Lakewood, CA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Section 4323(D) of the Lakewood Municipal Code lists three specific vegetation conditions that are public nuisances per se in any yard area not occupied by buildings, walkways, pools, driveways, or similar improvements: ground cover that fails to prevent erosion, dust, or standing water; dead, diseased, or missing ground cover in required yards; and 'overgrown vegetation, cultivated or uncultivated,' defined as vegetation grown to the point that it diminishes the property's appearance compared to adjacent properties, is unsightly to neighbors, or is dangerous to public health, safety and welfare because of its size and lack of maintenance.

A separate clause, § 4323(G), reaches driveways: any driveway surface that is 'deteriorated, crumbling or weed infested,' or that lacks an adequate all-weather covering such as asphalt, concrete, or brick, is likewise a nuisance per se. This local standard is a comparative and hazard-based test rather than a fixed inch measurement, but it is enforced with the same teeth as every other Chapter 4 property nuisance: 30 days' notice to abate, a hearing before the Planning and Environment Commission under § 4324 if the condition persists, and city abatement with the cost recorded as a lien against the parcel at 6% annual interest if the owner still does not act.

Property owners should not confuse this with California Food and Agricultural Code § 5004, which lets the state Secretary of Food and Agriculture designate specific plant species as regulated 'noxious weeds' for agricultural quarantine purposes; that statute targets invasive species control statewide and does not set residential yard-maintenance standards, which in Lakewood are governed entirely by the local nuisance ordinance quoted here.