Huntington Beach Weed Ordinances Rules (2026): What You Need to Know

Huntington Beach Municipal Code Title 17 classifies overgrown weeds, dry brush, dead vegetation, and accumulated combustible plant material as public nuisances that must be controlled by property owners. The city's location in coastal Orange County, with hot, dry Santa Ana wind conditions during late summer and fall, makes weed abatement a public safety priority — particularly for parcels adjacent to the Bolsa Chica wetlands, open space areas, and the city's extensive oil field zones where unmanaged vegetation can fuel brush fires.

The Huntington Beach Fire Department administers an annual weed abatement program in coordination with the Code Enforcement Division. Each spring, fire prevention inspectors identify properties with excessive weed growth, dry brush, or accumulated dead vegetation. Property owners receive a written notice of required abatement specifying the conditions to be corrected and a compliance deadline, typically 30 days from the date of notice. The notice applies to both developed and undeveloped parcels: homeowners must control weeds throughout their yards, while owners of vacant lots must clear the entire parcel to bare mineral soil or maintain it with short, green, irrigated ground cover that does not constitute a fire hazard.

Weeds are defined broadly to include any unwanted vegetation growing where it is not cultivated or maintained, including grasses, thistles, tumbleweeds, mustard, and other volunteer plants. Vegetation exceeding approximately 12 inches in height that is not part of a maintained landscape is generally considered excessive. The nuisance standard also covers dead trees, dry palm fronds, accumulated leaf litter, and other organic debris that can serve as fuel in a fire or harbor rodents and other pests.

If a property owner fails to clear the identified conditions within the compliance deadline, the city may initiate abatement proceedings. Under the municipal code's nuisance abatement authority, the city can hire a contractor to perform the clearing work and charge the property owner for the cost of abatement plus administrative fees. If the property owner does not pay, the city records a lien against the property and the unpaid amount is added to the annual property tax bill for collection by the Orange County Tax Collector. This lien-and-assessment mechanism provides strong incentive for compliance.

The weed abatement program is separate from, but complementary to, the city's general property maintenance enforcement. Properties that maintain ongoing weed problems may receive administrative citations under the standard citation program in addition to the seasonal abatement process. Residents who observe hazardous weed conditions on neighboring or vacant parcels can report them to the Code Enforcement Division at (714) 375-5155 or the Fire Department at (714) 536-5411.