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

In unincorporated Ventura County, overgrown weeds and grass are regulated primarily through the Ventura County Fire Department's Fire Hazard Reduction Program (FHRP), which covers all unincorporated areas. Each year the Fire Department mails a 'Notice to Abate Fire Hazard' on April 20th, and property owners are expected to maintain their property free of fire-hazard or nuisance vegetation year round. Reported clearance standards include cutting hazardous grass to about three inches in height and reducing native brush. Owners must also maintain defensible space and a fuel-modification zone around buildings; the County's guidance describes an effective defensible space of not less than 100 feet from all portions of a structure in the wildland-urban interface, with year-round maintenance of brush, weeds, grass, trees, and hazardous vegetation extending further (cited as up to 200 feet) around structures, and clearance within about 10 feet of combustible fences and roadways or driveways used for vehicle travel. Exact distances depend on slope, vegetation type, and the applicable fire standards (such as Standard 515), so owners should consult the FHRP guidelines or the Fire Prevention Bureau for their parcel. If an owner does not clear hazardous vegetation after the notice, the County may have the work done and assess the cost to the property through the FHRP abatement and appeal process. Outside the fire context, ordinary lawn appearance is not separately regulated.