Wilmington, NC Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 10-18(b)
- Height limit
- Grass over 8 inches prohibited
- Coverage
- Extends to curb strip, § 10-18(c)
- Vacant-lot rule
- Same 8 in. within 100 ft, § 10-28
- Penalty
- $50.00 civil fine, § 10-2(b)
Summary
Wilmington requires every owner, lessee, or occupant to keep their property clear of weeds, bushes, and wild growth, including grass over eight inches tall. City Code Section 10-18 extends that duty to the strip between the property line and the curb, and a parallel eight-inch threshold under Section 10-28 triggers formal nuisance abatement on vacant lots.
(b)Every owner, lessee or occupant of any property within the city shall keep the same clean and clear of all weeds, bushes and any wild growth thereon, including grass over eight (8) inches in height. Every owner, lessee or occupant shall also keep such property free and clear of all filth, open wells or containers, and all refuse materials of every kind and description.(c)As provided in section 11-42 of this Code, the obligations set forth in this section shall extend to the area between the property line of a lot and the curb line or edge of the roadway.
Full Breakdown
Section 10-18(b) sets the core rule: every owner, lessee, or occupant of any property in the city must keep it clean and clear of all weeds, bushes, and wild growth, including grass over eight inches in height, and must also keep the property free of filth, open wells or containers, and refuse of every kind. Subsection (c) extends that same obligation to the area between the property line and the curb line or edge of the roadway, cross-referencing Section 11-42, which separately requires owners fronting a street to keep the sidewalk strip clear of weeds and vegetation and to keep the grass on it cut.
A parallel provision, Section 10-28(a)(1), declares the uncontrolled growth of weeds or grass to eight inches or more within one hundred feet of a principal structure or public right-of-way a public nuisance on any vacant lot or parcel, triggering the formal notice-and-abatement track: Section 10-29 requires the inspector to mail written notice giving the property owner fifteen days to abate, Section 10-30 allows the owner to request a hearing before the city manager to contest the finding, and Section 10-31 lets city crews remove the growth themselves if the deadline passes unaddressed.
Section 10-32 turns the city's abatement cost into a lien on the property, collected like unpaid taxes, and bearing eight percent annual interest if unpaid within thirty days. 00 general civil penalty under Section 10-2(b) rather than the abatement-and-lien process reserved for Section 10-28's vacant-lot nuisances.
Violations & Fines
A property owner who lets grass or weeds exceed eight inches under Section 10-18 faces a $50.00 civil penalty under Section 10-2(b), with each day of noncompliance a separate offense; a chronic violator, defined in Section 10-1 as someone cited three or more times in the prior calendar year, can be abated by the city without further notice, with the cost billed as a lien. Vacant-lot violations under Section 10-28 instead go through the fifteen-day notice, hearing, and city-abatement process of Sections 10-29 through 10-32, with abatement costs becoming a property lien accruing eight percent annual interest.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can grass legally grow on a Wilmington property?
Does the grass rule cover the strip near the street too?
What happens if the city has to mow an overgrown vacant lot?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Wilmington
How Wilmington compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Compare Wilmington to another location·View the North Carolina landscaping rules overview
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