Sanford, FL Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Weed/wild growth limit
- 18 inches on developed lots
- Grass height limit
- 12 inches
- Vacant lot radius covered
- within 200 feet of a developed lot
- 2nd violation penalty (12 mo.)
- $100.00 administrative penalty
- 3rd violation penalty (12 mo.)
- $200.00 administrative penalty
- Base civil citation
- $50.00 (Class I) plus $10 court costs
- Enforcing agency
- Sanford Code Enforcement, Ch. 26
Summary
In the City of Sanford, Florida, City Code Section 38-143, the Lot Mowing Ordinance, bans vines, underbrush, weeds or wild growth over 18 inches and grass over 12 inches from developing on any developed lot, or on a vacant lot within 200 feet of one, once the growth turns into a fire hazard or breeding ground for mosquitoes, rats and other vermin.
Allowing vines, underbrush, weeds and/or wild growth in excess of 18 inches in height from the ground or grass in excess of 12 inches in height from the ground to develop on any developed lot, tract or parcel of land in the city ... to the extent and in the manner that it constitutes or may reasonably become a menace to life, property, the public health, or the public welfare, that creates a fire hazard, or that provides a nest and/or breeding ground for sandflies, mosquitos, rats, mice, other rodents, snakes, and other types of pests and vermin, shall be unlawful and is hereby prohibited and declared to be a public nuisance.
Full Breakdown
Sanford's Planning and Development Services and Code Enforcement Division enforce Section 38-143 against debris, junk and overgrown vegetation that becomes a public nuisance. Under Section 38-145, a code officer who finds vines, underbrush, weeds or wild growth over 18 inches, or grass over 12 inches, mails or hand-delivers a notice to the owner; the notice sets a city commission hearing no more than 30 and no less than five calendar days out, or 20 to 30 days out if the notice had to be posted on the property.
At the hearing under Section 38-146, the owner can show the condition does not exist or does not pose a hazard; if the city commission confirms the violation under Section 38-147, the owner gets five business days to correct it before the city cuts the lot itself. Section 38-148 lets the city recover its mowing cost, plus an administrative charge, as a special assessment lien with the same priority as a tax lien. Section 38-149 adds an administrative penalty of $100.00 for a second violation on the same property within 12 months, and $200.00 for a third; a fourth violation goes to the city attorney for injunctive relief.
Separately, Section 38-144 makes an owner's failure to control this growth a misdemeanor, and the Chapter 26 schedule of violations (Section 26-78) lists Section 38-143 as a Class I civil infraction carrying a $50.00 civil penalty per citation plus $10.00 in court costs, contestable in county court. Section 38-150 allows the city to mow immediately, without the hearing process, when the growth is an imminent hazard, billing the owner afterward.
Violations & Fines
A first citation under Section 38-143 is a $50.00 Class I civil infraction (Section 26-78) plus $10.00 court costs, or prosecution as a misdemeanor under Section 38-144. Repeat violations on the same lot within 12 months carry a $100.00 administrative penalty the second time and $200.00 the third; the city can also mow the lot and lien the property for its costs under Section 38-148.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can weeds or grass grow on a Sanford lot?
What happens after the city sends a weed notice?
Can Sanford fine me more than once for the same overgrown lot?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sanford
How Sanford compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Florida rules heatmap·Compare Sanford to another location·View the Florida landscaping rules overview
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