Lake County, FL Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Height limit
- Uncultivated vegetation over 10 inches banned
- Covers
- Improved lots up to 1 acre
- Also covers
- Up to 2 acres in PUD/C-1/C-2/C-3/CP/LM zones
- Exempt
- Agricultural, government and conservation land
- Enforcement
- County mows and liens property after 14 days
- Cap
- Two county-performed abatements per lot yearly
- Citation
- Lake County Code § 14-56(b)
Summary
On improved lots in unincorporated Lake County, grass, weeds and other uncultivated vegetation can't grow past 10 inches from the soil. The rule applies to lots one acre or smaller, and two acres or smaller in several commercial and PUD zoning districts, and is enforced by Code Enforcement, with agricultural, government and conservation land exempted.
It shall be unlawful for any owner or owners of an improved property to allow or to permit the existence of uncultivated vegetation or the existence of grass, undergrowth or other dead or living plant life, upon his or her property when said growth exceeds ten (10) inches in height from the soil level.(c)It shall be unlawful for any owner or owners of any property, whether improved or unimproved, to allow the excessive accumulation of abandoned property, junk, trash or debris, and such accumulation is hereby declared to be a public nuisance and thereby prohibited. (Ord. No. 2015-14, § 1, 5-5-15)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 150).
Full Breakdown
Lake County Code § 14-56(b), part of the Nuisance Abatement Ordinance (Article III, adopted by Ordinance No. " "Uncultivated vegetation" is defined in § 14-53 as weed or grass growth allowed to grow in an uncontrolled manner, not regularly maintained, or that may conceal standing water, trash or other deposits harmful to public health. Section 14-54 limits which properties the height rule reaches: improved property of one acre or less, or up to two acres if zoned Planned Unit Development, Neighborhood Commercial (C-1), Community Commercial (C-2), Employment Center (C-3), Planned Commercial (CP) or Light Industrial (LM).
" The Code Enforcement Division investigates complaints, and under § 14-59 it must first mail or hand-deliver notice giving the owner a reasonable time to mow before escalating to a special master hearing. If the special master finds a violation and the owner still hasn't complied within 14 days of that order, the county can send its own contractors to mow the lot and bill the owner, capped at two county-performed abatements per lot per year under § 14-60(c).
Violations & Fines
An unabated violation goes to the Lake County Code Enforcement Special Master under Chapter 8 and F.S. Chapter 162; if the owner still hasn't mowed 14 days after the special master's order, the county can enter the property, cut the grass through its own contractors, and place a lien on the property for the abatement cost, advertising and an administrative fee if unpaid within 30 days of billing. An owner may appeal the special master's decision under Chapter 162, which pauses the abatement clock until the circuit court rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can grass or weeds legally grow on my Lake County lot?
Is agricultural land subject to Lake County's weed height rule?
What happens if I don't mow after a Lake County nuisance notice?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lake County
How Lake County compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Florida rules heatmap·Compare Lake County to another location·View the Florida landscaping rules overview
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