Warrick County, IN Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Section 157.02 sets the numeric trigger: vegetation other than trees, bushes, shrubs, or ornamental plants counts as WEEDS and RANK VEGETATION once it reaches nine inches or more in height, and separately any plant listed as a weed in the USDA's Common Weeds of the United States or a similar government publication qualifies regardless of height. The chapter's stated purpose, printed at § 157.01, is to regulate and require the cutting and removal of weeds and rank vegetation on residential and commercial parcels in the unincorporated areas of Warrick County, protecting public health, safety and welfare.

Section 157.03(C) puts the duty directly on the owner to cut and remove weeds and rank vegetation and keep the property clear of garbage and junk. The ordinance exempts agricultural crops, including hay and pasture maintained for that purpose in areas where crops are permitted, so a farmed field is not held to the nine-inch line the way a residential yard is. Enforcement starts with a violation report submitted to the Warrick County Administrator by a resident of the same neighborhood, followed by an inspection and, if the Code Enforcement Officer confirms overgrowth, a written notice giving the owner ten business days to cut it before a reinspection.

If weeds remain, § 157.03(F)(1) lets the Code Enforcement Officer or district County Commissioner enter the property, including through a locked enclosure, and cut the vegetation directly without needing a court order, a power the ordinance withholds for garbage and junk violations, which instead require a Superior or Circuit Court abatement order.