Lincoln County, NC Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 95.131, Ch. 95
- Duty
- Cut and remove endangering growth
- First offense fine
- $50 civil citation
- Repeat offense fine
- $100, then $200 per day
- Enforcing office
- Lincoln County Fire Marshal
- Reset period
- 1 year after first citation
Summary
Lincoln County's fire nuisance chapter requires every property owner or occupant to cut down and remove weeds, grass, and vines that endanger property or could catch fire. County Code § 95.131 sets this duty countywide outside Lincolnton, and the Fire Marshal's office can issue an escalating civil citation under § 95.999 for noncompliance.
§ 95.131 ACCUMULATIONS OF WASTE MATERIALS. ... All weeds, grass, vines, or other growth, when same endangers property, or is liable to be set fire to, shall be cut down and removed by the owner or occupant of the property. ... Penalty, see § 95.999. ... § 95. ... 999 PENALTY. The penalties for violations of this chapter and the State Building Code will be as follows. Violation(s) of the State Building Code, the State Fire Code, and/or this Chapter, including All Referenced Enforceable Material Contained Within (May Issue Citation) First offense $50 Second offense $100 Third and any subsequent offenses (per each day that a violation ... continues) $200
Full Breakdown
131, Accumulations of Waste Materials, is written as a fire-nuisance rule inside Chapter 95, Fire Prevention and Protection, not a general property-maintenance ordinance. Subsection (B) states that "all weeds, grass, vines, or other growth, when same endangers property, or is liable to be set fire to, shall be cut down and removed by the owner or occupant of the property," alongside a duty to keep "roofs, courts, yards, vacant lots, and open spaces" clear of waste paper, hay, straw, litter, and combustible rubbish. 999's notes provide that any violation more than a year after an initial citation resets to first-offense treatment.
Because the duty is framed around fire risk, cases where the Fire Marshal's office documents growth that "endangers property" or is "liable to be set fire to" are the clearest fit for a citation; the section does not set a specific inch-height trigger the way some general nuisance ordinances do. Enforcement runs through the Fire Marshal's office, following the same civil-citation path as the rest of Chapter 95.
Violations & Fines
A first violation of § 95.131 draws a $50 civil citation under § 95.999, a second draws $100, and a third or any later offense draws $200, assessed per day the overgrowth continues uncorrected. A violation more than a year after the first citation is treated again as a first offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a maximum grass or weed height in unincorporated Lincoln County?
What is the fine for overgrown weeds or grass?
Who enforces the weed-cutting rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lincoln County
How Lincoln County compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Compare Lincoln County to another location·View the North Carolina landscaping rules overview
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