Peoria, IL Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Peoria's weed-control framework operates on two tracks. Track one: Chapter 18 of the Peoria Code of Ordinances at https://library.municode.com/il/peoria declares any weeds or rank vegetation over 10 inches a public nuisance. The standard notice-and-abatement procedure applies: written notice with compliance deadline, city contractor mowing if not cured, costs assessed as a lien on the property under 65 ILCS 5/11-20-7. Track two: the Illinois Noxious Weed Law (505 ILCS 100/) at https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=1721 designates certain species — including kudzu, perennial sow thistle, Canada thistle, musk thistle, marijuana, and (since 2017) Palmer amaranth — as noxious weeds that must be controlled regardless of height. The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) administers the noxious-weed program statewide through county-level Soil and Water Conservation Districts; the Peoria County SWCD is the local contact. Property owners must control listed noxious weeds even on otherwise well-maintained lots. Native plantings of pollinator species are exempt from height rules but not from the noxious-weed control requirement.