Georgetown, KY Code Violation Reporting: Common Violations (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Georgetown Code § 26-2, items (1) through (12)
- Violation class
- Class 1 civil offense under § 26-5(b)
- Initial fine
- $50.00, plus $50.00 per seven days, up to $500.00
- Tree clearance
- 14 feet over streets, eight feet over sidewalks
- Corner shrub limit
- Three feet high within 20 feet of curbline intersection
- Default remedy period
- Seven days under § 2-839(a) if none is specified
Summary
Georgetown Code § 26-2 declares a numbered list of conditions to be public nuisances and prohibits them, including unfit dwellings, dilapidated buildings, rubbish, noxious odors, open wells, low tree branches, tall corner shrubs, junked vehicles and unsecured pools. Chapter 26 violations are Class 1 civil offenses handled by the Code Enforcement Board and code enforcement officers.
The following conditions are hereby declared to be public nuisances and are prohibited: ... (6) Noxious odors or smoke. There emits from premises into the surrounding atmosphere such odors, dusts, smoke or other matter as to render ordinary use or physical occupation of other property in the vicinity uncomfortable or impossible. ... (8) Open wells. There is caused or suffered the maintenance of any open or uncovered, or insecurely covered, cistern, cellar, well, pit, excavation or vault situated upon private premises in any open or unfenced lot or place. (9) Trees and shrubbery obstructing streets and sidewalks. There is caused or suffered the growing and maintenance of trees with less than 14 feet clearance over streets or less than eight feet over sidewalks, or the growing and maintenance of shrubbery in excess of three feet in height within the radius of 20 feet from the point where the curbline of any street intersects the curbline of another street.
Official source re-checked November 3, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 4).
Full Breakdown
Section 26-2 of the Georgetown Code states that the listed conditions are public nuisances and are prohibited, and the list runs from item (1) to item (12). Item (1) covers dwellings unfit for human habitation and item (2) covers dangerous buildings adjoining streets. Item (3) reaches trees, stacks or other objects that threaten people on adjacent public ways, and item (4) covers dilapidated buildings that are a fire hazard or endanger public health, welfare or safety. Item (5) addresses accumulations of filth, refuse, trash, garbage or other waste, item (6) bars odors, dusts, smoke or other matter that make ordinary use of nearby property uncomfortable or impossible, and item (7) addresses open storage of equipment, furnishings, appliances, scrap or salvage materials.
Item (8) targets open or insecurely covered cisterns, cellars, wells, pits, excavations and vaults on private premises in open or unfenced lots. Item (9) sets the vegetation limits: trees with less than 14 feet of clearance over streets or less than eight feet over sidewalks, and shrubbery over three feet in height within a 20-foot radius of a curbline intersection. Item (10) covers junked, wrecked or inoperative motor vehicles and automobile parts, item (11) supplies the definitions, and item (12) covers a pool or spa that is not secured under the 2012 International Property Maintenance Code.
Section 26-3 sets the test for the listed annoyances: they count as nuisances based on their effect on persons of ordinary health and average sensibilities, not on supersensitive people. Section 26-4 means the owner or operator does not have to have created the nuisance. It is enough that licensees, invitees, guests or other persons for whose conduct the owner is responsible contributed to it, or that the owner or operator ought to have become aware of it through reasonable care.
Violations & Fines
Under § 26-5, a violation of any section of Chapter 26 is a civil offense and a Class 1 violation, enforced under Chapter 2, Article VI by the code enforcement board, hearing officers, code enforcement officers and citation officers. Under § 2-842, the initial Class 1 fine is $50.00, with $50.00 added for each seven days beyond the remediation date until the total reaches $500.00. The maximum civil fine is $1,000.00 if the citation is not contested and $2,000.00 if it is contested. If the city abates the condition, the owner is billed the cost plus a $100.00 administrative fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which conditions does Georgetown list as public nuisances?
How much clearance must a tree have over a Georgetown street or sidewalk?
Does the owner have to be the one who created the nuisance?
Can the penalty be waived if I fix the problem quickly?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Georgetown
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