Mason County, Kentucky solar ordinance
Solar: 500 ft from property lines, 600 ft (properties greater than 5 acres) from homes, 100 ft from roads. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read October 8, 2026.
Updated October 2026
Solar rules
12 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Property line setback| Private property line, measured from the nearest edge of the project footprint to the property line | 500¹ | | 500 ft |
Setback from homesproperties greater than 5 acres| Residential dwellings, regularly occupied industrial or institutional buildings, public or semi-public institutions such as schools and churches and historical landmarks measured from the nearest edge of the project footprint to the nearest corner of the structure. | 600¹ (properties greater than 5 acres) 750¹ (properties smaller than 5 acres) | | 600 ft |
Setback from homesproperties smaller than 5 acres| Residential dwellings, regularly occupied industrial or institutional buildings, public or semi-public institutions such as schools and churches and historical landmarks measured from the nearest edge of the project footprint to the nearest corner of the structure. | 600¹ (properties greater than 5 acres) 750¹ (properties smaller than 5 acres) | | 750 ft |
Road setback| Public road right-of-way, measured from the nearest edge of the project footprint to the edge of the right-of-way | 100² | | 100 ft |
Setback from scenic highways and byways| Designated scenic highways and byways measured from the nearest edge of the project footprint to the edge of the right-of-way | 250 | | 250 ft |
Setback from other rights-of-way, such as railroads and public utility easements| Other rights-of-way, such as railroads and public utility easements, measured from the nearest edge of the project footprint to the edge of the right-of-way | 50 | | 50 ft |
Setback from public conservation lands| Public conservation lands, measured from the nearest edge of the project footprint to the nearest point of the public conservation land in question | 250 | | 250 ft |
Setback from incorporated limits of a municipality and County boundary| Incorporated limits of a municipality and County boundary, as measured from the nearest edge of the project footprint to the corporate | 250¹ | | 250 ft |
Setback from regulatory floodways or floodplains| Regulatory floodways or floodplains, as defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, measured from the nearest edge of the project footprint to the nearest point of the floodplain or floodway in question. | 250 | | 250 ft |
Setback from wetlands| Wetlands, as defined by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, measured from the nearest edge of the project footprint to the nearest point of | 250 | | 250 ft |
Maximum heightGround Mounted SESGround Mounted SES shall not exceed fifteen (15) feet in height as measured from the highest natural grade below each solar panel without approval by the appropriate board of adjustment. | 15 ft |
Noise limitNo SES or ancillary structure shall be located so as to create a decibel level greater than 30 dBA at the property line of the parcel in which an SES is located and also less than 50 dB(C) at the property lines of the parcel in which an SES is located. | 30 dBA |
Source: Mason County ordinance (PDF), read October 8, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Kentucky state law
State law can cap or override county rules. All Kentucky rules and counties.
State siting: Kentucky State Board on Electric Generation and Transmission Siting
A merchant plant of 10 MW or more needs a state construction certificate, on top of any local zoning.
KRS 278.700 to 278.718. Source
Solar standards in state law
Default setback for merchant solar of 10 MW or more that the Siting Board certifies; where the county or city has planning and zoning, its own setback, height and decommissioning rules replace these, and elsewhere the board may grant a deviation.
| Residential neighborhoods (5+ acres, 1+ home per acre) | 2,000 ft |
| Schools, hospitals, nursing homes | 2,000 ft |
| Decommissioning | Bond: present value of decommissioning cost, or the local bond amount |
KRS 278.704(2)-(4), 278.706(2)(m) (as amended by 2026 Ky. Acts ch. 152 and ch. 198). Source
Every Kentucky figure in one spreadsheet
92 figures from 15 counties, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. 1 of those places is not on this site. Plus the moratorium or ban on file and Kentucky state law.
How these figures were read
We found Mason County's own ordinance and had two AI models read it separately. A figure is shown only when both read the same number and the sentence it comes from was found in the document. Moratoria and bans are checked against the adopting document. Ordinances change and many figures apply only in some cases, so check the cited section with the county before relying on one.
Common questions
What are the solar setbacks in Mason County, KY?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 500 ft from property lines, 600 ft (properties greater than 5 acres) from homes, 750 ft (properties smaller than 5 acres) from homes and 100 ft from roads. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
How tall can a solar farm be in Mason County, KY?
The ordinance sets a maximum height of 15 ft (Ground Mounted SES). Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.