Peoria, IL Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Peoria's weed height limit is written directly into the definitions section of the litter and nuisance chapter. Section 13-1 defines 'weeds' as all noxious vegetation and all grasses, annual plants and vegetation other than trees or shrubs that exceed a height or length of ten inches, and it exempts cultivated flowers, gardens and native plants from that definition. Section 13-77 then makes it unlawful for any owner or person in control of real property to permit the growth of weeds at all, including on the right-of-way between the property line and the roadway, though the height requirement is waived on parcels with a steep natural gradient that has never been graded or improved, unless the growth becomes a health hazard or traffic obstruction.

Property owners also bear responsibility for vegetation growing in the curb, curbline and gutter next to their land, and any vegetation there is prohibited regardless of height. Enforcement runs differently depending on whether a lot has an occupied structure. For occupied lots, Section 13-3 requires the city to give notice by personal service, certified mail or a posted sign, and if the owner does not cut the weeds within five days of that notice, city crews cut or chemically spray the weeds and bill the owner for the cost.

For vacant lots or lots with unoccupied structures, Section 13-4 requires the city to publish a newspaper notice once a week for two consecutive weeks each spring and summer warning that weeds over ten inches, or accumulated litter, will be cut or removed by the city without further individual notice, at the owner's expense.