Washington State Lawns: How Tall Is Too Tall Before the City Steps In?

I was walking past my neighbor's house a few months ago, and the weeds and grass had totally gotten out of control. I was curious when they would mow, but they had gone months and months without doing it.

Why Washington Homeowners Can Be Cited for Not Mowing Their Lawns

Suddenly, out of nowhere, they had mowed and cut back all of their shrubbery. As I was coming back from a walk, I noticed they were outside looking at a list of items.

Get our free mobile app

So it got me thinking, did code enforcement step in? I suspect so because they had been in the neighborhood before, when a neighbor had their RV parked on the street and cited them.

From Complaints to Citations: How Code Enforcement Handles Overgrown Yards in WA

Can code enforcement in Washington State make you mow your lawn? I think you'll be surprised by the answer.

There isn't any specific information from a statewide law about code enforcement, but I did dig up a couple of laws:

• State Law (RCW 35.21.310): This provision gives any city or town the right to pass ordinances requiring property owners to remove "grass, weeds, shrubs, bushes, trees or vegetation... which are a fire hazard or a menace to public health, safety or welfare".

• Noxious Weeds (RCW 17.10): Separately, Washington state law on noxious weeds mandates the control of specific invasive plant species. This law is administered by county noxious weed control boards and can result in enforcement action

At a local level, code enforcement can make you and cite you if you don't clean up your yard, so if you are curious, it's in your best interest to keep your lawn mowed and weed-free unless you want a visit from code enforcement.

READ NEXT: WA State New Laws That Have Taken Effect On August 1st, 2025