Bowling Green has adopted the 2015 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) under Chapter 27 of the Code of Ordinances. IPMC Section 302.4, as amended locally, designates 10 inches as the maximum height of weeds or plant growth on properties in the City — except parcels used for agricultural purposes. Crops, trees, bushes, flowers, and other ornamental plants are excluded from the height measurement; the property owner is responsible for grass on their lot and into the adjacent right-of-way (property line to curb).
Per the City's Common Violations page and Citizen Resource Guide, Section 302.4 of the IPMC (as adopted by Bowling Green) declares that the presence of any weeds or plant growth, including grass, in excess of 10 inches in height is a nuisance. Crops, trees, bushes, flowers, and other ornamental plants are excluded from that measurement. The property owner is responsible for weeds or plant growth on their property and in adjacent easements and rights-of-way (the strip from the property line to the curb/street). The City's Code Compliance & Animal Protection division (270-393-3444) enforces. Bowling Green is on karst topography (sinkholes, caves, underground streams) — chemical lawn applications drain rapidly into groundwater, so maintenance via mowing rather than chemical kill is generally encouraged through City stormwater outreach.
Per the City's Weeds Citizen Resource Guide, a Code Enforcement Officer who finds plant growth over 10 inches issues a notice of violation with typically a 7-day correction window. If the owner fails to cut, City-authorized employees or contractors may enter the property and cut the weeds, with the costs charged to the property owner under Chapter 27 abatement procedures and the Bowling Green Code Enforcement and Nuisance Board (BGCENB).
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