Tazewell County, IL Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Height limit
- 10 inches
- Applies to
- residential parcels 1 acre or less
- Exempt
- trees, bushes, flowers, ornamentals
- Governing section
- § 91.47
- Penalty class
- petty offense (§ 94.99(B))
- Abatement option
- county or Sheriff cleanup, billed to owner
Summary
Unincorporated Tazewell County caps weeds, plants, and grass at ten inches tall on residentially zoned parcels of one acre or less under County Code § 91.47, declaring anything taller a public nuisance. Trees, bushes, flowers, and ornamental plants are exempt from the height cap.
§ 91.47 WEEDS, PLANTS AND GRASS OVER CERTAIN HEIGHT DECLARED NUISANCE; PROHIBITED. It shall be unlawful for anyone to permit any weeds, plants, or grass, other than trees, bushes, flowers, or other ornamental plants, to grow to a height exceeding ten inches on a parcel of property one acre or less in size, located in a residential zone district.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-7: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. LU-21-12, passed 9-29-2021; and Res. LU-26-09, passed 7-29-2026).
Full Breakdown
" The ten-inch cap only reaches residentially zoned parcels of an acre or less, so larger residential tracts and land outside a residential zoning district fall outside this specific section. 50, which sweeps in attractive nuisances such as abandoned wells, iceboxes with locking lids, vermin infestations, and animal carcasses left unburied more than 24 hours. 51's notice-of-violation process before enforcement proceeds. 99(B): a petty offense subject to license revocation, with each day of the overgrowth counting as a separate offense, and it authorizes the county to order the violator to abate the growth or to send the Sheriff to cut it and bill the property owner for the cleanup cost.
Violations & Fines
Letting weeds, plants, or grass exceed ten inches on a qualifying residential parcel is a petty offense under § 91.99(E) and § 94.99(B), with every day of noncompliance a separate violation. The county can order the owner to abate the overgrowth or have the Sheriff mow the lot and bill the owner for the cost of the cleanup.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can grass legally grow in Tazewell County?
Does the weed height rule apply to my entire property?
What happens if I don't cut an overgrown lot after being cited?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tazewell County
How Tazewell County compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Compare Tazewell County to another location·View the Illinois landscaping rules overview
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