Gun laws in Kentucky regulate the sale, possession, and use of firearms and ammunition in the Commonwealth of Kentucky in the United States.
Gun laws in Kentucky regulate the sale, possession, and use of firearms and ammunition in the Commonwealth of Kentucky in the United States.
| Subject/Law | Long Guns | Hand Guns | Relevant Statutes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State permit required to purchase? | No | No | ||
| Firearm registration? | No | No | ||
| Assault weapon law? | No | No | ||
| Magazine capacity restriction? | No | No | ||
| Owner license required? | No | No | ||
| Permit required for concealed carry? | N/A | No | KRS § 237.109 KRS § 237.110 |
Kentucky is a "shall issue" state for citizens and lawful permanent residents who are 21 years or older. Permitless carry took effect on June 26, 2019. |
| Permit required for open carry? | No | No | May carry openly without permit. | |
| Castle Doctrine/Stand Your Ground law? | Yes | Yes | KRS § 503.050 | |
| State preemption of local restrictions? | Yes | Yes | KRS § 65.870 KRS § 237.115 |
No locality "may occupy any part of the field of regulation of the manufacture, sale, purchase, taxation, transfer, ownership, possession, carrying, storage, or transportation of firearms, ammunition, components of firearms, components of ammunition, firearms accessories, or combination thereof." The following entities can restrict concealed carry, per law:
|
| NFA weapons restricted? | No | No | ||
| Shall certify? | Yes | Yes | KRS § 237.075 | Shall certify within 15 days. |
| Peaceable Journey laws? | No | No | ||
| Background checks required for private sales? | No | No |
Article 1, Section 1, Paragraph 7 of the Constitution of Kentucky states, "The right to bear arms in defense of themselves and of the State, subject to the power of the General Assembly to enact laws to prevent persons from carrying concealed weapons."
Kentucky's concealed carry law, set forth in KRS § 237.110, is "shall-issue". The law is written to allow the carry of concealed "deadly weapons", not just handguns. Although Kentucky allows concealed carry without a permit for those 21 and over, permits are still issued. The permit is called a Concealed Deadly Weapons License (CDWL). The definition of a "deadly weapon", found in KRS § 500.080, includes a wide array of weapons other than guns, including knives (ordinary pocket knives or hunting knives are specifically classified as not being "deadly weapons"), clubs, blackjacks, nunchaku, shuriken, and brass knuckles (including knuckles made from other hard materials). All CDWLs are issued for 5 years. Only Kentucky residents are eligible to apply for and obtain the permit[1]
Kentucky's law in this area has a few distinctive features:
Under KRS § 237.110 (20)(a), Kentucky recognizes all currently valid concealed carry permits issued by other U.S. jurisdictions regardless of age.
On March 16, 2011, a change to KRS § 527.020 was signed into law by Governor Steve Beshear allowing guns to be carried without a permit in any factory-installed compartment within the passenger area of a vehicle. Previously, such carry was only allowed in a glove compartment.[3]
On March 11, 2019, Governor Matt Bevin signed into law Senate Bill 150 that eliminated the requirement of a permit to concealed carry in Kentucky. Open carry is allowed without a permit, and is specifically protected in the Kentucky State Constitution as decided in Holland v Commonwealth.
KRS § 237.110, which governs the issue of permits, also lists places where concealed carry is prohibited. Per KRS § 237.110 (16), concealed carry is prohibited in:
The prohibition against carrying concealed in an establishment that serves alcohol applies only to the "portion of the establishment [is] primarily devoted to that purpose." This means that concealed carry is allowed in restaurants that serve alcohol, with only the bar section (if present) off-limits to permit holders. This assumes that the owner has not posted the establishment to prohibit concealed carry. (KY preemption does not allow for the banning of "open carry" but only of "concealed carry".)
KRS § 237.110 (17) authorizes private businesses to prohibit concealed carry on their premises (not open carry). Although, only once asked to leave the premises may the gun owner be duly cited for trespassing or disturbing the peace. However, "facilities renting or leasing housing" are specifically prohibited from restricting concealed carry. Private employers can prohibit their employees or permit holders from having weapons concealed in employer-owned vehicles, but cannot prohibit concealed weapons in individually owned vehicles. Public employers (i.e., state and local governments) can prohibit carry within their buildings, but cannot prohibit the carry of weapons by employees or permit holders in any vehicle, with the exception of the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, which can prohibit employees from carrying any non-duty weapon in a vehicle while they are transporting persons under the employees' jurisdiction or supervision. This provision was upheld against the University of Kentucky in 2012 by the Kentucky Supreme Court, which held that the university could not prevent legal carry of weapons in personal vehicles.[4]
Though Kentucky observes all other states licenses, not all states observe Kentucky's.[5] The following is a list of states that have reciprocity with Kentucky:
KRS § 237.104 prohibits the state from seizing firearms from private citizens in the event of a disaster or emergency.
Suppressors are legally transferable in Kentucky.
Some counties have adopted Second Amendment sanctuary resolutions.[6]
With respect to the prohibition of weapons on school property, KRS § 527.070 (3)(a) states that adults who are not pupils of the school may have weapons in their vehicles as long as they do not remove the weapons from the vehicle or brandish them while on school property.
Visitors are permitted to carry guns into the capitol building in Frankfort, though other potential weapons (such as sticks) are prohibited.[7]