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Boone County, KY Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Height limit
8 inches, § 93.01
Enforcement
County Code Enforcement Officer
Initial compliance window
5 days after notice
Extension available
3 more days, 8 total
Misdemeanor fine
$50 to $500 per day, § 93.99
Applies in
Unincorporated Boone County, non-farm lots

Summary

Boone County caps grass and weeds at eight inches on any non-agricultural lot in a populated part of the unincorporated county. Boone County Code § 93.01 makes taller, unsightly vegetation a violation, and the County Code Enforcement Officer can cite the owner and eventually send a county crew to cut it at the owner's expense.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Boone County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

§ 93.01 UNSIGHTLY VEGETATION PROHIBITED. It shall be unlawful for any person, corporation, or other entity, owning any lot of land not used for agricultural purposes located in a populated area of the county to permit, by failure to mow, grass and/or weeds to become unsightly or a detriment to the health and welfare of the inhabitants of the county. It shall be a violation of this chapter for a property owner to allow the height of the vegetation to reach eight inches in height.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-28: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ordinance 2025-20, passed 6-17-25; and State legislation current through KRS 2025).

Full Breakdown

01 targets any person, corporation or other entity that owns a lot not used for agriculture in a populated area of the county and lets grass or weeds go uncut to the point of becoming unsightly or a detriment to the health and welfare of county residents; the code fixes the trigger at eight inches, so a lot over that line is in violation regardless of how it otherwise looks. 03: the County Code Enforcement Officer inspects and cites violations, then issues a written notice giving the landowner five days to cut the vegetation.

An owner who contacts the Code Enforcement Officer within that five-day window can get three more days, for eight total. If the deadline still passes, the county can send crews onto the property to cut and remove the vegetation itself and bill the owner for that cost, due within ten days; an unpaid bill lets the county record a lien against the land with the County Clerk and foreclose on it under Kentucky law. The eight-inch rule applies countywide in unincorporated Boone County wherever land is not being farmed; agricultural land is exempt under the same section. 01.

Violations & Fines

Violating the eight-inch limit is a misdemeanor under § 93.99, punishable by a fine of $50 to $500, and each day the vegetation stays overgrown after notice is a separate offense. An owner who misses the five-to-eight-day compliance window also owes the county's cutting bill, due within ten days, or faces a lien against the property enforceable by foreclosure under Kentucky law.

Frequently Asked Questions

How tall can grass and weeds get in unincorporated Boone County before it's a violation?
Section 93.01 makes it a violation to let grass or weeds reach eight inches in height on any non-agricultural lot in a populated area of the county. Once vegetation crosses eight inches, the owner is out of compliance and can be cited.
How long do I have to mow after getting a violation notice?
The Code Enforcement Officer's notice under § 93.03 gives five days to cut the vegetation. Contacting the Code Enforcement Officer within that window buys three more days, for eight total, before the county can send a crew to cut the lot and bill the owner.
What happens if I don't pay the county's mowing bill?
You get ten days to pay after the county cuts an overgrown lot under § 93.03. If the bill goes unpaid past that, Boone County can record a lien against the property with the County Clerk and foreclose on it, on top of the § 93.99 misdemeanor fine of $50 to $500.
Does the eight-inch rule apply to farmland?
No. Section 93.01 exempts land used for agricultural purposes. It only reaches lots in populated parts of unincorporated Boone County that are not being farmed; Florence, Union and Walton enforce their own grass-height limits inside city limits.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Boone County

All Boone County rules

How Boone County compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Compare Boone County to another location·View the Kentucky landscaping rules overview

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