Louisville cannot mandate straws-on-request or ban plastic straws under KRS §65.067 preemption. Restaurants may voluntarily switch to paper or compostable alternatives but face no Metro requirement.
Plastic drinking straws fall within Kentucky's auxiliary-container preemption in KRS §65.067, blocking Louisville Metro from enacting a straws-on-request rule, a plastic-straw ban, or a per-straw fee. Restaurants and bars may voluntarily adopt paper, PLA bioplastic, or reusable alternatives, and many Louisville establishments have. The Americans with Disabilities Act independently requires straw access for patrons with disabilities, an issue some jurisdictions miss in straw policies. Metro's role is limited to encouraging voluntary action, supporting recycling education, and litter cleanup along the Ohio River corridor under Chapter 51.
There are no Metro penalties for offering or not offering plastic straws. Standard litter and dumping rules under Louisville Metro Code Chapter 51 still apply to careless disposal.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Louisville, KY
Louisville Metro Land Development Code Chapter 4 caps front-yard fences at 42 inches in Traditional form districts and 48 inches in Suburban districts. Side ...
Louisville, KY
Kentucky does not preempt residential rainwater harvesting and Louisville Metro has no ordinance restricting rain barrels or cisterns for outdoor use. Louisv...
Louisville, KY
Louisville Metro cannot require paid sick leave or paid family leave from private employers. Under Kentucky Restaurant Ass'n v. Louisville (Ky. 2016), KRS Ch...
Louisville, KY
Louisville Metro cannot enact local firearm ordinances — Kentucky Revised Statutes Section 65.870 expressly bars any city, county, or urban-county government...
Louisville, KY
Louisville Metro requires building, electrical, and (for in-ground pools) plumbing permits from Construction Review for any swimming pool over 24 inches deep...
Louisville, KY
Kentucky requires state contractors to use the federal E-Verify system to confirm employment eligibility under KRS 157.413. Louisville is not a sanctuary cit...
See how Louisville's plastic straw rules rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.