{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-189.390","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 189.390","heading":"Speed -- Secretary authorized to increase speed limit in certain areas by","body":"official order -- Parking.\n(1) As used in this section, unless the context requires otherwise:\n(a) \"Business district\" means the territory contiguous to and inc luding a highway\nif, within six hundred (600) feet along the highway, there are buildings in use\nfor business or industrial purposes that occupy three hundred (300) feet of\nfrontage on one (1) side or three hundred (300) feet collectively on both sides\nof the highway;\n(b) \"Residential district\" means the territory contiguous to and including a\nhighway not comprising a business district if the property on the highway for a\ndistance of three hundred (300) feet or more is improved with residences or\nresidences and buildings in use for business; and\n(c) \"State highway\" means a highway or street maintained by the Kentucky\nDepartment of Highways.\n(2) An operator of a vehicle upon a highway shall not drive at a greater speed than is\nreasonable and prudent, having r egard for the traffic and for the condition and use\nof the highway.\n(3) The speed limit for motor vehicles on state highways shall be as follows, unless\nconditions exist that require lower speed for compliance with subsection (2) of this\nsection, or the se cretary of the Transportation Cabinet establishes a different speed\nlimit in accordance with subsection (4) of this section:\n(a) Sixty-five (65) miles per hour on interstate highways and parkways;\n(b) Fifty-five (55) miles per hour on all other state highways; and\n(c) Thirty-five (35) miles per hour in a business or residential district.\n(4) (a) If the secretary of transportation determines, upon the basis of an engineering\nand traffic investigation, that any speed limit is greater or less than is\nreasonable or safe under the conditions found to exist at any intersection, or\nupon any part of a state highway, the secretary of transportation may establish\nby official order a reasonable and safe speed limit at the location. The\nsecretary shall not increase any speed limit established by subsection (3) of\nthis section in excess of sixty -five (65) miles per hour, except that,\nnotwithstanding the provisions of subsection (3)(a) of this section, the\nsecretary may increase the speed limit on any of the following segm ents of\nhighway to seventy (70) miles per hour:\n1. Interstate 24 (entire length);\n2. Interstate 64 from Interstate 264 to the West Virginia state line;\n3. Interstate 65 from Interstate 264 to the Tennessee state line;\n4. Interstate 69 (entire length);\n5. Interstate 71 from Interstate 264 to Interstate 275;\n6. Interstate 75 from the Tennessee state line to Interstate 275;\n7. Interstate 165 (entire length);\n8. The Audubon Parkway (entire length);\n9. The Julian M. Carroll Purchase Parkway (entire length);\n10. The Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway (entire length);\n11. The Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway Extension (entire length);\n12. The Edward T. Breathitt Pennyrile Parkway (entire length);\n13. The Wendell H. Ford Western Kentucky Parkway (entire length);\n14. The Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Expressway (entire length);\n15. The Martha Layne Collins Bluegrass Parkway (entire length); and\n16. The William H. Natcher Parkway (entire length).\n(b) In a highway work zone, the Transportation Cabinet may temporarily reduce\nestablished speed limits without an engineering or traffic investigation. A\nspeed limit established under this paragraph shall become effective when and\nwhere posted. The Transportation Cabinet shall post signs notifying the\ntraveling public of the temporary hi ghway work zone maximum speed limit.\nNothing in this paragraph shall be construed to prevent the Transportation\nCabinet from using moveable or portable speed limit signs in highway work\nzones.\n(5) (a) A city or a county may by ordinance establish speed lim its within its own\njurisdiction, except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection.\n(b) The alteration of speed limits on state highways within a city or a county shall\nnot be effective until the alteration has been approved by the secretary of\ntransportation. The secretary shall not approve any alteration that could\nincrease any speed limit established by subsection (3)(b) or (c) of this section\nin excess of fifty-five (55) miles per hour.\n(c) If a county determines, upon the basis of an engineering a nd traffic\ninvestigation and study, that it is unsafe to park motor vehicles on or along\nany highway, other than a state highway, within the unincorporated areas of\nthe county, or that in any business district the congestion of traffic justifies a\nreasonable limitation on the length of time any one (1) motor vehicle is\npermitted to park in such district so as to reduce the congestion, the fiscal\ncourt may by ordinance establish \"no parking\" areas on the highway, or limit\nthe length of time any motor vehicle may be parked in any business district.\n(6) The speed limit for motor vehicles in an off-street parking facility offered for public\nuse, whether publicly or privately owned, shall be fifteen (15) miles per hour.\n(7) Except as outlined in KRS 189.940, a pe rson shall not drive a motor vehicle at a\nspeed that will impede or block the normal and reasonable movement of traffic,\nexcept when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or in compliance with\nlaw.\n(8) In every charge for a violation of any speed l imit specified in this section, the\nwarrant or citation shall specify the speed at which the defendant is alleged to have\ndriven, and the lawful speed limit applicable at the location where the violation is\ncharged to have occurred.","path":["KRS Chapter 189"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=52569","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:51:43Z","sha256":"ba63b30e335786c4dc3199e569521b455669fb94f5a72da9f32719683a6e2359","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-189.380","next":"us-ky/krs-189.391"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}