Provo, UT Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Code Chapter
- Provo City Code Ch. 7.02 (Weed and Refuse Abatement)
- Notice Period
- Not less than 10 days (7.02.030)
- Inspectors
- Provo City Fire Department (7.02.020)
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor + abatement costs billed/liened (7.02.060)
- Payment Deadline
- 20 days after itemized statement mailed
- State Law
- Utah Code 4-17-109 / 4-17-110 (Noxious Weed Act)
Summary
Provo City Code Chapter 7.02 (Weed and Refuse Abatement) lets the City inspect for injurious and noxious weeds and serve written notice requiring the owner to remove them within at least 10 days. If the owner fails to comply, the City may abate the weeds itself and bill the owner, with unpaid costs collected through the courts or placed on the property tax notice. Utah Code Title 4, Chapter 17 makes uncontrolled noxious weeds a public nuisance statewide.
7.02.030 Notice to Property Owners. It shall be the duty of the City inspectors to make careful examination and investigation as may be provided hereunder for the growth and spread of injurious and noxious weeds, and of garbage, refuse or unsightly or deleterious objects or structures; and it shall be the inspectors' duty to ascertain the names of the owners and the descriptions of the premises where such weeds, garbage, refuse, objects or structures exist and to serve notice in writing upon the owner and/or occupant of such land, either personally or by mailing notice, postage prepaid, addressed to the owner or occupant at the last known post office address as disclosed by the records of the county assessor, requiring such owner or occupant, as the case may be, to eradicate, or destroy and remove, the same within such time as the inspector may designate, which shall not be less than ten (10) days from the date of service of such notice. One (1) notice shall be deemed sufficient on any lot or parcel of property for the entire season of weed growth during that calendar year.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-17, passed June 9, 2026).
Full Breakdown
02 (Weed and Refuse Abatement) of the Provo City Code, enacted under the police power and Chapter 11, Title 10 of the Utah Code. 020 appoints the City Fire Department, under the Fire Chief, as the inspectors who administer the chapter. 030 (Notice to Property Owners) requires the inspectors to investigate the growth and spread of injurious and noxious weeds, identify the owners from county assessor records, and serve written notice (personally or by mail) requiring the owner or occupant to eradicate, destroy, and remove the weeds within a designated time of not less than ten (10) days; one notice covers the entire weed-growth season for that calendar year.
050 declares accumulation of injurious or noxious weeds that creates a health hazard, danger, disease harborage, fire hazard, or attractive nuisance to be an unlawful nuisance subject to abatement. 060 (Violations - Remedies) makes non-compliance a misdemeanor and authorizes the City to abate at its own expense and recover costs: the owner is billed and has 20 days to pay; unpaid amounts may be pursued in court if the owner is servable in the county, or referred to the County Treasurer for inclusion on the tax notice under Utah Code Sections 10-11-3 and 10-11-4, plus an administrative fee, court costs, attorney's fees, and interest.
Statewide, the Utah Noxious Weed Act (Utah Code 4-17-109) provides that an owner who fails to control noxious weeds after notice is maintaining a public nuisance, and 4-17-110 lets the county abate at the owner's expense as a lien against the property.
Violations & Fines
Failing to remove weeds after notice under Chapter 7.02 is a misdemeanor (7.02.060). The City may abate the weeds and bill the owner, who has 20 days to pay; unpaid costs are pursued in court or added to the property's tax notice along with an administrative fee, court costs, reasonable attorney's fees, and interest. Statewide, uncontrolled noxious weeds become a lien-backed county-abatement matter under Utah Code 4-17-110.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to remove weeds after a Provo notice?
What if I ignore a weed-abatement notice?
Does Utah state law also regulate noxious weeds?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Provo
How Provo compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Compare Provo to another location·View the Utah landscaping rules overview
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Weed Ordinances in Nearby Cities
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