Port Townsend, WA Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- PTMC Chapter 9.08, Nuisances
- Notice before penalty
- 21 days' written notice
- First violation fine
- $66.00
- Repeat violation fines
- $114.00, then $209.00
- Right-of-way grass limit
- 12 inches maximum height
Summary
Port Townsend treats overgrown vegetation and noxious weeds on any lot, vacant or built, as a public nuisance, with civil fines starting at $66 after a 21-day notice.
Overgrown, uncultivated, or untended vegetation of any type that substantially covers structures on the property or substantially blocks or impedes access to structures on the property.
2. Trees, shrubs, vines, or other vegetation that destroys, impairs, interferes, restricts the visibility, use or access to, or constitutes a danger to streets, sidewalks, public trails, sewers, utility poles, street trees, fire hydrants or any other public improvements.
3. Noxious weeds as defined in Chapter 16-750 WAC, as amended, or as required for removal or control by the Jefferson County noxious weed control board.
4. Accumulation of vegetation waste, including, but not limited to, grass clippings, cut brush, cut trees, and/or cut weeds, except when in an enclosed container or in a managed composting operation.
5. Vegetation, or parts thereof, that hang lower than eight feet above any public walkway, path or sidewalk; or hang lower than 15 feet above any street; or that are growing in such a manner as to obstruct or impair the free and full use of any public walkway, sidewalk, or street.
6. Vegetation within the clear vision area, as defined by PTMC 12.04.030, that blocks or impairs motorist, cyclist, or pedestrian visibility.
7. Grass in the public right-of-way greater than 12 inches in height or other vegetation in the public right-of-way not maintained to requirements established in PTMC 12.04.075(C), as amended.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 3364, passed May 18, 2026).
Full Breakdown
PTMC 9.08.030(A) declares untended vegetation that substantially covers or blocks access to structures, and state-listed noxious weeds under WAC 16-750, to be nuisances on any property in the city, occupied or vacant. The same subsection reaches grass over 12 inches in the adjacent right-of-way. Code enforcement acts under Chapter 1.20 PTMC; after 21 days' written notice, an uncorrected minor nuisance becomes a civil infraction under RCW 7.80. There is no separate 'vacant lot' ordinance: the general nuisance chapter covers unimproved parcels the same as developed ones.
Violations & Fines
First minor nuisance violation: $66.00. Second within a year: $114.00. Third within a year: $209.00. Penalties follow 21 days' notice and can be reduced or deferred by the court.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Port Townsend require vacant lots to be mowed?
What happens if weeds aren't cleared after a notice?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Port Townsend
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