McCracken County, KY Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 110.13(F), property maintenance code
- First offense fine
- $500 (§ 110.99(A)(1))
- Repeat offense fine
- Up to $2,000 for further offenses
- Per-day fine
- Up to $100/day, max 60 days
- Enforcer
- McCracken County Code Enforcement Officer
- Dead trees
- Banned outright next to sidewalks/rights-of-way
Summary
In unincorporated McCracken County, Kentucky, property owners must keep trees, shrubs, hedges, and other objects along public rights-of-way trimmed so they do not block streets or sidewalks, damage pavement, or block drainage. County Code § 110.13(F) also bans dead trees standing next to public sidewalks or rights-of-way, and the Code Enforcement Officer treats a violation as a public nuisance.
(F) Dangerous trees or objects adjoining streets. The permitting of any tree, shrubbery, hedge or other object adjoining public rights-of-way to grow or stand in such a condition that it interferes with the use, construction or maintenance of streets or sidewalks, that could cause damage to streets or sidewalks, or that causes an obstruction to drainage or poses a danger to life, limb or property of persons using the sidewalks or rights-of-way. No person shall allow any dead tree adjoining public sidewalks or rights-of-way; ... (A) Violation. ... Any violation with penalty unlisted: (1) First offense: $500. (2) Second offense: $1,000. (3) All others: $2,000.
Full Breakdown
Fiscal Court's property maintenance ordinance, McCracken County Code § 110.13, lists 'dangerous trees or objects adjoining streets' among the conditions declared a public nuisance for unincorporated McCracken County. Under § 110.13(F), it is unlawful for an owner, occupant, or person controlling land to let any tree, shrubbery, hedge, or other object next to a public right-of-way grow or stand so it interferes with the use, construction, or maintenance of a street or sidewalk, damages the pavement, blocks drainage, or endangers people using the sidewalk or right-of-way.
The same subsection separately bars any dead tree from standing next to a public sidewalk or right-of-way, regardless of whether it currently obstructs anything. Enforcement runs through the Code Enforcement Officer and Code Enforcement Board under §§ 31.10 through 31.25 (§ 110.20): the officer issues a notice of violation or citation, and conditions presenting an immediate danger, such as a limb hanging over a sidewalk, can be abated right after the citation issues. Abatement can be carried out by county crews or by a contractor the county selects, with the cost charged back to the responsible property owner.
A property that draws a third citation on the same case can be referred to the Code Enforcement Board for a per-day fine of up to $100, capped at 60 days, on top of the base fines in § 110.99. Repeat violators can also be formally designated 'repeat offenders' under § 110.21, triggering an extended enforcement track of 12 to 24 months.
Violations & Fines
Overgrown or dead trees blocking a county street or sidewalk are cited as a public nuisance under § 110.13(F) by the Code Enforcement Officer. Section 110.99 sets fines at $500 for a first offense, $1,000 for a second, and $2,000 for any further offense on the same property; a third citation in one case can trigger a per-day fine up to $100 for up to 60 days, and repeat offenders face 12 to 24 months of heightened Code Enforcement Board oversight under § 110.21.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to trim trees that hang over the road in unincorporated McCracken County?
Is a dead tree next to the sidewalk automatically a violation?
What happens if I don't trim after getting a citation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in McCracken County
Compare McCracken County to another location·View the Kentucky landscaping rules overview
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