Anne Arundel County, MD Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Height limit
- 12 inches or higher
- Notice period
- 7 days after service
- Enforcing agency
- Dept. of Public Works
- Bill due
- 30 days after billing
- Applies to
- Most improved lots countywide
Summary
Anne Arundel County bans weeds or grass over 12 inches tall on most improved property, with exemptions for open space zoning, large unimproved lots, and government-owned land.
"rank vegetation" means any growth of weeds or grass to a height of 12 inches or higher... (c) Prohibition. An owner, occupant, or person in control of real property may not allow or maintain on the property a growth of noxious weeds or rank vegetation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-93: County Code is current through May, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Anne Arundel County Code § 13-6-101 defines rank vegetation as weeds or grass 12 inches or higher, and § 13-6-103 bars owners, occupants, or persons in control of real property from allowing that growth or noxious weeds on their land. Exemptions cover open space zoning districts, most RA-zoned land, unimproved lots of three acres or more (except a 25-foot buffer near improved neighbors), and government or community-association parcels. On a verified complaint, the Director of Public Works must give the owner seven days' written notice to cut or remove the growth; if ignored, the County does the work and bills the owner, with overdue amounts collected under § 1-8-101.
Violations & Fines
County cuts or removes the growth after 7 days' unheeded notice and bills the owner for the full cost, including overhead and administrative charges, due within 30 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply in Glen Burnie or Severna Park?
Are large rural lots exempt?
What if I ignore the County's notice?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Anne Arundel County
How Anne Arundel County compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Compare Anne Arundel County to another location·View the Maryland landscaping rules overview
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