The Warren County Code Enforcement Board has compliance responsibilities for five of the six Warren County incorporated cities (except Bowling Green).  The Warren County Code Enforcement Board has jurisdiction for: unincorporated Warren County in the area of Zoning Regulations; Property Maintenance Oversight for Smiths Grove, Woodburn and unincorporated areas of Warren County: Stormwater Management Oversight for Plum Springs and unincorporated areas of Warren County; and countywide Solid Waste Authority.  

If you need to report a zoning violation in unincorporated areas of Warren County, or any of the incorporated cities (except Bowling Green), please call (270) 842-1953.

If you need to report a property maintenance compliant in Smiths Grove, Woodburn or unincorporated areas of Warren County, please call (270) 843-5353 .

For zoning violations and/ or property maintenance compliance within the City of Bowling Green, please call City Central (270) 393-3000.

Code Enforcement Process

Complaint Report - Case Assignment

• Complaint made by phone, mail, or e-mail to Code Enforcement Clerk;
• Code Enforcement Clerk Assigns Case to Department with over-sight for violation (example:  Zoning Violation = Planning Commission Official).

Initial Property Inspection

• Code Official inspects property in question for violation;
• Code Official may coordinate with property owner compliance timeframe;
• IF violation corrected within timeframe, report closed out;
• IF violation still exists, Notice of Ordinance Violation may be issued.

Notice of Ordinance Violation (NOV)

• IF violation still DOES exist, Code Clerk sends Notice of Ordinance Violation (NOV) to property owner and/ or tenants by certified mail which includes the description of the ordinance violation and the time-frame and remedy to correct the violation.

Property/ Violation Re-Inspected

• Code Official (after time has lapsed for property in violation to be corrected) conducts re-inspection on the property/ violation;
• IF violation corrected, report closed out;
• IF violation still exists, Citation may be issued.

Citation Issued

• IF violator within seven (7) days corrects violation AND pays fine, report closed out;
• OR violator can request a hearing (IN WRITING) to the Code Clerk on the citation in question (hearing conducted at next regular Code Enforcement Board meeting).

Code Enforcement Board Proceedings

• Code Enforcement Board conducts televised hearing and determines findings in open session and issues conclusions of law
• IF Code Enforcement Board finds that violation DID exist, Board Order mailed to violator (correct the violation, AND pay the fine), OR lien directive may be filed on the property in violation.

Appeal Process

Violator can within thirty (30) days file an Appeal to Warren District Court on the hearing conducted , and/or the order imposed by Code Enforcement Board.