Pasco County, FL Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Height trigger
- Vegetation over eight inches on improved property
- Cure period
- 14 calendar days from posting of the demand
- Appeal window
- Seven calendar days to request a Board hearing
- Minimum lien penalty
- Costs or $75.00, whichever is greater
- Unimproved land
- 30-foot strip along developed parcels, one acre or more
- Enforcer
- Pasco County Code Enforcement department
Summary
In unincorporated Pasco County, vegetation left to grow past eight inches in height on improved property can be cleared by the county under Code Sec. 42-1. Code Enforcement gives the owner a written demand with 14 calendar days to fix it, and unpaid cleanup costs become a special assessment lien with a penalty of at least $75.
Clear improved property of uncultivated property exceeding eight inches in height, debris or any noxious material of any kind that tends to be a breeding place or haven for snakes, rodents, insects or vermin of any kind or character, or that tends to be a breeding place for mosquitoes, or that tends to create a fire hazard endangering lives and property. For unimproved property that are one acre or more, only a 30-foot-wide strip along the common boundaries with a developed parcel shall be cleared. [...] The notice shall identify the offending condition(s) and demand that the condition(s) be corrected within 14 calendar days from the date of posting. [...] Any owner upon whom any demand is made shall have seven calendar days from service or posting of the demand to request, in writing, a public hearing before the board of county commissioners for purposes of appealing the correctness of the code enforcement department's determination. [...] plus a penalty in the amount equal to the costs or $75.00, whichever is greater, plus administrative costs
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 94 Update 1 | Land Development Code: Supplement 20).
Full Breakdown
Section 42-1 puts the duty on the owner of any lot, tract or parcel in the unincorporated county to control nuisances and threats to public health, safety and welfare. Uncultivated vegetation is the first condition on the list, and Sec. 42-3 defines it as unmaintained vegetation that has grown in an uncontrolled manner to more than eight inches in height, or that is liable to produce an unhealthy or unsanitary condition or harbors mosquitoes, vermin or vectors. Controlled plants, gardens, trees, palms, silviculture and farm operations with bona fide agricultural uses are carved out of the definition.
Enforcement starts with a complaint. An affected person means someone owning or occupying land that abuts or surrounds the parcel, a code enforcement officer, a county commissioner, or an officer of a homeowners group or civic association who files an affidavit showing a written cleanup demand was already sent to the owner or occupant. The Pasco County Code Enforcement department then decides whether a nuisance exists.
The cleanup power differs by property type. On improved property the county can clear vegetation exceeding eight inches in height, plus debris or noxious material that breeds snakes, rodents, insects, vermin or mosquitoes or creates a fire hazard. On unimproved property of one acre or more, only a 30-foot-wide strip along the common boundaries with a developed parcel is cleared. Sec. 42-3 treats land altered by human action for a lawful use as improved, and abandonment, disuse or foreclosure does not change that status. Public rights-of-way, publicly owned stormwater facilities, landfills and passive parks are excluded from the definition. For violations on parcels over one acre, the Board of County Commissioners must approve the spending before the county corrects the condition.
The written demand is posted on the property and served under County Code Sec. 1-12. It names the condition, gives 14 calendar days from posting to fix it, warns that the county or an independent contractor will do the work otherwise, and explains how to appeal. Conditions that present a serious threat to public health, safety or welfare can be corrected immediately with no prior notice.
Violations & Fines
If the owner misses the 14-day deadline, the Board of County Commissioners or its designee can have the work done and assess a lien by resolution. The lien covers actual correction costs, a penalty equal to those costs or $75.00 whichever is greater, administrative costs including investigation, recording and legal expenses, interest, and reasonable attorney's fees. It is a special assessment lien with the same priority as county ad valorem taxes, superior to other liens and encumbrances, and it stays on the land until paid. Code Enforcement can also issue a citation under Sec. 1-11, either after failed notice or at any time for an existing violation, and a violation can be treated as a civil infraction.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can grass and weeds get on my Pasco County lot?
How long do I have after getting a notice?
What happens if the Board upholds the determination?
Do I have to clear a large vacant parcel completely?
Who can file a complaint about a neighbor's overgrown lot?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasco County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Pasco County to another location·View the Florida landscaping rules overview
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