Yuba County, CA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Nuisance trigger
- Govt Code § 39500 et seq. weed/rubbish law
- Vacant-lot standard
- 12 inches of growth into ROW/easement
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Yuba County only
- Admin penalty
- Up to $500/day, repeat violations
- Misdemeanor threshold
- 3 convictions/year: up to $1,000, 6 mo. jail
- Ag exemption
- Commercial farming per Civil Code § 3482.5
Summary
Unincorporated Yuba County declares overgrown weeds a public nuisance under Property Maintenance Ordinance § 7.36.310(a)(3), incorporating state weed-abatement law, and sets a hard 12-inch trigger for vacant-property vegetation encroaching into the public right-of-way under § 7.36.311(a)(1)d.
(a) Public nuisance. Except as exempted in Sections 7.36.310(b) and 7.36.320(3) and (4), a public nuisance shall be deemed to exist when any of the following conditions or circumstances are present: ... (3) Any condition in violation of the weed and rubbish abatement laws defined in Government Code Title 4, Div. 3, Pt. 2, Ch. 13. Art. 1 (Government Code § 39500 et seq.) and Government Code Title 4, Div. 3, Pt. 2, Ch. 13, Art. 2 (Government Code § 39560 et seq.). ... 7.36.311(a) ... (1) The property contains overgrown, diseased, dead or decayed trees, weeds or other vegetation that: ... d. Is overgrown at least twelve inches onto a public right-of-way or easement.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 6).
Full Breakdown
County Code § 7.36.310(a) declares a public nuisance to exist wherever 'any condition in violation of the weed and rubbish abatement laws defined in Government Code Title 4, Div. 3, Pt. 2, Ch. 13. Art. 1 (Government Code § 39500 et seq.) and Government Code Title 4, Div. 3, Pt. 2, Ch. 13, Art. 2 (Government Code § 39560 et seq.)' exists on a parcel. For any building or premises that has stood vacant more than 30 days, § 7.36.311(a)(1) makes it a distinct violation if the property 'contains overgrown, diseased, dead or decayed trees, weeds or other vegetation' that poses a fire or health hazard, could harbor vermin, detracts from neighborhood aesthetics, or 'is overgrown at least twelve inches onto a public right-of-way or easement.' Legitimate agricultural operations are excluded: § 7.36.310(b) exempts commercial farming conducted 'in a manner consistent with proper and accepted customs and standards' under Civil Code § 3482.5, and § 7.36.320(4) protects firewood stored for domestic heating and brush piled for burning from being deemed nuisances.
Abatement runs through Ch. 7.36 Article 5-7 procedures: the County issues a notice and order to abate, the owner may request a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge under § 7.36.510, and unresolved costs can be recorded as a lien against the property under § 7.36.655.
Violations & Fines
Each day a weed nuisance continues is a separate offense under § 7.36.410. Section 7.36.420 sets administrative penalties up to $100/day for a first violation, $200/day for a second within one year, and $500/day for subsequent violations, plus two to five times the standard permit fee where a permit could have cured it. Infractions carry the same tiered fines under § 7.36.440, and three convictions within a year can be charged as a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and six months in County Jail. A second or later judgment within two years can trigger treble abatement costs under § 7.36.450.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can weeds get on my unincorporated Yuba County lot before it's a violation?
What state law does the county nuisance code point to for weed abatement?
What fines can I face for a weed nuisance violation?
Is my farm exempt from the weed nuisance rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yuba County
California rules heatmap·Compare Yuba County to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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