Tampa, FL Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Height limit
- 12 inches over majority of parcel
- Trigger zone
- 200 ft of improved property/recreational area
- Trigger zone
- 25 ft of paved public street
- Coverage
- improved and unimproved lots
- Exemption
- permit-required trees/shrubs
- Penalty
- up to $500 fine / 60 days jail
- Adopted
- Ord. 89-269 (1989), amended 1996
Summary
Tampa caps weeds, undergrowth, and other dead or living plant growth at 12 inches under Code Sec. 19-50, whenever the lot sits within 200 feet of an improved property line or recreational area, or within 25 feet of a paved street. Both improved and vacant lots count, with an exemption for trees or shrubs needing a removal permit.
The existence of excessive accumulations or untended growth of weeds, undergrowth or other dead or living plant life (but not including any trees, plants or other vegetation protected by state or local law or nuisance vegetation) upon any lot, tract or parcel of land, improved or unimproved, within two hundred (200) feet of the boundary line of any improved property or within twenty-five (25) feet of any paved or graded road surface intended or designed for vehicular travel and located within any street right-of-way or land area dedicated for use as a public street or within two hundred (200) feet of any recreational area, all within the incorporated boundaries of the city, to the extent and in the manner that such lot, tract or parcel of land contains nuisance vegetation which exceeds a height of twelve (12) inches over the majority of the parcel or which threatens or endangers the public health, safety or welfare or may reasonably cause disease or which adversely affects and impairs the economic welfare of adjacent property is hereby prohibited and declared to be a public nuisance.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 148).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 19-50(a) declares it a public nuisance for "any lot, tract or parcel of land, improved or unimproved," within 200 feet of the boundary line of any improved property, within 25 feet of any paved or graded road surface in a street right-of-way, or within 200 feet of a recreational area, to contain nuisance vegetation exceeding 12 inches over the majority of the parcel, or vegetation that threatens public health and safety, may cause disease, or impairs the economic welfare of adjacent property. The ban expressly excludes trees, plants, or other vegetation protected by state or local law.
Sec. 19-50(b) exempts trees or woody shrubs, regardless of trunk diameter, that require a permit to remove under the city's tree code. The Department of Code Enforcement, per Sec. 19-1, has jurisdiction and control over enforcing this and every other property-maintenance standard in Chapter 19. Because Sec. 19-50 sets no standalone penalty, a violation falls under the Code's general penalty at Sec. 1-6(a): a fine not exceeding $500, imprisonment not exceeding 60 days, and/or probation not exceeding six months, with each day of a continuing violation a separate offense.
The city can instead route the case to the code enforcement board or a code enforcement special magistrate under Chapter 9, which operates under Fla. ch. 162, Part I, and can impose administrative fines plus the cost of any city-performed abatement. The section traces to Ord. No. 89-269 (1989), was renumbered by Ord. No. 90-124 (1990) when Chapter 19 was rewritten, and was last amended by Ord. No. 96-204 (1996).
Violations & Fines
A Sec. 19-50 violation defaults to the Code's general penalty at Sec. 1-6(a): up to a $500 fine, up to 60 days' imprisonment, and/or up to six months' probation, with each day the growth stays over 12 inches counted as a separate offense. The city can instead pursue the case before the code enforcement board or a special magistrate under Chapter 9, which can impose administrative fines and charge the property owner for any city-performed cutting.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can grass or weeds get on a Tampa property before it's a violation?
Does the 12-inch limit apply to vacant, undeveloped lots?
Are trees and shrubs subject to the 12-inch cap?
What's the penalty for letting weeds grow past 12 inches?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tampa
How Tampa compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Florida rules heatmap·Compare Tampa to another location·View the Florida landscaping rules overview
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