Jupiter, FL Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Town Code § 13-1 defines an "overgrown lot" as any lot or parcel where vegetation and weeds, apart from native vegetation, exceed 12 inches in average height because the owner failed to maintain it regularly. Section 13-3 then declares every overgrown lot within Jupiter a public nuisance outright, with no acreage threshold or exception for improved property. The rule applies town-wide to any improved lot, meaning a parcel carrying a residential or nonresidential building, street, or other structural improvement under the companion § 13-1 definition.

Enforcement runs through the code compliance division: an officer documents the overgrown condition and issues a notice of violation ordering the grass and weeds cut below the 12-inch threshold. If the owner does not comply, § 13-10 lets the town manager authorize town crews to mow the lot themselves. 00 administrative charge, due within 14 days of certified-mail notice sent to the address on file with the county property appraiser. Unpaid balances become a special assessment adopted by town council resolution, are recorded in the county's official records, and convert into a first lien equal in priority to a lien for unpaid property taxes.

Interest accrues on the unpaid lien at 12 percent per year from the date the resolution is adopted, and the lien stays enforceable by civil action in county court until it is paid off or released. The 12-inch threshold and the nuisance declaration are the two facts a homeowner needs: keep grass and weeds under a foot, and note that native vegetation is carved out only on unimproved (vacant) lots.