Westminster, CA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard
- Overgrown, dead, or diseased vegetation harboring pests
- No fixed height
- Hazard-based test, not a numeric limit
- Related rule
- Visible cans/bins off pickup day also a nuisance
- Correction window
- 30 days, up to two 30-day extensions
- Liable party
- Owner; innocent occupant exempted under § 8.20.050(C)
Summary
Westminster declares overgrown, dead or diseased vegetation, including weeds, grass and shrubbery, a public nuisance whenever it lets rats, vermin or insects breed or hide on the property, under Municipal Code § 8.20.030(D). The rule reaches every owner and occupant, and unresolved conditions move into the city's formal nuisance abatement and hearing process.
Maintenance of Dead/Overgrown Vegetation. To maintain vegetation, including but not limited to trees, weeds, shrubbery and grass, cultivated or uncultivated, which is overgrown, dead, decayed or diseased in such a manner as to permit the breeding or harboring therein or thereon of rats, vermin, insects or other animals which are dangerous to the public health, safety or general welfare.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4982734; v10 updated 2026-06-10).
Full Breakdown
030(D), Maintenance of Dead/Overgrown Vegetation, makes it a public nuisance to maintain vegetation, including trees, weeds, shrubbery and grass, whether cultivated or not, that is overgrown, dead, decayed or diseased to the point it lets rats, vermin, insects or other animals dangerous to public health breed or find harbor on the property. The code does not set a numeric height cap; the standard is whether the vegetation's condition creates that breeding or harboring hazard, and companion subsection F separately makes it a nuisance to store trash or garbage containers in a yard area where they are visible from the street on days other than pickup day.
050(C). 20 nuisance: a report of findings, a correction notice giving up to 30 days (extendable twice by 30 days each), a planning commission hearing if the condition is not corrected, and, if the owner still does not act, city abatement billed back to the property as a special assessment and lien.
Violations & Fines
An overgrown-vegetation citation that goes uncorrected follows the Chapter 8.20 hearing and lien process: a planning commission order to abate within 30 days, a right of appeal to the city council within 10 working days, and city-performed abatement billed as a lien against the parcel if the owner still does not comply. Independently, § 1.12.010 makes any Chapter 8.20 violation a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and six months in jail, or an infraction carrying $100 to $500 in escalating fines for repeat violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a maximum grass or weed height in Westminster?
Who is responsible for mowing an overgrown lot in Westminster, the owner or the tenant?
What happens if I don't clear overgrown weeds after a Westminster notice?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Westminster
How Westminster compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare Westminster to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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Weed Ordinances in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Orange County handle weed ordinances.