San Bernardino, CA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Weed abatement in San Bernardino is enforced primarily through the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District Hazard Abatement program and the city nuisance code. Each spring, typically in late April or early May, the county mails Notices to Abate to parcels that have been historically problematic and to all parcels within mapped fire hazard zones. The notice sets a compliance deadline, usually 30 to 45 days, by which the owner must cut dry weeds and grass to four inches or less, remove dead vegetation, thin brush to required spacing, and haul away debris. Owners may contract the work themselves or use county-approved vendors. The county reinspects after the deadline; non-compliant parcels are flagged for forced abatement, and a county contractor performs the work at the owner expense. Costs typically range from several hundred dollars for small lots to thousands for larger parcels, plus administrative fees of roughly 150 to 300 dollars per parcel. Unpaid charges are recorded as a special assessment on the property tax bill and become a lien. Owners may appeal the notice or the final charges at scheduled hearings. Outside fire season, the City of San Bernardino Code Enforcement responds to weed and vacant-lot complaints year-round under the nuisance code, with administrative citation fines for repeated non-compliance.