Arapahoe County, CO Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- LDC § 4-1.4.E.9, Weed Control
- Prohibited species list
- Colorado Dept. of Agriculture Noxious Weed lists
- Bare-area rule
- Property owner must revegetate erosion-prone bare areas
- Enforcement instrument
- Ordinance No. 2021-001
- Reviewing agency
- County Planning Division
Summary
Development landscaping in unincorporated Arapahoe County must use weed-free seed, gravel or fill dirt, and any plant on the Colorado Department of Agriculture's Noxious Weed lists is barred from proposed landscaping entirely. Bare, erosion-prone landscape areas must be revegetated, and violations bring a Notice of Violation and penalty under Ordinance No. 2021-001.
i. Weed Control i. The use of weed-free seed, gravel, or fill dirt is required. ii. The use of competitive grasses, shrubs, or trees that provide sufficient ground cover may be required where weed problems already occur or may occur in the future. iii. Plant species that appear on the Colorado Department of Agriculture Noxious Weed lists are unacceptable for use in proposed landscaping. iv. For landscape areas that are presently bare and susceptible to erosion and runoff, the property owner shall be required to revegetate the area. v. Notice of Violation and Penalty as per Ordinance No. 2021-001.
Full Breakdown
9), so it attaches to landscape plans the County reviews for development and redevelopment rather than functioning as a general nuisance-weed code for existing yards. Five requirements apply: weed-free seed, gravel or fill dirt is mandatory for any landscaped area; competitive grasses, shrubs or trees that provide adequate ground cover can be required wherever weed problems already exist or are likely to develop; any species that appears on the Colorado Department of Agriculture's Noxious Weed lists is flatly unacceptable in a proposed landscape plan, which pulls state noxious-weed classifications directly into the County's own approval standard; landscape areas left bare and susceptible to erosion and runoff must be revegetated by the property owner; and the section closes by tying enforcement to a separate instrument, stating that a Notice of Violation and Penalty follows Ordinance No.
2021-001. 4's landscape, irrigation and installation requirements. It applies only to unincorporated county land; Aurora, Centennial, Littleton and the county's other cities enforce their own weed ordinances.
Violations & Fines
The LDC's own text for this subsection states only that a Notice of Violation and Penalty follows Ordinance No. 2021-001, without restating that ordinance's fine schedule here; the referenced ordinance -- not this landscaping section -- sets the specific penalty amount. Noncompliant landscape plans can also be held up at the Planning Division review stage before any notice of violation is ever needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this section apply to weeds in an existing unincorporated-county yard that isn't under development review?
Who decides which plants count as noxious weeds?
What happens if a landscaped area is left bare and eroding?
What's the actual fine for a weed-control violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Arapahoe County
How Arapahoe County compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Compare Arapahoe County to another location·View the Colorado landscaping rules overview
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