Owensboro, KY Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Perimeter height limit
- Below 10 inches within 50 feet of roads, structures, lines
- Interior mowing frequency
- 3 times per year on a fixed calendar
- Qualifying lots
- Acreage or platted lots over 2 acres
- First-offense fine
- $75 (Non-Structural Violations)
- Enforcing body
- Code Enforcement Officer, Property Maintenance Code Enforcement Board
- Appeal path
- Daviess County District Court
Summary
In the City of Owensboro, undeveloped lots over two acres must stay mowed below ten inches within fifty feet of any road, structure or property line, and the rest of the acreage needs three mowings a year on a fixed calendar. Code enforcement can cite, fine and abate.
Undeveloped property (acreage or platted lots larger than two (2) acres with or without structures) shall be mowed and maintained below ten (10) inches within fifty (50) feet of any surface improvement, roadway, structure or property line. The remainder of the undeveloped property must be mowed at least three (3) times during each calendar year as follows: once from March 1 to May 31, once from June 1 to August 31, and once from September 1 to November 30.
Full Breakdown
Owensboro Municipal Code Sec. 5-137(b)(20) treats excessive weeds and grass as a public nuisance citywide, but undeveloped acreage or platted lots larger than two acres get their own schedule: the fifty-foot perimeter along any surface improvement, roadway, structure or property line must stay below ten inches at all times, while the interior of the parcel only has to be cut three times a year, once in each window of March 1 to May 31, June 1 to August 31, and September 1 to November 30.
A code enforcement officer who observes a violation issues a notice of violation under Sec. 5-129, giving the owner a reasonable time to abate before a citation follows. Uncontested weed and grass citations carry the Non-Structural Violations schedule under Sec. 5-163: $75 for a first offense, $150 for a second and $300 for a third or later offense, plus a discretionary daily civil penalty of up to $100 if the Property Maintenance Code Enforcement Board later finds the citation upheld. The board, created under KRS 65.8801 to 65.8840, hears contested citations, and Sec.
5-129(h) lets the city recover abatement costs for mowing it performs itself unless the board dismisses the weeds-and-grass portion of the citation. Appeals from a board order go to Daviess County District Court under Sec. 5-135.
Violations & Fines
A first uncontested weeds-and-grass citation on a vacant lot runs $75, rising to $150 for a second offense and $300 for a third or later offense under Sec. 5-163(a). The Code Enforcement Board may add a daily civil penalty up to $100 per day for continuing noncompliance and can authorize the city to mow the lot and bill the owner for abatement costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often must a vacant lot in Owensboro be mowed?
Does the whole vacant lot need to stay under 10 inches year-round?
What happens if I ignore a vacant lot mowing citation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Owensboro
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