Kennewick, WA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Weed Hazard threshold
- Dead or unirrigated vegetation exceeding 12 inches in length
- Penalty
- Class 1 civil infraction, $250.00 plus all costs and assessments
- Who is liable
- Anyone in control of the premises, including owners and agents with knowledge
- Exempt land
- Public parks, open space zones, pristine habitat, agricultural property
- Payment deadline
- 15 days from service of the notice and order
- Appeal window
- 14 days from service, to the hearing examiner
- Escalation
- Misdemeanor referral after three or more violations at the same property
Summary
Kennewick bans any Weed Hazard on premises you control. A Weed Hazard is dead or unirrigated grass, weeds or other vegetation longer than 12 inches. Violating KMC 9.48.055 is a Class 1 civil infraction with a $250.00 penalty plus all costs and assessments, and an owner or agent who knows about the hazard counts as in control.
It is unlawful for any person, by himself or by his agents or employees, or as the agent or employee of another person, firm or corporation to permit a Weed Hazard to exist upon any premises over which he has control. If the owner or agent of any premises has actual or constructive knowledge of the maintenance on or in his premises of a Weed Hazard, as defined in this chapter, he or she shall be deemed one of the persons in control of the premises. Any person violating this Section is guilty of a Class 1 civil infraction and shall be subject to a penalty of $250.00 plus all costs and assessments. ... Weed Hazard means grasses, weeds, or other vegetation which have grown and died or which are not irrigated and which exceed 12 inches in length. Public parks, public facility and open space zones, areas of pristine vegetation and natural habitats for indigenous wildlife and agriculturally used property are not weed hazards.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 19 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 9.48 of the Kennewick Municipal Code regulates weeds in two linked sections. Section 9.48.010(4) defines a Weed Hazard as grasses, weeds, or other vegetation which have grown and died or which are not irrigated and which exceed 12 inches in length. Section 9.48.055 makes it unlawful to permit a Weed Hazard to exist on any premises over which a person has control, and Section 9.48.010(2)(v) separately declares maintaining one a public nuisance, which brings the property into the chapter's notice, abatement and cost recovery process.
Responsibility reaches past the deed holder. The ordinance covers a person acting alone, through agents or employees, or as the agent or employee of another person, firm or corporation. An owner or agent with actual or constructive knowledge of a Weed Hazard on the premises is deemed one of the persons in control, so a landlord or property manager who knows about an overgrown lot is a responsible party.
The definition carves out four categories: public parks, public facility and open space zones, areas of pristine vegetation and natural habitats for indigenous wildlife, and agriculturally used property. None of those count as weed hazards.
The Director of Planning enforces the chapter through Code Enforcement Officers, the City Building Official and the City Fire Official. Under Section 9.48.020 the Director decides whether a violation occurred from field observations, witness statements, documents and violation-tracking data, and can offer a voluntary compliance agreement under KMC 9.44.075, issue a notice and order, seek a judicial abatement order, or file an infraction complaint in District Court. Under Section 9.48.030 the Director decides within 45 days of finding a violation whether to issue a notice and order. The notice names the corrective action required, assesses the civil penalty, and gives 15 days from service to pay. Service is by personal delivery, by posting on the property plus mailing, or by first class mail to the address on the Benton County tax records, and mail service is presumed effective on the third business day after mailing.
Violations & Fines
A Weed Hazard violation of Section 9.48.055 is a Class 1 civil infraction with a $250.00 penalty plus all costs and assessments. A notice and order carries a separate civil penalty set in the City Council's Master Fee Schedule, with its own amounts for a second and each later violation, and paying it does not remove the duty to cut the vegetation. After three or more violations of Section 9.48.010 at the same property, the City can send the case to the City Attorney for a misdemeanor charge. Abatement costs fall on the responsible person under Section 9.48.070.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can grass or weeds grow before Kennewick treats them as a hazard?
Can I be fined if I own the lot but do not live there?
How do I challenge a Kennewick weed notice and order?
What happens if I do not cut the weeds after the notice?
Does the weed rule apply to farms and parks?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kennewick
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