North Charleston, SC Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Section 9-67 declares a list of unhealthy and unsightly conditions to be public nuisances, including anything that affords a breeding place for or attracts insects, rodents or reptiles, or otherwise creates a substantial risk to health or safety. Item (2) on that list is 'grass, noxious weeds, vegetable growth, briars, brush and plants more than one foot in height, except when cultivated or maintained,' so the one-foot ceiling applies to uncultivated growth, not to a maintained garden bed, ornamental planting or crop. The nuisance list sits alongside other declared conditions in the same section, including junk and scrap accumulations, stagnant water and grease, inoperable vehicles left more than 72 hours, hazardous trees, and excessive construction dumpsters or portable toilets in single-family areas, all enforced through the same mechanism.

Section 9-68 makes it a misdemeanor for any owner, lessee, occupant or agent to cause, contribute to, or permit an overgrown-lot nuisance to continue on property under their control. Section 9-69 puts inspection duty on the health officer and the public safety and housing officer, who must visit and personally inspect properties as often as necessary to check for the conditions listed in § 9-67, and § 9-70 requires city officials to remove nuisance conditions from the streets, with the police chief and public works director required to cooperate.