Wichita, KS Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Wichita regulates overgrown vegetation under Municipal Code Chapter 7.32 (Nuisances) and Chapter 7.36 (Weeds). Property owners must keep grass and weeds cut below 12 inches across the entire lot, including parkways between sidewalk and curb. After a complaint or routine inspection, the Office of Central Inspection (OCI) posts a notice giving the owner 10 days to cut the vegetation. If the owner fails to comply, OCI dispatches a contractor to mow the property and bills the owner for the cost plus an administrative fee, which becomes a tax lien if unpaid. Repeat violators in a 12-month period may lose the 10-day notice grace period and be billed immediately on subsequent infractions. Native and ornamental grasses planted intentionally as part of a landscape design are exempt if they are confined to a designated bed and maintained, but unmanaged volunteer growth is treated as a weed nuisance. Sedgwick County has separate jurisdiction over unincorporated land, but inside Wichita city limits the OCI is the sole enforcement authority. Complaints can be filed through the Wichita 316 app or by calling Citizen Request.