Ocala, FL Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Section 34-95(a)(1) of the Ocala Code of Ordinances, part of Chapter 34's Article IV on nuisances generally, makes it unlawful for any owner or occupant of property in the city to let weeds and undergrowth grow past 12 inches once the parcel sits within 300 feet of an occupied building; the code measures that distance from the violation parcel's property line to the building itself, so a lot need not be occupied to trigger the rule as long as a neighboring building is. The same subsection sits alongside companion nuisance bans on yard trimmings piled in the right-of-way, dead trees and stumps over 12 inches left standing more than 14 days, and graffiti left up more than 72 hours, all under the health officer's notice-and-compliance authority in Section 34-92.

Growth Management's code enforcement staff act on complaints, and Section 34-92 gives the property owner 20 days from written notice to cut the growth or request a hearing before the municipal code enforcement board or special magistrate; if the owner does neither, the city can mow the lot itself and add a $100.00 service charge on top of the abatement cost, recorded as a lien against the property under Section 2-443. Separately, Ordinance No. 5873 added Section 2-461, letting a code enforcement officer skip the board process and issue a direct citation for a Section 34-95 violation, with escalating civil penalties of $100.00 for a first citation, $250.00 for a second within 12 months, and $450.00 for a third or later citation in that window, payable in Marion County Court under Section 2-463.