Tree work rules in Kentucky

Kentucky doesn't have a state license for tree care or arborists. Lexington's urban forestry page simply advises hiring an ISA-certified arborist.¹

Kentucky zoning has to leave land in agricultural use unregulated apart from setbacks, floodplain rules and dwellings, and that means tracts of 5 or more contiguous acres producing crops or timber. State law doesn't address yard-tree rules on smaller lots, and Louisville Metro's tree ordinance covers right-of-way trees only.^2-3

If a tree is touching the power line to your house, keep clear and call your utility first. Clearing the line is the utility's job, and a tree company can't start until it's done.

In Kentucky the federal OSHA rule is the one that applies: workers who aren't trained for line work keep 10 feet from lines up to 50,000 volts.⁴

Kentucky's one-call law doesn't name stump or root removal, though it defines excavation as earth moved by any tool and expressly includes mechanized timber harvesting. Call 811 before a stump is ground or dug out, and the one-call center can say whether your job needs a locate.⁵

Pesticide operators and applicators in Kentucky must be certified by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture in a category that matches the work. Care of ornamental trees and shrubs falls under Category 3, Ornamental and lawn care.^6-7