Oldham County, KY Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)

Oldham County treats home composting as encouraged, not mandated. Under Oldham County Code § 50.067, residents and farms may contain green waste, vegetative food scraps and other fibrous wastes on their own property using a controlled decomposition method to enrich soil, but the section specifically excludes all animal waste from that encouragement, meaning meat, bones and similar scraps belong in the regular solid waste stream rather than a home pile. There is no permit, bin design, or setback spelled out for a residential compost pile in this section, unlike § 50.114's separate track for a commercial composting facility permit.

The freedom to compost is bounded by Chapter 91's nuisance definition. Section 91.01(2)(c) lists a manure or compost pile that spreads or harbors disease, emits unpleasant odors or harmful gas, or attracts rodents, vermin or other disease-carrying pests, animals or insects as a nuisance, though farming and nursery operations are exempt if the material sits more than 100 feet from the nearest property line. Enforcement starts when two residents file a petition with the County Zoning Enforcement Officer under § 91.04; that officer investigates and, if warranted, serves a ten-day notice to abate.

Section 91.99 backs the chapter with a fine of not less than $50 nor more than $500 per offense for a property owner who lets the nuisance continue past that ten-day window, and each additional day counts as its own separate offense, with civil enforcement also available through the County Code Enforcement Board.