Seattle, WA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- SMC Ch. 10.52
- Enforcing agency
- Seattle Dept. of Construction & Inspections
- First-violation penalty
- $150
- Repeat-violation penalty
- $500 (within 5 years)
- Sidewalk clearance duty
- trim vegetation to 8 ft height
- Street/alley clearance duty
- trim vegetation to 14 ft height
Summary
Seattle Municipal Code 10.52.020 declares vegetation constituting a fire, health, or safety hazard a public nuisance on any property, with no set inch limit: the test is whether growth is dry and combustible, harbors rodents or poisonous plants, or blocks sightlines. SMC 10.52.030 puts the abatement duty on the property owner or occupant.
The following conditions are hereby declared nuisances within The City of Seattle: A.Vegetation constituting a fire hazard;B.Vegetation constituting a health hazard;C.Vegetation constituting a safety hazard.... It is the duty of the owner of the property and of any occupant of the property wherein or whereon any such nuisance exists to abate the nuisance by destroying, removing or trimming vegetation, and removing or destroying any health, safety or fire hazard.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 44 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
010 defines the three hazard categories that trigger the nuisance: a "fire hazard" is vegetation that is dry and combustible, including weeds, grass or clippings, and dead bushes or trees; a "health hazard" is vegetation or refuse providing rodent harborage or including poisonous plants such as poison ivy, poison oak, poison hemlock, poison sumac, or nightshade; and a "safety hazard" is vegetation that overhangs a street, sidewalk, or alley so as to impede its use, or that obstructs a driver's view of traffic signs or an intersection from within 30 feet.
030(B) sets specific clearance duties: owners and occupants must remove vegetation growing in or on an abutting sidewalk, trim vegetation overhanging any sidewalk within 8 feet measured vertically, and trim vegetation encroaching on or overhanging a street or alley within 14 feet measured vertically, plus clear fire, health, and safety hazards on adjacent planting strips and alleys. 035).
Violations & Fines
A first citation under SMC 10.52.037 carries a $150 penalty; a second violation within five years jumps to $500 per incident, and each day of noncompliance is a separate violation under SMC 10.52.038. If the hazard remains after enforcement, SDCI's Director may summarily abate it and bill the owner for the cost under SMC 10.52.041, and may also seek injunctive relief under SMC 10.52.042.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Seattle set a maximum weed or grass height?
Who has to clear overgrown vegetation from my property?
What's the fine for a weed nuisance citation?
Can I contest a weed citation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Seattle
How Seattle compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Compare Seattle to another location·View the Washington landscaping rules overview
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Weed Ordinances in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle weed ordinances.