Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government regulates accessory dwelling units under Zoning Ordinance Section 3-12 (General Regulations for ADUs), adopted by ZOTA in October 2021 and updated in 2023. ADUs are permitted by right on most single-family residential lots through an administrative process. The applicant must hold a pre-application meeting with the Division of Planning and then submit a Residential ADU permit through the Division of Building Inspection's online portal. Kentucky has no statewide ADU preemption, so Lexington's local rules govern.
Lexington's ADU framework lives in Zoning Ordinance Section 3-12 (General Regulations for Accessory Dwelling Units). Key provisions: one ADU per single-family dwelling per lot; maximum ADU size 800 sq ft except basement conversions, which have no size limit so long as they stay within the existing footprint; height and setbacks follow the accessory-structure rules in Zoning Ordinance Section 15-6 (typical 5 ft rear, 3-5 ft side depending on size and zone); occupancy capped at two persons plus related children; one additional parking space may be required in some zones. The permit pathway: (1) pre-application meeting with the Division of Planning at 101 E. Vine Street, 7th Floor; (2) Residential ADU application submitted through Lexington's online permit portal to the Division of Building Inspection; (3) plan review against the 2018 Kentucky Residential Code as adopted at 815 KAR 7:120 and the zoning standards; (4) inspections during construction. Standard plan review averages 3-5 weeks. ADUs in the Historic Preservation Overlay or H-1 require Certificate of Appropriateness from the Courthouse Area Design Review Board before permitting. Kentucky has no statewide ADU statute preempting local rules, so 800 sq ft and owner-occupancy stay in effect.
Constructing an ADU without permits violates Zoning Ordinance Section 5-2 (Permits Required) and the building code adopted at 815 KAR 7:120, enforced by the Division of Building Inspection through Stop Work Orders and citations. Civil penalties under LFUCG Code of Ordinances Section 5-29 are typically $150-$500 per violation per day plus the doubled after-the-fact permit fee. Repeat violations can be referred to Fayette District Court.
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