Campbell County, KY Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)
Key Facts
- Accessory dining cap
- 10 seats, no entertainment, no permit needed
- Conditional use seating cap
- 70% of total licensed seating capacity
- Approving body
- Board of Adjustment, § 154.049 procedure
- Non-amplified entertainment hours
- 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
- Same rule applies in
- Rural Commercial zone, § 154.097(D)(8)
- Penalty
- Class B misdemeanor, each day separate offense
Summary
Restaurants in Campbell County's unincorporated NC Neighborhood Commercial and Rural Commercial zones may add up to ten seats of outdoor dining by right, but any larger patio requires a conditional use permit from the Board of Adjustment. Code § 154.092(C)(7) caps outdoor seating at 70% of total capacity and limits entertainment hours.
(7) Outdoor dining (outdoor eating and/or drinking area) with the following minimum requirements: (a) Such area shall be designed to clearly identify the limits of the outdoor dining area. (b) Such area shall not exceed 70% of the maximum seating capacity of the premises. (c) Non-amplified entertainment shall be limited to the hours between 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. within the outdoor dining areas. (d) Amplified entertainment shall be permitted only on Friday and Saturday between the hours of noon and 10:00 p.m. (e) The operational hours for outdoor entertainment may be varied as a part of this conditional use permit based on the development controls within the approved site plan. (f) Accessory structures associated with the use shall not be permitted to locate within any minimum required front, side, or rear yards, except where a variance has been approved by the Board of Adjustment.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-50: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. O-09-2026, passed 8-5-26; and Res. R-42-26, passed 7-15-26; and State legislation current through KRS Pamphlet 2025).
Full Breakdown
Campbell County's zoning code treats outdoor eating and drinking areas as two different uses depending on size. 092(B)(4), a restaurant in the NC Neighborhood Commercial zone may operate an outdoor dining area of no more than ten seats with no outdoor entertainment as a permitted accessory use, needing no extra approval. 049. The dining area must be physically delineated so its limits are clear, seating cannot exceed 70% of the restaurant's total licensed capacity, and any accessory structures built for the patio must sit outside the zone's required front, side, and rear yards unless the applicant separately obtains a yard variance.
097(D)(8), so the rule reaches unincorporated commercial parcels on both sides of the county. Both zone sections were last amended by Ord. O-05-20 (April 15, 2020) and Ord. O-12-21 (August 4, 2021). Because the county code only governs the unincorporated area, outdoor dining inside Newport, Alexandria, or any other incorporated city runs on that city's own separate ordinance, not this one. 054 is also required before the Board of Adjustment will act on the conditional-use application.
Violations & Fines
Operating an outdoor dining area beyond the ten-seat accessory allowance without an approved conditional use permit, or exceeding the 70% seating cap once permitted, is a zoning violation under Chapter 154. Under § 154.999, any violation of the zoning chapter is a Class B misdemeanor, with each day the violation continues charged as a separate offense. The Zoning Administrator enforces compliance and can require the applicant to return to the Board of Adjustment for revised conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a small outdoor patio in Campbell County?
How much outdoor seating can a restaurant add under the conditional use permit?
Does this outdoor dining rule apply inside Newport or Alexandria?
Can the outdoor dining hours be changed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Campbell County
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