Bowling Green, KY Property Maintenance: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (2026)
Key Facts
- Sidewalk duty
- Keep clear of obstructions at all times
- Snow ban
- No depositing snow on city streets/sidewalks
- Ice rule
- Can't let drainage cause ice buildup
- Fixed deadline
- None stated; treated as ongoing duty
- 1st offense fine
- $100 if uncontested
- City's power
- Can remove obstruction without notice
Summary
In the City of Bowling Green, Kentucky, Sec. 27-5.04 of the Code of Ordinances requires every owner or occupant to keep the sidewalk next to their building or lot open and free of obstructions, and separately bars anyone from depositing snow on city streets, sidewalks or public ways or letting drainage cause ice to accumulate there. The code sets no fixed clearing deadline but enforces both duties as nuisance violations.
Every person owning, occupying or having control or management of any building or lot in the City shall also keep the sidewalk adjacent to such building or lot open and free from all obstructions, barriers and impediments of every description and shall not allow or permit any tree, brush, hedge or other vegetation to grow in a manner which interferes with normal sidewalk traffic or vehicular traffic within the public right-of-way ... ... c. No person owning, occupying or having control or management of any building or lot shall deposit snow on any city streets, sidewalks or public ways. No person owning, occupying or having control or management of any building or lot shall allow any drainage appurtenances to cause ice accumulation on any city streets, sidewalks or public ways. ... Non-Structural Violations $ 100.00 $ 200.00 $ 400.00
Full Breakdown
Sec. 27-5.04 imposes two related duties on anyone owning, occupying or controlling a building or lot in Bowling Green. First, under subsection (b), that person must keep the sidewalk next to the property open and free from all obstructions, barriers and impediments, and cannot let a tree, brush, hedge or other vegetation grow so as to interfere with sidewalk or vehicular traffic in the right-of-way, or let it become diseased to the point it endangers people using the sidewalk or street. Second, under subsection (c), no owner, occupant or person in control may deposit snow on any city street, sidewalk or public way, and none may let a drainage appurtenance on their property cause ice to accumulate on those same city surfaces.
The code does not set a specific number of hours or a clearing deadline; instead it treats an obstructed sidewalk, a snow deposit or an ice-causing drainage condition as an ongoing violation the City can act on directly. Subsection (d) backs this up by letting the City remove violating materials from streets, sidewalks, public ways and drainage areas immediately and without notice to the property owner. Violations run through Chapter 27's nuisance and Property Maintenance enforcement, where a non-structural violation carries a civil fine of $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second and $400 for later offenses if uncontested.
Violations & Fines
Blocking a sidewalk, depositing snow on a city street or sidewalk, or letting drainage cause ice to build up on one violates Sec. 27-5.04(b) and (c) and is enforceable as a nuisance; the City may also remove the obstruction itself under (d) without prior notice. Chapter 27's fine schedule treats these as non-structural violations, carrying civil fines of $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second and $400 for later offenses if uncontested.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a set number of hours to clear snow from my sidewalk in Bowling Green?
Can I pile snow from my driveway onto the sidewalk or street?
What if my gutter causes ice to build up on the sidewalk?
What's the fine for a blocked or icy sidewalk?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bowling Green
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