Canyon County, ID Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)

Article 13 of Chapter 2 (Canyon County Code §§ 02-13-01 through 02-13-13), adopted by Ord. 25-004 on 3-13-2025 and amended by Ord. 25-009 on 6-17-2025, is the Canyon County Tall Grass and Weeds Ordinance. It reaches only unincorporated Canyon County, not Caldwell, Nampa, Middleton, Greenleaf, Melba, Notus, Wilder, Parma or Star, which enforce their own codes. Section 02-13-07 exempts agricultural or pasture land growing grain crops, gardens and ornamental plantings, naturally wooded, wetland, rangeland or riparian areas, land under a conservation easement or wildlife/pollinator habitat partnership, government-owned land, residential subdivisions with enforceable HOA covenants, and noxious weeds already regulated under Title 22, Chapter 24 of the Idaho Code.

Everything else, including ordinary vacant lots, falls under § 02-13-09, which forbids letting grass, weeds or other plants grow to a size or condition that causes or threatens a fire hazard, safety hazard or public-health detriment. Under § 02-13-11, the county weed superintendent and designees may enter land to inspect, mail and post a violation notice giving the owner or occupant seven days to cut or clear the growth, and may only issue such notices between April 1 and September 30 each year. If the violation isn't remedied in seven days, the county may enter and abate it, billing the owner for labor, equipment, transportation and overhead plus a 15 percent administrative charge per parcel per abatement, plus a Board-set collection fee. An unpaid bill becomes a lien on the property after 30 days and is certified to the county tax roll.