{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-83a.065","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 83A.065","heading":"Enforcement of city ordinances.","body":"(1) Every city shall have the power to establish fines, penalties, and forfeitures that may\nbe imposed for violation of its ordinances, and may secure injunctions and\nabatement orders, when appropriate, to insure compliance with its ordinances.\n(2) A city may make the violation of any of its ordinances a misdemeanor or a violation\nby the express terms of the ordinance. When an offense is designated by ordinance\nas a misdemeanor, a criminal fine not to exceed the amounts set forth in KRS\n534.040(2)(a), or a term of imprisonment not to exceed the periods set forth in KRS\n532.090(1), or both, may be imposed for the offense. When an offense is designated\nby ordinance as a violation, a criminal fine not to exceed the amounts set forth in\nKRS 534.040(2)(c) may be imposed for the offense.\n(3) If an ordinance fails to prescribe any penalty for noncompliance with its provisions,\nany noncompliance shall be deemed a violation and a criminal fine not to exceed\nthe amount set forth in KRS 534.040(2)(c) may be imposed for the offense.\n(4) As an alternative to or in conjunction with the criminal penalties authorized by\nsubsection (2) of this section, an ordinance may provide by its express terms that a\nviolation shall subject the offender to a civil penalty to be recovered by th e city in a\ncivil action in the nature of debt if the offender does not pay the penalty within a\nprescribed period of time after he has been cited for the violation of the ordinance.\n(5) A city ordinance may provide a fine, penalty, forfeiture, or term of imprisonment\nfor an act or omission to act which is also an offense under the Kentucky Revised\nStatutes. In that case, the fine, penalty, forfeiture, or term of imprisonment imposed\nby the ordinance shall not be less than or greater than that imposed by statute for the\nsame offense.\n(6) A city ordinance may provide, when appropriate, that each day a violation of the\nordinance continues shall be a separate and distinct offense.\n(7) Subject to the express terms of the ordinance, a city ordinance may be enforc ed by\nany one (1), all, or a combination of the remedies authorized by this section.\n(8) Except where the charge of a violation of a city ordinance is joined with an\nindictment for a felony as provided in KRS 24A.110(2), the violation of all city\nordinances prescribing a criminal penalty as authorized in subsection (2) of this\nsection shall be prosecuted in the District Courts of the Commonwealth. The county\nattorney shall prosecute all violations of city ordinances for which the criminal\npenalties authoriz ed by subsection (2) of this section may be imposed. The city\nattorney shall pursue all violations of ordinances for which a civil penalty or\nforfeiture may be imposed, or involving injunctive relief or abatement, by filing a\npetition with the court of app ropriate jurisdiction. Nothing in this section shall be\nintended to preclude any remedy for the violation of a city ordinance, including any\nadministrative remedy, authorized by any other statute.","path":["KRS Chapter 83A"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=25171","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:49:44Z","sha256":"3acc97d2af7e9cbf50264e086d4845c65c8ee3f50779a44d7cf7a3e7674dbbaf","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-83a.060","next":"us-ky/krs-83a.070"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}