Landscaping Rules in Bowling Green, KY (2026)
5 verified landscaping rules for Bowling Green, Kentucky, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Tree Trimming
Bowling Green bans topping any public tree and requires vegetation that hangs over a public right-of-way, including trees, to keep its lowest limb at least fifteen feet above the ground. Violating the tree ordinance means paying for the tree's replacement value plus civil fines that can reach $1,500 per offense.
Tree Trimming Rules in Bowling Green, Kentucky
Some RestrictionsBowling Green Code of Ordinances Sec. 26-6; Sec. 26-7(a); Sec. 26-11(a)
It shall be unlawful for any person to top any public tree. "Topping" is defined in the ANSI A300 (Part 1)-2001 Pruning standard as: “4.46 topping: The reduction of a tree’s size using heading cuts that shorten limbs or branches back to a predetermined crown limit. Topping is not an acceptable practice (5.57).” ... Trees that grow over a public right-of-way shall be maintained so that the lowes...
Tree Removal & Heritage Trees
In the City of Bowling Green, Kentucky, no one may remove, cut down to the ground or otherwise disturb a public tree without the City's approval first. Sec. 26-8 of the Code of Ordinances requires anyone seeking to take out a street tree to contact the City, then follow standards on stump removal, backfilling and safe execution, or face a citation under Chapter 26's penalty schedule.
Bowling Green Public Tree Removal Approval Rules
Some RestrictionsBowling Green Code of Ordinances Sec. 26-8; Sec. 26-11
No person shall remove, cut above the ground or disturb any public tree without approval of the City of Bowling Green except to perform routine maintenance as described above. The person shall then abide by the standards set forth below. Requests for approval to perform a tree removal or other major tree work on a public tree shall be obtained by contacting the City. a. The entire tree, includi...
Weed Ordinances
In the City of Bowling Green, Kentucky, Sec. 27-4.07 of the Code of Ordinances caps weeds and other plant growth, including grass, at ten inches on any property in the City, exempting maintained agricultural land. Anything taller is a declared nuisance, and Sec. 27-6.01 lets the City abate a weed or grass citation immediately instead of waiting out a normal correction period.
Bowling Green 10-Inch Weed Height Limit
Some RestrictionsBowling Green Code of Ordinances Sec. 27-4.07; Sec. 27-6.01
Section 302.4 of the International Property Maintenance Code is amended to designate ten (10) inches as the maximum height of weeds or plant growth on properties located in the City except for those parcels or portions of parcels being used for agricultural purposes and properly maintained as such. The presence of any weeds or plant growth, including grass, but excluding maintained crops, trees...
Water Restrictions
In the City of Bowling Green, Kentucky, Bowling Green Municipal Utilities and the Warren County Water District can declare a Water Shortage Alert that limits outdoor watering to Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays for odd-numbered addresses and Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays for even-numbered addresses. Sec. 23-4.02 also covers car washing, pool filling and lawn watering, and lets BGMU add a conservation surcharge.
Bowling Green Outdoor Watering Day Restrictions
Some RestrictionsBowling Green Code of Ordinances Sec. 23-4.02
b. Whenever the General Manager of BGMU and the Manager of the WCDW ... find that a condition exists where they will not be able to meet the expected needs of their customers ... the Mayor and Judge Executive may publicly declare a “Water Shortage Alert”. ... the Mayor and Judge Executive may call upon all customers of BGMU and the WCDW ... to use treated water outside of buildings (such usage ...
Composting
Bowling Green limits residential compost to bins under 125 cubic feet built from wood, fiberglass, wire, metal or other permanent material, with contents sourced only from the property itself. Bins must sit at least five feet from the property line, stay out of front and side yards, and are capped at three per residence, and must be designed to keep out rodents and control odor.
Bowling Green Compost Bin Standards
Some RestrictionsBowling Green Code of Ordinances Sec. 27-5.05(d)
d. Compost piles. All compost shall be contained to compost bins and all material included in the bin shall originate from the property where it is located. Compost bins must not exceed one hundred twenty-five (125) cubic feet and must be made of permanent materials, including but not limited to wood, fiberglass, wire or metal. Compost bins should be constructed to prevent the harborage of ro...