Tangipahoa Parish, LA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Height limit
- 18 inches for grass/weeds
- Applies to
- Property outside parish municipalities
- Compliance window
- 20 days after notice
- Fine
- $100.00 per day from day 11
- Presumed maintained if mowed
- 3 times a year (spring/summer/fall)
- Self-help cleanup fee
- 2x parish's cost, becomes a lien
Summary
Outside the parish's municipalities, owners and agents must cut grass and weeds before they exceed 18 inches, unless grown as a crop, under Code Section 32-20. After notice, failing to comply within 20 days is a misdemeanor carrying a $100.00-per-day fine starting on the 11th day.
Weed means a plant of no value or use. ... (a)It shall be the responsibility of any owner and agent of any property outside the municipalities of the parish to cut and remove all grass and weeds in excess of 18 inches but excepting only grass grown as a crop. ... (j)The failure, neglect or refusal of the owner to cut grass and/or remove weeds, trash, rubbish, debris, discarded or noxious matter, materials and/or substances from the owner's property, within 20 days of receipt of notice, constitutes a misdemeanor and the owner or owner's agent or other person in control of the property shall be guilty of a criminal offense subject to a fine of $100.00 per day, which shall continue to accrue from day to day until the requested action is taken, beginning the 11th day after receipt of notice, as provided herein.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 32, Article I defines 'weed' simply as a plant of no value or use, and 'grass' as herbage suitable for lawns or grazing, in Section 32-19. Section 32-20 places the cutting duty on the owner and any agent of property located outside the parish's incorporated municipalities, requiring removal of grass and weeds once they exceed 18 inches, with an exception for grass grown as a crop, and separately requires removal of trash, rubbish, refuse, debris and other noxious matter so the property does not become a breeding ground for rats, mice, mosquitoes or other disease-bearing pests.
Before any penalty attaches, the parish must send two notices, one certified and one first-class mail, to the owner and any agent; if the certified notice is refused or returned but the first-class notice is not, receipt is presumed after 20 calendar days, and if both are returned, the parish can hand-deliver or post the notice on a dwelling's door, or serve a vacant lot by hand delivery. Section 32-22 presumes a property is properly maintained if it is mowed or bush-hogged three times a year, once each in spring, summer and fall.
If the parish itself performs the cleanup under a council resolution, the owner owes a civil fee of twice the cost of the work, on top of the daily fine, and that fee becomes a lien on the property. Section 32-21 gives justices of the peace concurrent jurisdiction with district court to prosecute these violations.
Violations & Fines
Failing, neglecting or refusing to cut grass or remove weeds over 18 inches, or to clear trash, rubbish or noxious matter, within 20 days of receiving notice is a misdemeanor under Section 32-20(j). The owner, agent or other person in control of the property faces a criminal fine of $100.00 per day beginning on the 11th day after notice and continuing until the work is done, plus a civil fee of double the parish's cleanup cost if the parish has to perform the work itself, secured by a lien on the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can grass or weeds get before it's a violation in Tangipahoa Parish?
What happens if I don't cut the grass after getting a parish notice?
Can the parish just mow my lot and bill me?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tangipahoa Parish
How Tangipahoa Parish compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Compare Tangipahoa Parish to another location·View the Louisiana landscaping rules overview
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