Ventura Weed Ordinances Rules (2026): What You Need to Know

The City of Ventura enforces weed and vegetation control through two overlapping frameworks: general property maintenance standards under the Ventura Municipal Code and a targeted annual fire season weed abatement program administered by the Ventura Fire Department. Under the property maintenance code, property owners must keep all portions of their parcel free of weeds, vegetation, and accumulated plant debris that exceeds 12 inches in height, harbors rodents or vermin, creates unsanitary conditions, or constitutes a fire hazard. This standard applies year-round and covers residential lots, commercial parcels, and vacant land alike. Code Compliance responds to nuisance weed complaints on a complaint-driven basis throughout the year.

The Ventura Fire Department conducts its annual weed abatement cycle each spring, typically beginning with notices to property owners in March or April requiring clearance of hazardous vegetation prior to the onset of the dry fire season. Properties in or adjacent to the city's wildland-urban interface — including neighborhoods in the Ondulando hills, foothill areas near the Ventura River valley, and slopes near Highway 33 — receive particular attention. State law (California Government Code Section 51182 and the California Fire Code) requires that parcels located within designated High Fire Hazard Severity Zones maintain defensible space: a minimum 100-foot vegetation clearance zone around structures, with a 30-foot ember-resistant zone immediately adjacent to the building. The Ventura Fire Department enforces these state defensible space requirements in addition to the city's local weed abatement standards.

Property owners who fail to comply with weed abatement notices within the prescribed deadline may have their property cleared by a city-contracted crew. The cost of the abatement — including contractor fees and an administrative surcharge — is then billed to the property owner. If not paid, the bill can be certified as a special assessment and placed as a lien on the property, potentially jeopardizing title during a sale or refinance. Persistent or egregious violations may also result in administrative fines in addition to the abatement cost recovery.