Montgomery, AL Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Section 12-61 makes it unlawful and a declared nuisance for an owner, occupant, lessee or anyone in control of city property, or of property abutting a city street, to let grass or weeds grow into an overgrown condition. The code lists six triggers, and any one is enough: the growth shelters rats, mice, snakes, mosquitoes or other vermin; it is dry and tall enough to be a fire hazard; it produces wind-borne seeds that irritate the throat, lungs or eyes; it hides broken glass or other debris that could injure someone; it is simply unsightly; or, regardless of any other factor, it exceeds 12 inches in height when not grown as ornamental plant growth.

The rule reaches sidewalks, rights-of-way, alleys, parking lots, driveways, fences, walls, property lines, privately owned storm drains and vacant lots, not just the yard around a house. Section 12-62 carves out a narrow exception for large tracts: a lot or premises larger than five acres, including an unsold or unoccupied residential subdivision, counts as farm property and does not have to be mowed in its entirety, but the owner must still cut and maintain a 100-foot perimeter strip along every property line that abuts a residential or business property. 00 administrative fee once the city has to step in after a ten-day notice period, on top of the actual cost of the cutting.