Camarillo Grass Height Limits Rules (2026): What You Need to Know

Camarillo does not publish a single bright-line maximum grass height in its municipal code. Overgrown grass on improved residential or commercial property is instead addressed through the city's property maintenance and public nuisance framework, which designates conditions that are dangerous, unsightly, or detrimental to public health and safety as nuisances subject to abatement. Code Enforcement officers exercise discretion in applying these standards: grass that is visibly unkempt, dead, or fire-prone on an otherwise improved lot will typically prompt a courtesy notice followed by a formal Notice of Violation if not remedied. In practice, grass exceeding roughly 8 to 12 inches on a residential lot is likely to generate a complaint and citation. Dead or dry grass lying flat on the ground presents a particular concern because it constitutes an accumulation of fine fuels under both the city's nuisance provisions and Ventura County Fire Department regulations.

More prescriptive grass height standards arise from Camarillo's partial location within High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones in the Camarillo Hills, Las Posas Hills, and areas abutting the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Properties in these zones are subject to VCFD Defensible Space requirements that regulate vegetation throughout the 100-foot clearance perimeter. Within Zone 1 (0 to 30 feet from any structure or deck), live grasses must be kept irrigated and green throughout fire season or cut and maintained at 3 inches or less in height. Dry, non-irrigated grasses in this zone must be removed entirely rather than simply cut down. Within Zone 2 (30 to 100 feet), dead and dry grasses must be mowed or disced to reduce fine fuel loads before fire season begins, typically by April 1 or May 1 each year. VCFD conducts annual defensible space inspections and may issue citations to non-compliant property owners.

Property owners selling homes in fire hazard severity zones in California are subject to AB 38 disclosure requirements and must document compliance with defensible space standards before escrow closes. Camarillo's Code Enforcement Division can be reached through the City's Community Development Department at (805) 388-5360. Ventura County Fire Department handles defensible space enforcement and may be contacted at (805) 389-9700. Many of Camarillo's planned communities are governed by HOAs whose CC&Rs specify maximum turf heights — commonly 4 to 6 inches — and enforce these standards independently of city code through landscape inspection programs.