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Yolo County, CA Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Weed height limit
18 inches (IPMC §302.4 as amended)
Vacant lot hazard
"Attractive nuisance" on unoccupied lot (§202)
Enforcing official
Director, Department of Community Services
Notice violation
Strict-liability misdemeanor (§106.3)
Uncorrected nuisance
County abatement + property tax lien
Appeal deadline
30 days to Planning Commission

Summary

Yolo County amended the International Property Maintenance Code's weed standard to insert an 18-inch height limit, and its nuisance definition specifically calls out attractive hazards on an unoccupied lot. The Department of Community Services enforces both, with unresolved violations treated as a public nuisance the county can abate and lien against the property.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Yolo County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

(7) Section 202-General Definitions is amended to include the following definitions to be incorporated in alphabetical order: PUBLIC NUISANCE. Shall mean anything which; ... (c) any attractive nuisance which may prove detrimental to children, whether in a building, on the premises of a building, or upon an unoccupied lot. This includes any abandoned wells or shafts; ... (8) Section 302-Exterior property areas subsections 302.4-Weeds, and 304.14-Insect screens are amended as follows: Section 302.4-Weeds Insert 18 inches.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-21: Supplement 2026 S-21 includes: Local legislation current through Ord. 1584, effective June 25, 2026).

Full Breakdown

Sec. 02 adopts the 2018 International Property Maintenance Code by reference, and Sec. 03 sets out the county's amendments to it. Item (7) rewrites Section 202-General Definitions to add a county-specific definition of 'public nuisance,' covering anything injurious to health or offensive to the senses, and specifically 'any attractive nuisance which may prove detrimental to children, whether in a building, on the premises of a building, or upon an unoccupied lot,' including abandoned wells or shafts. 4-Weeds of the IPMC to insert the county's own numeric threshold: 18 inches.

Enforcement runs through Sec. 1, which places authority with the Director of the Department of Community Services, and Sec. 01, and authorizes the code official to sue to restrain, correct or abate the violation and to record any resulting costs as a lien on the real estate. If a declared public nuisance, including an overgrown vacant lot, isn't abated within the time given, Sec. 4 lets the Chief Building Official ask the Board of Supervisors for authority to abate it with county personnel or a private contractor, and Sec.

6 lets the county collect the abatement cost as a special assessment on the property tax roll. An owner can appeal a weed or nuisance notice to the Planning Commission, sitting as the board of appeals under Sec. 113, by filing a written appeal within 30 days of the notice, with a further appeal to the Board of Supervisors within 15 days of the Commission's decision.

Violations & Fines

Under Sec. 106.3, failing to comply with a weed or nuisance notice is a strict-liability misdemeanor punishable under Sec. 1-2.01: a fine of up to $500, up to six months in county jail, or both, with each day of continued violation a separate offense. Beyond criminal penalties, Sec. 113.4.4 through 113.4.6 let the county summarily abate the condition itself and bill the owner, recording an unpaid balance as a lien and special assessment collected with the property taxes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How tall can weeds get on an unimproved lot in unincorporated Yolo County?
No taller than 18 inches. Sec. 7-3.03(b)(8) amends Section 302.4 of the International Property Maintenance Code to insert an 18-inch threshold, replacing the code's blank height standard with the county's own number.
Does the county treat an overgrown vacant lot as a nuisance?
Yes. The county's amended nuisance definition in Sec. 7-3.03(b)(7) specifically lists 'any attractive nuisance which may prove detrimental to children, whether in a building, on the premises of a building, or upon an unoccupied lot,' including abandoned wells or shafts.
What happens if I ignore a weed abatement notice?
Sec. 106.3 makes it a strict-liability misdemeanor punishable by up to a $500 fine and six months in jail under Sec. 1-2.01, and the county can abate the lot itself and record the cost as a lien and special tax assessment on the property.
Can a property owner appeal a weed or nuisance notice?
Yes. Sec. 113.4 lets any person with a legal interest in the property appeal to the Planning Commission, sitting as the board of appeals, by filing in writing within 30 days of the notice, with further appeal to the Board of Supervisors within 15 days of the Commission's decision.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Yolo County

All Yolo County rules

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