Marion County, OR Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Vacant-lot registry
- None in Marion County
- Vegetation rule
- MCC 8.15 within Salem-Keizer UGB
- Junk/waste
- Abatable nuisance, MCC 8.10
- Enforcement
- Complaint-driven
- Cities
- Regulate lots within limits
Summary
Marion County has no separate vacant-lot registry, but owners of vacant land within the unincorporated Salem-Keizer urban growth boundary must keep it free of nuisance vegetation (weeds and grass over 10 inches) under MCC 8.15, and junk or solid-waste accumulations are abatable nuisances under MCC 8.10.
No owner shall cause or permit nuisance vegetation on the owner's property within the unincorporated areas of the Salem-Keizer urban growth boundary.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 1489, passed April 15, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Oregon places vacant-land upkeep on the owner. Under Marion County Code 8.15.040, no owner may cause or permit nuisance vegetation on property within the unincorporated areas of the Salem-Keizer urban growth boundary, which covers weeds and grasses more than 10 inches high, dead vegetation, and fire or traffic hazards. Elsewhere in the unincorporated county, accumulations of solid waste or inoperable vehicles on a vacant parcel are abatable public nuisances under MCC 8.10.030. There is no county-wide vacant-lot registration program; enforcement is complaint-driven through the county director or enforcement officer. Vacant lots inside Salem, Keizer, and Woodburn are governed by those cities' nuisance and property-maintenance codes instead.
Violations & Fines
Nuisance vegetation violations are punishable by fines up to a Class B (or Class A on repeat) violation amount under MCC 8.15.130; the county may abate and lien the cost plus a 25% administrative surcharge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to maintain a vacant lot in Marion County?
Is there a vacant-lot registration fee?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Marion County
Compare Marion County to another location·View the Oregon property maintenance overview
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