (HMC 6.28.030(B)). The City can also sue in any court of competent jurisdiction and recover its reasonable attorney and expert fees under HMC 6.28.050, on top of any civil penalties imposed through the municipal court action.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exact height puts my yard in violation in Hillsboro?
Does the City give me a warning before doing anything?
What if the City cuts it and I don't pay the bill?
Are my ornamental flower beds or vegetable garden covered?
Can I be fined more than once for the same overgrown lot?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hillsboro
How Hillsboro compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Compare Hillsboro to another location·View the Oregon landscaping rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Weed Ordinances in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Washington County handle weed ordinances.