Sign Regulations in Kentucky (2026)
21 rules on the books across Kentucky, 9 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Political Signs
Rules for posting political campaign signs on your property, including size limits, how early you can put them up, and when they must come down.
Kentucky: statewide
StatewideSome RestrictionsKentucky political signs receive First Amendment protection that limits content-based local regulation. State law…
Read full rule →Franklin County
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Franklin County, Kentucky, any premises that can erect permanent signs can erect election signs for a…
Read full rule →Jessamine County
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Jessamine County, Kentucky, the Fiscal Court bars electioneering, including displaying signs, within…
Read full rule →Mccracken County
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated McCracken County, Kentucky, the Fiscal Court's electioneering ordinance protects political signs on…
Read full rule →Boone County
Light RestrictionsBoone County, Kentucky lets a political sign stay on private property within the 200-foot campaign free zone around a…
Read full rule →Lexington
Light RestrictionsLexington-Fayette Urban County Government's electioneering ordinance, Code of Ordinances Sec. 14-52.1, exempts…
Read full rule →Owensboro
Light RestrictionsPolitical signs get special treatment under the City of Owensboro's sign code. Appendix F Section 9-2 defines them as…
Read full rule →Garage Sale Signs
Where you can place signs advertising a garage or yard sale, including restrictions on utility poles, medians, and public right-of-way.
Owensboro
Some RestrictionsOwensboro Municipal Code Sec. 17-11 doesn't set a separate size or placement rule for the sign itself, but it caps the…
Read full rule →Louisville
Light RestrictionsLouisville Metro requires garage-sale signs to come down within 48 hours after the sale ends, under the Land…
Read full rule →Holiday Displays
Rules for seasonal decorations, lights, inflatables, and lawn displays, including the sign-permit exemptions most codes give them and any limits on timing, size, or placement.
Louisville
Few RestrictionsLouisville Metro's outdoor lighting code bans flashing and strobe fixtures used to draw attention to a business, but a…
Read full rule →Owensboro
Few RestrictionsTemporary holiday decorations and lighting displays are fully exempt from the City of Owensboro's sign regulations…
Read full rule →Digital Billboards
Rules governing digital and electronic billboards, including size limits, brightness and dwell-time standards, and the ongoing legal fight in cities like LA.
Owensboro
Heavy RestrictionsA new digital or electronic off-premises billboard cannot go up anywhere within the City of Owensboro. Municipal Code…
Read full rule →Campbell County
Some RestrictionsCampbell County bans flashing or intermittent-light signs countywide, but carves out changeable electronic message…
Read full rule →Mccracken County
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated McCracken County, Kentucky, changeable and electronic signs must hold each displayed message for at…
Read full rule →Window Signs
Limits on the percentage of window area that may be covered by signs in storefronts, including transparency rules for safety visibility into businesses.
Louisville
Some RestrictionsLouisville Metro caps window signs at 25% of each ground-floor window's area for non-residential uses, with no permit…
Read full rule →Oldham County
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Oldham County, Kentucky, alcohol-licensed premises may not cover more than 20% of any window area…
Read full rule →Owensboro
Light RestrictionsSigns displayed inside a building's own windows are largely deregulated in the City of Owensboro. Appendix F Section…
Read full rule →Freeway-Facing Signs
Restrictions on commercial signs visible from freeways, including height, illumination, and outdoor advertising act compliance.
Franklin County
Significant RestrictionsIn unincorporated Franklin County, Kentucky, the Fiscal Court limits interstate-oriented pole signs to three 3,500-foot…
Read full rule →Louisville
Some RestrictionsLouisville Metro bans billboards within 2,000 feet of the Gene Snyder Freeway and caps freestanding business signs near…
Read full rule →Mccracken County
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated McCracken County, Kentucky, off-premise signs (billboards advertising a business not located on the…
Read full rule →Owensboro
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Owensboro, a shopping center on at least 15 contiguous acres zoned B-3 or B-4 may erect one freestanding…
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