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

Moorpark 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 public nuisance framework established in Municipal Code Chapter 8.36, which designates conditions that are dangerous, unsightly, or detrimental to public health, safety, and welfare as public 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 maintained lot will typically prompt a courtesy notice followed by a formal Notice of Violation if the condition is 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 that lies flat and matted on the ground presents a particular concern because it constitutes an accumulation of fine fuels under both the nuisance provisions and Ventura County Fire Department regulations.

More prescriptive grass height standards apply to Moorpark properties located in or near High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, particularly in hillside tracts adjacent to Happy Camp Canyon Regional Park, the Tierra Rejada Valley interface, and open-space preserves along the city's northern and eastern edges. Properties in these zones are subject to VCFD Defensible Space requirements that govern vegetation throughout the 100-foot clearance perimeter surrounding any structure. Within Zone 1 (0 to 30 feet from any structure or attached 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 within this zone must be removed entirely rather than simply mowed 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 to May 1 each year. VCFD conducts annual defensible space inspections and may issue citations to property owners who fail to comply with these vegetation management requirements.

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. Moorpark Code Enforcement can be reached through the City's Community Development Department at (805) 517-6200. Ventura County Fire Department handles defensible space enforcement and may be contacted at (805) 389-9700. Many of Moorpark's master-planned communities — including Varsity Park, Meridian Hills, and Mountain Meadows — are governed by HOAs whose CC&Rs specify maximum turf heights and enforce these standards independently of the city through landscape inspection programs.