St. Petersburg, FL Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

D makes the property owner of record and any occupant jointly responsible for keeping sod, turf, turfgrass and other herbaceous growth trimmed to 10 inches or less, and ground cover plant material to 24 inches or less, on the lot and in the abutting right-of-way. Preservation-area parcels are exempt. Owners who instead maintain a documented Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ or wildlife-habitat management plan, addressing soil amendment, limiting sod to active-use areas, efficient irrigation, mulch use and ongoing maintenance, can keep vegetation outside the height ranges without violating the section.

4. When POD finds a violation, it mails and posts a written Notice of Violation giving the owner a deadline to cut the growth. The owner has 10 calendar days to file a written appeal with the City Clerk (5 days for a repeat violation, the same violation within the prior 12 months under the same ownership), heard informally by a hearing officer whose decision is final. If the owner neither corrects the condition nor appeals, POD may enter the property, including fenced yards, to cut and clear the vegetation itself.

The City then bills its labor and administrative costs, including the Chapter 12 lien recording fee, as a special assessment lien on the property; unpaid principal draws 8% interest for the first year after confirmation and 12% thereafter, and the lien can be foreclosed like a mortgage under Florida Statutes Chapter 702. The section was most recently amended by Ordinance No. 611-H, § 24, adopted July 10, 2025.