Kentucky has no statewide plastic-bag law, neither a ban nor a preemption of local ordinances. Single-use bags are legal statewide, and no KRS provision stops a city or county from regulating, taxing, or restricting them.
Contrary to common claims, Kentucky has not enacted an auxiliary-container preemption statute. A 2018 preemption bill, SB 82, died in committee, and later single-use plastic measures were proposed bans that also failed. With no state ban and no state preemption, cities and counties keep their ordinary regulatory authority over plastic bags, limited only by Kentucky's Dillon's Rule requirement that local action rest on statutory authority. As of 2026 no major Kentucky city has adopted a bag ban or fee, so single-use bags remain unrestricted statewide.
No statewide penalty; single-use bags are lawful throughout Kentucky. Any ban, fee, or restriction would arise only from a local ordinance, none of which is currently in force in Kentucky's major cities.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Bowling Green, KY
Bowling Green does not have a city-specific wildlife-feeding ordinance, but Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) rules apply citywide. ...
Bowling Green, KY
Bowling Green has no ordinance prohibiting artificial turf on residential property. No City permit is required to install synthetic turf on a private lot. Th...
Bowling Green, KY
Under Ordinance BG2019-50 (City Code 15-7 and 15-8.02), Bowling Green permits mobile food units and pushcarts to operate on public rights-of-way only with a ...
Bowling Green, KY
Operating a mobile food unit (food truck) or pushcart on Bowling Green public rights-of-way requires a permit under Ordinance BG2019-50, codified at City Cod...
Bowling Green, KY
Federal law (FAA Part 107 for commercial; 49 U.S.C. § 44809 for recreational) governs the airspace over Bowling Green — the City cannot regulate altitude or ...
Bowling Green, KY
Bowling Green does not require a city permit or business license for a residential garage sale of personal household items. The City Code does not set an exp...
See how Bowling Green's plastic bag rules rules stack up against other locations.
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