Monterey County, CA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Monterey County addresses weeds and rank vegetation through Chapter 10.46 (Weed Control) of the County Code, part of Title 10 (Health and Safety), which provides for declaring noxious or hazardous weeds a nuisance and abating them. Separately, the fire side is driven by defensible-space requirements: the County's Basic Fuel Management guidance directs owners to cut dry and dead grass to a maximum of 4 inches and to clear flammable vegetation at least 30 feet from structures (or to the property line), while California Public Resources Code 4291 requires up to 100 feet of defensible space around buildings in State Responsibility Areas and high fire-hazard zones. The County and the Monterey County Regional Fire District conduct hazardous-vegetation inspections, particularly in fire-prone areas, and require dead wood removal from trees overhanging buildings and clean roofs and gutters. Because abundant winter rain drives spring growth, vegetation that is green and harmless in April can become a regulated fire hazard by summer, so maintenance is a year-round responsibility. Owners with unusual vegetation, terrain, or special clearing problems should contact the County or fire district before deadlines. Note this is distinct from agricultural pest/invasive-weed programs run with the Resource Conservation District; those target invasive plant species rather than fire fuel on individual residential parcels.