Stanislaus County, CA Property Maintenance: Weeds & Overgrown Grass (2026)

Stanislaus County Code Chapter 9.20 (Weed Control), within Title 9 Health and Safety, governs weeds and dry vegetation. It declares that "all dirt, rubbish, weeds, or other rank growths" located upon buildings, grounds, or lots that constitute a fire menace, or are otherwise a menace to health or safety, are a public nuisance subject to abatement. The chapter applies to zoning districts described in Title 21, except A-2 (Exclusive Agricultural) parcels of ten acres or more designated for agriculture. When an owner fails to remove such conditions, the chief of the fire department notifies the owner to abate within seven days; the County's fire districts confirm a "seven (7) days of receipt of a notice" period in the unincorporated county. The abatement notice identifies the property by its commonly known name and street, and by reference to the tract, block, lot, code area, and parcel number from the county assessor's records. If the owner does not comply, the fire department may abate the nuisance, and the cost of abatement is assessed against the property and becomes a lien until paid. Because weed and dry-vegetation hazards are a wildfire issue, the County directs fire-related overgrowth concerns to the local fire agency rather than Code Enforcement. This is a County ordinance enforced through the fire districts, separate from city weed-abatement programs.