Port Townsend, WA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Right-of-way grass limit
- 12 inches
- Noxious weed standard
- WAC Ch. 16-750 list
- First-violation fine
- $66
- Notice before infraction
- 21 days
- Governing chapter
- PTMC Ch. 9.08, Nuisances
Summary
Port Townsend declares noxious weeds and overgrown right-of-way grass a nuisance, capping grass at 12 inches and tying weed control to the state noxious weed list, with escalating fines for violators.
3. Noxious weeds as defined in Chapter 16-750 WAC, as amended, or as required for removal or control by the Jefferson County noxious weed control board.
4. Accumulation of vegetation waste, including, but not limited to, grass clippings, cut brush, cut trees, and/or cut weeds, except when in an enclosed container or in a managed composting operation.
5. Vegetation, or parts thereof, that hang lower than eight feet above any public walkway, path or sidewalk; or hang lower than 15 feet above any street; or that are growing in such a manner as to obstruct or impair the free and full use of any public walkway, sidewalk, or street.
6. Vegetation within the clear vision area, as defined by PTMC 12.04.030, that blocks or impairs motorist, cyclist, or pedestrian visibility.
7. Grass in the public right-of-way greater than 12 inches in height or other vegetation in the public right-of-way not maintained to requirements established in PTMC 12.04.075(C), as amended.
8. Roadside ditches in which the grass is greater than 12 inches in height; or contains vegetation other than grass that interferes with the city’s periodic maintenance of ditches, unless the vegetation was permitted as a rain garden or stormwater treatment facility.
B. Buildings, Structures, and Improvements.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 3364, passed May 18, 2026).
Full Breakdown
PTMC 9.08.030 lists noxious weeds -- any plant on the state noxious weed list under WAC 16-750, or one flagged by the Jefferson County noxious weed control board -- as a declared nuisance, along with grass over 12 inches in the public right-of-way or in roadside ditches. A city enforcement officer can order abatement under Chapter 1.20 PTMC. A property owner who fails to clear a minor violation within 21 days' notice commits a civil infraction under RCW 7.80, with escalating fines set in PTMC 9.08.040.
Violations & Fines
Civil infraction after 21 days' notice: $66 first violation, $114 second, $209 third within one year; the court may reduce, suspend, or defer any penalty.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a noxious weed violation in Port Townsend?
How tall can grass grow in the right-of-way?
What's the fine for a weed nuisance violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Port Townsend
How Port Townsend compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Compare Port Townsend to another location·View the Washington landscaping rules overview
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