Newport News, VA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Section 13-150(a) makes it unlawful for anyone responsible for real property, including the strip out to the curb line or paved roadway, to let grass or weeds accumulate. Growth over ten inches within 150 feet of a building is deemed detrimental to public health, safety and welfare; growth over fifteen inches anywhere on the lot, regardless of distance from a building, is presumed detrimental. A separate rule in subsection (b) bars overgrown shrubs, trees, vines and ivy that block address numerals, obstruct pedestrian or vehicle traffic, block sightlines at intersections or driveways, obstruct an emergency escape opening, or damage a building. Subsection (c) exempts farmland from the grass-height rule, unless the farmland sits within 100 feet of a structure on a neighboring tract.

Section 13-150(d) requires the director to mail a notice to the owner's tax-assessment address once a year, explaining the height limits and warning that the city will cut the lot at the owner's expense if it is not addressed. If the owner does not comply, section 13-151 lets the codes compliance administrator have the cutting done by city crews or a contractor, then bills the actual cost plus a $150 administrative charge. Section 13-152 lets the director bill whoever received the notice directly, with legal action available if the bill goes unpaid for 30 days, or certify the amount to the city treasurer for inclusion on the property's next real estate tax bill, where it becomes a lien collected the same as unpaid taxes.

Section 13-2(d) puts weed violations on the civil penalty track rather than criminal court.