Public Conduct in Kentucky (2026)
34 rules on the books across Kentucky, 11 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Aggressive Panhandling
LAMC §41.59 prohibits panhandling that involves intimidation, blocking, or following a person, including penalties and how it differs from passive solicitation.
Lexington
Heavy RestrictionsLexington-Fayette Urban County Government bans begging or soliciting money altogether on public streets and at street…
Read full rule →Owensboro
Heavy RestrictionsIn the City of Owensboro, it is unlawful for anyone to stop, stand, sit, walk upon, or occupy any public right-of-way…
Read full rule →Bowling Green
Significant RestrictionsBowling Green Code Sec. 9-4.02 bans aggressive panhandling, begging, charitable and political solicitation at any time…
Read full rule →Louisville
Some RestrictionsLouisville Metro bars pedestrians from panhandling or soliciting from arterial roadways and medians except under strict…
Read full rule →Public Urination
LAMC §41.47.2 prohibits urinating or defecating in public, including the citation amount, exemptions for medical conditions, and where to find restroom alternatives.
Skateboarding Rules
LAMC §56.15 and §63.44 limits on skateboarding on sidewalks, in parks, and in commercial corridors, including helmet requirements and skate-park designations.
Kenton County
Significant RestrictionsKenton County Code § 94.22(D) expressly prohibits rollerblades, roller skates and skateboards on the playing surface of…
Read full rule →Lexington
Significant RestrictionsLFUCG Code § 18-11 bars anyone on roller skates, in a coaster, or on a 'similar device', the category skateboards fall…
Read full rule →Owensboro
Significant RestrictionsIn the City of Owensboro, Municipal Code Sec. 17-14 bars roller skates, inline skates, skateboards and coasters from…
Read full rule →Boone County
Some RestrictionsBoone County bans skateboards, along with bicycles, rollerblades and rollerskates, from the surfaced sports courts at…
Read full rule →Louisville
Some RestrictionsLouisville Metro bans skateboarding in publicly-owned parking lots and structures and in any area posted as off-limits…
Read full rule →Loud Party Ordinance
LAMC §41.40 unruly-gathering ordinance allowing police to cite hosts for second-response calls, including escalating fines and permit-revocation triggers.
Lexington
Significant RestrictionsLexington-Fayette's Party Plan lets police brand a home a 'no party property' after two enforcement actions for…
Read full rule →Jessamine County
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Jessamine County, Kentucky, § 130.31 bars an adult in control of a residence or premises from…
Read full rule →Loitering Rules
Constitutional limits on loitering ordinances post-Papachristou and Morales, and what conduct LA can still penalize (e.g., loitering with intent to commit specific crimes).
Lexington
Some RestrictionsLexington-Fayette Urban County Government's Code of Ordinances Sec. 14-34 bans loitering, eating, sleeping, or…
Read full rule →Louisville
Some RestrictionsLoitering for gambling, drug use, or unauthorized solicitation in schools and transit facilities is disorderly conduct…
Read full rule →Jessamine County
Light RestrictionsIn unincorporated Jessamine County, Kentucky, Fiscal Court ordinance § 111.103 bars habitual congregating on the…
Read full rule →Owensboro
Light RestrictionsOwensboro's Sec. 17-5 makes it unlawful to loiter or loaf on railroad or bus company premises, or in or about fire…
Read full rule →Outdoor Smoking Restrictions
LAMC §41.50 + LA County smoking bans in parks, beaches, restaurants, outdoor dining, and within 25 ft of business entrances; enforcement and signage rules.
Owensboro
Significant RestrictionsOwensboro's Smoke Free Law, Sec. 16-278, bars smoking in any public place, city park, restaurant, or bar, and the…
Read full rule →Bowling Green
Some RestrictionsBowling Green's smoke-free ordinance bars lighting up within a reasonable distance of any building's outside entrance…
Read full rule →Campbell County
Some RestrictionsCampbell County Code of Ordinances Chapter 34 bans possession of lighted smoking materials, cigarettes, cigars, pipes…
Read full rule →Lexington
Some RestrictionsLexington-Fayette bars smoking within a 'reasonable distance' of any building's outside entrance, aiming to keep…
Read full rule →Louisville
Some RestrictionsLouisville Metro bans smoking within 15 feet of any building entrance to keep smoke from drifting indoors, part of the…
Read full rule →Oldham County
Some RestrictionsOldham County's smoking ordinance bars lighting a cigarette, cigar, pipe, hookah or vape within a reasonable distance…
Read full rule →Franklin County
Light RestrictionsFranklin County's smoke-free chapter is aimed at buildings open to the public in unincorporated Franklin County…
Read full rule →Jaywalking
CA AB-2147 (Freedom to Walk Act, 2023) restricting jaywalking citations to immediate-danger situations, and how LAPD enforces the new standard.
Lexington
Some RestrictionsOn Lexington-Fayette's busiest streets, pedestrians must use a crosswalk to cross: no wandering into traffic mid-block…
Read full rule →Louisville
Some RestrictionsOn arterial roadways, Louisville Metro pedestrians must use a crosswalk, or a signalized intersection if no crosswalk…
Read full rule →Bowling Green
Light RestrictionsIn the City of Bowling Green, Kentucky, a pedestrian crossing anywhere other than a marked or unmarked crosswalk at an…
Read full rule →Public Marijuana Use
CA Health & Safety Code §11362.3 prohibits cannabis use in public, including parks, sidewalks, and inside vehicles; penalties and consumption-lounge exceptions.
Public Alcohol Use
LAMC §41.27 + CA Bus & Prof §25620 prohibit drinking alcohol on public streets, sidewalks, parks, and beaches; penalties and special-event exemptions.
Boone County
Significant RestrictionsBoone County bans selling, possessing or consuming alcohol in county parks under Code Section 96.07 unless a licensed…
Read full rule →Lexington
Significant RestrictionsDrinking or carrying alcohol in a Lexington-Fayette park is banned outright unless the parks director has issued a…
Read full rule →Louisville
Significant RestrictionsLouisville Metro confines lawful public alcohol consumption to three designated Entertainment Destination Centers…
Read full rule →Bowling Green
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Bowling Green, Kentucky, Sec. 9-1.06 makes it unlawful to possess an open container or drink any beer or…
Read full rule →Campbell County
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Campbell County, licensed alcohol-selling premises must close between 2:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Any…
Read full rule →Mccracken County
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated McCracken County, Kentucky, county code makes it unlawful to carry an open container of alcohol out…
Read full rule →Owensboro
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Owensboro, the entertainment destination center bounded by the Ohio River, Fifth Street, Poplar/Elm…
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