Key Facts Ordinance Text Full Breakdown Violations FAQ Sources More in Port St. Lucie

Port St. Lucie, FL Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)

Some Restrictions

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

Key Facts

Height limit: 24 inches within 10 ft of shared line
Corner lot buffer: 15 ft from road right-of-way
Exempt zoning: Agricultural districts, golf courses
Enforcement frequency: Once per 12 months per lot
Compliance window: At least 20 days after notice

Summary

Owners of unimproved (vacant) lots in Port St. Lucie must keep weeds, grass, vines, Brazilian pepper and other invasive growth under 24 inches within 10 feet of side and rear lines that border improved property, under City Code § 43.04. Corner lots must stay clear for 15 feet from the road right-of-way, agricultural- and golf-course-zoned parcels are exempt, and code compliance can act on the same lot only once every 12 months.

It shall be unlawful for owners of unimproved real property located within the City whose property line adjoins or abuts improved real property to permit weeds, grass, vines, Brazilian pepper trees and other invasive species, undergrowth or other vegetative matter to grow thereon to a height of more than twenty-four (24") inches within ten (10') feet of the side and rear lot lines, provided the lot line is within thirty feet (30') of a permitted residential dwelling unit or principal commercial structure.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 103).

Full Breakdown

02). 03). 04(a)(1), bans letting weeds, grass, vines, Brazilian pepper and other invasive species exceed 24 inches within 10 feet of a side or rear lot line that abuts an improved lot, but only where that line sits within 30 feet of a permitted dwelling or commercial structure. 04(a)(2)). 04(d)). 04(g)). 04(h)).

Violations & Fines

Violations go to a Special Magistrate hearing rather than a straight citation: the property is posted and the notice must give the owner at least 20 days to cut the growth back before the city clears it (§§ 43.05, 43.17). If the city performs the abatement itself, labor and administrative costs become a special assessment lien against the property, coequal with state, county and municipal tax liens and superior to any mortgage (§ 43.06).

Frequently Asked Questions

How tall can weeds get on a vacant lot in Port St. Lucie before the city acts?

Under § 43.04(a)(1), weeds, grass, vines, Brazilian pepper and other invasive growth on an unimproved lot cannot exceed 24 inches within 10 feet of a side or rear line that abuts improved property with a home or business within 30 feet. The same 24-inch cap applies within 15 feet of any road or drainage right-of-way citywide.

Can a vacant lot owner get out of cutting encroaching growth?

Yes, but only with paperwork. Section 43.04(b) lets an unimproved-lot owner petition for exemption by submitting a written statement from every adjacent improved-property owner saying they do not object to the encroachment. Without that signed waiver, the 24-inch limit stands.

Does the endangered-species exception ever apply?

Section 43.04(g) excuses owners from clearing weeds, undergrowth or trees if doing so would destroy habitat for the Florida Scrub Jay, gopher tortoise, black indigo snake or another protected species to the point of an illegal "taking" under state or federal law.

What happens if a vacant lot owner ignores the notice?

The code officer sets a Special Magistrate hearing under § 43.17, and if the owner shows no good cause, the Magistrate orders abatement. If the city ends up doing the work, § 43.06 turns the labor and administrative cost into a lien against the property, ranking ahead of any mortgage.

Sources & Official References

[1]Port St. Lucie Code of Ordinances - Ch. 43

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