On any Forsyth County lot, open dumps and unsanitary accumulations of waste are prohibited. Owners must immediately close any open dump. Weeds or noxious vegetation over eight inches around a junked vehicle can also make a lot a nuisance.
Chapter 19 bars open dumping anywhere in the county: any open dump or deposit or unsanitary accumulation of any waste matter whatsoever is prohibited (Sec. 19-11(b)), and an owner who controls land where an open dump exists must immediately close it per NC DEQ requirements. On lots holding junked vehicles, a heavy growth of weeds or other noxious vegetation over eight inches in height is one factor making a vehicle a health or safety hazard (Sec. 11-2). The county has no general grass-height ordinance for private unincorporated lots.
Chapter 19 violations: misdemeanor, fine up to $500 or 30 days (G.S. 14-4), plus civil penalty up to $500 (G.S. 153A-123), each day separate. Junk-vehicle nuisances: class 3 misdemeanor up to $500.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Home backyard composting is allowed in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County. There is no ordinance requiring or banning it, but a compost pile must not become a nuis...
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Neither Winston-Salem nor Forsyth County has a specific ordinance banning or mandating artificial turf for home lawns. Its use is governed by general zoning,...
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Since 2024 Winston-Salem lets residents replace lawns with registered Natural Landscape Areas of native plants. Turf grass must stay under eight inches, area...
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Collecting rainwater is legal in North Carolina, and no county or city may prohibit cisterns or rain barrels used for irrigation. Forsyth County sets no ban....
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North Carolina has no statewide homeowner watering ban, and there is no permanent year-round schedule in Winston-Salem/Forsyth. Mandatory odd/even watering d...
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Winston-Salem defines 'rank noxious vegetation' over eight inches as a nuisance, including non-native grasses, invasive plants, poisonous plants, and untende...
See how Forsyth County's vacant lot maintenance rules stack up against other locations.
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