Blocked crossing laws
How long can a train block a crossing in Kentucky?
Kentucky law limits a train to 5 minutes blocking a road crossing, under Ky. Rev. Stat. §§ 277.200, 277.990. A court has held that federal law preempts this limit, so it generally cannot be enforced against railroads. Checked 16 October 2026.
The rule
Kentucky law says a railroad may not block a public road or street with standing trains or cars for more than five minutes at a time, unless the stop is caused by things beyond the railroad's control. A federal court held in 2020 that this law is preempted by federal law, so it is not enforced against railroads.
Exceptions and local rules
The limit does not apply when the stop is caused by circumstances beyond the railroad's control. Crew members are not personally guilty under a city blocked-crossing ordinance when they acted on the railroad's orders; the railroad stays responsible. The penalty is a fine of 25 to 100 dollars per offense, and each train in a row that blocks without letting traffic pass counts as a separate offense.
No railroad company shall obstruct any public highway or street ... five (5) minutes at any one time, unless such stopping and standing is caused by circumstances beyond control of the railroad company.
Does federal law override it?
No federal law sets a time limit for a train blocking a crossing. Federal law does control how railroads run trains, and courts have used it to set aside state time limits.
When a court holds a state limit preempted, the state cannot enforce it against the railroad. A limit no court has ruled on is still on the books, but railroads may challenge it the same way.
Where to report a blocked crossing
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) takes blocked crossing reports from the public for every state.
Report to the FRA blocked crossing reporter
We found no Kentucky state page for blocked crossing reports, so the FRA reporter is the place to report.
If a train is blocking the crossing right now, call the railroad on the number shown on the blue sign at the crossing.
Crossings in Kentucky
Kentucky has 2,180 public crossings in the FRA crossing inventory.