Bowling Green, KY Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)

Sec. 21-3.03, Permits, Approvals and Fees, states that any proposed development meeting the requirements set out in the City of Bowling Green Code of Ordinances, Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations must obtain permit approvals and pay the fees described in those instruments, and it lists fence permits by name among the approvals required, alongside building, paving, grading, swimming pool, sign, tent, electrical, house moving, manufactured home and mobile home permits. The section further states that all conditions attached to an approval are an integral part of the approved plans and must be met, so a fence permit issued with conditions, such as a required inspection, carries those conditions as binding terms of the approval.

Sec. 21-3.06 supplies the enforcement backbone for the Construction, Repair, Permitting and Maintenance subchapter that Sec. 21-3.03 sits in: any party building without the required permit or plan approval, or building work that does not meet Public Works Department standards, must make repairs to bring the work up to standard, and enforcement proceeds by notice of violation or citation under the Chapter 2 procedures. The Public Works Department can also issue a Stop Work Order if it finds an imminent safety concern, construction started before final permit or plan approval, construction without any permit application or plan submittal, or work that does not comply with an approved permit or plan.

Sec. 21-3.06(b) then makes any violation of the subchapter subject to civil penalties under Chapter 27 of the Code, and if the finished construction does not match the approved plans, the City can refuse to issue a Certificate of Occupancy until it is brought into compliance.