Kentucky has relatively lenient laws for the purchase, possession, and carry of firearms. No permits, registration, or licensing is required for the purchase, possession, or open carry of legal firearms. A permit is required to carry a concealed handgun in Kentucky, however concealed weapons permits issued by other states are also valid in Kentucky.
Kentucky Requirements for Purchase and Possession of Firearms
| Age | Registration | License | Permit | |
| Handguns | 18 years to possess 21 years to carry concealed | None required | None required | To carry concealed |
| Rifles | None specified | None required | None required | None required |
| Shotguns | None specified | None required | None required | None required |
Open Carry – Permit Required
In Kentucky, it’s illegal to carry a weapon concealed unless you have a permit. To get a permit, you must apply with your local sheriff’s office. The application involves a fee and a background check. Not everyone will qualify for a permit.
To qualify for a permit, you must:
- be a resident of Kentucky for six months prior to application
- be at least 21 years old, and
- have completed a qualified weapons training course
Also, you are disqualified from obtaining a permit if you:
- have been convicted of a crime that is punishable by more than one year in prison (these crimes are usually felonies)
- are a fugitive from justice
- have been determined by a court to have a mental disability
- have been committed to a mental institution
- are illegally in the united states
- have received a dishonorable discharge from the U.S. Armed Forces
- are subject to a restraining order issued to protect your spouse, partner, or child from your violent behavior
- have been convicted of domestic violence
- have been committed to a state or federal facility for the abuse of a controlled substance in the last three years
- have been convicted of a misdemeanor of a controlled substance law (in any state) within the last three years
- have been convicted of two or more DUIs within the last three years
- have been committed as an alcoholic (in any state) in the last three years
- owe a year or more of child support
- have not complied with a subpoena or warrant related to child support or paternity, or
- have been convicted of a violent crime against another person within the last three years.
The sheriff’s office will issue or deny a permit within 90 days of your application. If it denies the permit, you will be notified in writing about why and you have the right to appeal that decision.
If you are issued a permit, the permit is good for five years and then you must have it renewed. You must carry your permit with you whenever you carry your weapon concealed. If your permit is lost, destroyed or stolen, or if you change your permanent address, you must notify the sheriff within 30 days. If you become disqualified to hold a permit for any of the reasons listed above, your permit becomes invalid.
Even with a permit, you may not carry a concealed weapon into a police or sheriff’s office, a prison or jail, a courthouse, a government meeting (permit-holding governing members excluded), a bar or restaurant that serves liquor to be consumed on the premises, a school, or the secured area of an airport.
You can get more information about Kentucky’s concealed carry law from the Kentucky Revised Statutes or from the Kentucky State Police.
Penalties
Although it is relatively easy to acquire and possess firearms in Kentucky, this state does have serious penalties for those who guns. Here are some examples of penalties for breaking gun-related laws:
- Carrying a concealed weapon without a permit. Carrying a concealed weapon is a class A misdemeanor, punishable by 90 days to one year in prison. However if you have been previously convicted of a felony in which a deadly weapon was possessed, used, or displayed, then carrying a concealed weapon without a permit is a class D felony, punishable by one to five years in prison.
- Defacing a firearm – Removing, defacing, covering, altering or destroying the manufacturer's serial number on a weapon is a class A misdemeanor, punishable by 90 days to one year in prison.
- Possession of a defaced firearm– Possessing a defaced firearm is a class A misdemeanor, punishable by 90 days to one year in prison.
- Felony possession of a firearm. Felons may not possess firearms. Felons found in possession of a firearm is class D felony, punishable by one to five years in prison. However, if the firearm is a handgun, it is a class C felony, punishable by five to ten years in prison.
- Possession a firearm on school property. Unlawfully carrying a firearm onto school property is a class D felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and up to a $10.000 fine.
- Possession of a handgun by a minor. Minors are allowed to possess handguns only if they are legally hunting, in a firearms class, or have permission of an adult on that adult’s property. Illegal possession of a firearm by a minor is a class A misdemeanor, punishable by 90 days to one year in prison. Any subsequent offense is a class D felony, punishable by one to five years in prison.
To learn more about Kentucky’s gun laws, read the Kentucky Revised Statutes, Chapters 237 and 527.
If you face gun charges in Kentucky or anywhere else, seek the advice of an attorney.
