Kentucky CCDW Guide

Kentucky permit basics

You do not need a license to carry concealed in Kentucky if you are 21 or older and can otherwise lawfully possess a firearm KRS 237.109(1). The state still issues the license to carry concealed deadly weapon (CCDW license), and KRS 237.110(1) authorizes the Department of Kentucky State Police to issue and renew it. A license runs five years from issuance KRS 237.110(2)(b).

Who may carry and who may hold a license

Permitless carry begins at age 21 for a person otherwise able to lawfully possess a firearm. The statute heading names the license the license to carry concealed deadly weapon in KRS 237.110. Kentucky's administrative regulations abbreviate the concealed deadly weapon license as CCDW in 503 KAR 4:040.

An applicant must generally be a United States citizen residing in Kentucky, or be on a Kentucky military posting, or be a lawfully admitted resident, under KRS 237.110(4)(b)1. Under KRS 237.110(3), the state runs a background check to see whether the applicant is eligible. That check asks whether the applicant may lawfully purchase, receive, or possess a firearm under 18 U.S.C. 922(g) and 18 U.S.C. 922(n), any other applicable federal law, and state law.

An applicant must meet each of the following criteria:

• Is not prohibited from the purchase, receipt, or possession of firearms, ammunition, or both under 18 U.S.C. 922(g), 18 U.S.C. 922(n), or applicable federal or state law
• Is a citizen of the United States who is a resident of Kentucky, or holds a qualifying military or immigration status
• Is twenty-one years of age or older
• Has not been committed to a state or federal facility for controlled substance abuse, and has no qualifying controlled substance misdemeanor conviction, within the three years before the application
• Does not chronically and habitually use alcoholic beverages, shown by two or more qualifying convictions within three years or commitment as an alcoholic
• Does not owe a child support arrearage equal to or greater than the amount owed after one year of nonpayment
• Has complied with any subpoena or warrant relating to child support or paternity proceedings
• Has not been convicted of a violation of KRS 508.030 or 508.080 within the three (3) years immediately preceding the date on which the application is submitted, under KRS 237.110(4)(h)
• Demonstrates competence with a firearm by successful completion of a firearms safety or training course
• Demonstrates knowledge of the law on justifiable use of force by including the concealed carry deadly weapons legal handout with the application

These criteria are set out in KRS 237.110(4).

How the license works

Kentucky is shall-issue. KRS 237.110(19) provides that no person who qualifies under that section is denied his rights. The Department of Kentucky State Police is authorized to issue and renew licenses. A license, unless revoked or suspended, is valid for five years from the date of issuance. A standard license cannot take effect until the holder turns 21.

Training comes before issuance. An applicant must complete a qualifying firearms safety or training course under KRS 237.110(4)(i). A course offered or approved by the Department of Criminal Justice Training may be not more than eight hours in length, under KRS 237.110(4)(i)1. A paper application carries a fee of $60 under KRS 237.110(7)(b)1. An electronic application carries a fee of $70 under KRS 237.110(7)(c)1. Kentucky treats a valid concealed deadly weapon license from another state as valid here, under KRS 237.110(20)(a).

Exceptions: the provisional license for ages 18 to 20

KRS 237.118(1)(a) defines the age-limited license as the provisional license. KRS 237.118(2) directs the Department of Kentucky State Police to issue provisional licenses. That duty to issue is effective July 15, 2026. The Department of Kentucky State Police is not yet accepting applications from 18 to 20 year olds, and its concealed carry page says the online application portal is expected to be updated this fall and will then begin accepting applications from eligible individuals ages 18 to 20. KRS 237.118(2)(a) covers applicants who are 18 years of age but younger than 21. The minimum age for the provisional license is 18.

Under KRS 237.118(4)(b), a provisional license is valid until the holder turns twenty-one years of age. KRS 237.118(6)(a) requires the switch notice to be sent not less than 90 days before the provisional license expires. The holder then has six months after expiration to apply to switch to a standard license, under KRS 237.118(6)(f). A holder who does not apply within those six months must instead apply as a new applicant under KRS 237.110, per KRS 237.118(6)(f). A provisional licensee who switches to a standard license is not required to retake the training course, under KRS 237.118(6)(g).

What training or the license changes

The CCDW license does two things permitless carry does not:

• It extends concealed carry eligibility to 18 to 20 year olds through the provisional license under KRS 237.118(2)(a), while permitless carry under KRS 237.109 requires being 21 or older
• It gives the licensee the benefit of the written reciprocity agreement the Department of Kentucky State Police shall enter into with the appropriate agency in each state that agrees to permit Kentucky residents to carry concealed deadly weapons in the other state on the basis of a Kentucky-issued concealed deadly weapon license, under KRS 237.110(20)

Kentucky carry and license rules at a glance

Common questions

Do I need a CCDW license to carry concealed in Kentucky?

No, if you are 21 or older and otherwise able to lawfully possess a firearm. The Department of Kentucky State Police still issues and renews the license for those who want one.

Can I carry concealed before I turn 21?

The provisional license path applies to applicants who are 18 but younger than 21. The Department of Kentucky State Police is required to issue provisional licenses, effective July 15, 2026. The department is not yet accepting applications from 18 to 20 year olds and expects to update its online application portal this fall.

How long does a Kentucky CCDW license last?

Unless revoked or suspended, it is valid for five years from the date of issuance. A provisional license instead runs until the holder turns twenty-one.

Can the state deny me if I meet every criterion?

KRS 237.110(19) provides that no person who qualifies under that section is denied his rights. The background check under KRS 237.110(3) determines whether the applicant is eligible.

Will I have to retake the class when my provisional license converts?

No. A provisional licensee switching to a standard license is not required to retake the training course. The application to switch must come within six months of the provisional license's expiration.

Does a federal disqualification block a Kentucky license?

Yes. An applicant must not be prohibited from the purchase, receipt, or possession of firearms or ammunition under 18 U.S.C. 922(g), 18 U.S.C. 922(n), or applicable federal or state law. The check reaches those sections, any other applicable federal law, and state law.

Do I have to live in Kentucky to apply?

An applicant must generally be a United States citizen who resides in Kentucky, with allowance for a Kentucky military posting or lawfully admitted resident status. Kentucky separately treats another state's concealed deadly weapon license as valid here.

Carrying Without a License in Kentucky

If you are at least 21 and may otherwise lawfully possess a firearm, Kentucky lets you carry a concealed deadly weapon without any license. That authority took effect June 27, 2019. You may carry in the same locations as a person holding a valid Kentucky license. Off-limits places and federal restrictions still apply to you. A license still does things that permitless carry (often called constitutional carry) alone does not.

Who may carry without a license

Kentucky allows persons age 21 or older, and otherwise able to lawfully possess a firearm, to carry concealed deadly weapons without a license under KRS 237.109(1). The minimum age for this is 21. For those adults, no license is required to carry a concealed deadly weapon. Adults younger than that age are outside this rule and must look to the provisional license instead.

The rule

The statute is an authorization to carry concealed deadly weapons without a license. That section, KRS 237.109, became effective June 27, 2019. A person carrying without a license may carry in the same locations as persons with valid licenses, under KRS 237.109(1).

Exceptions and places off limits

The statute itself carries one express limit.

• Cannot carry or possess a deadly weapon anywhere it is prohibited by federal law, even if otherwise eligible to carry without a license, under KRS 237.109(2)

Because your carry locations track a license holder's, the places closed to a licensee are closed to you as well. Eight such locations are named in KRS 237.110(16). The table names each one.

Penalty for unlawful concealed carry

Carrying a concealed weapon unlawfully is a Class A misdemeanor, and a Class D felony if the person was previously convicted of a felony in which a deadly weapon was possessed, used, or displayed, under KRS 527.020(10). Federal exposure is separate. A knowing violation of the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act is punishable by a fine and imprisonment of not more than 5 years, served consecutively to any other sentence, and is deemed a misdemeanor for other purposes of law, under 18 U.S.C. 924(a)(4).

What training or the license changes

A license to carry concealed deadly weapon (CCDW license) grants two things that permitless carry alone does not.

• Extends concealed carry eligibility to 18-20 year-olds via the provisional license under KRS 237.118(2)(a), whereas permitless carry under KRS 237.109 requires being 21 or older
• Gives the licensee the benefit of reciprocity agreements the Department of Kentucky State Police negotiates, under KRS 237.110(20), so other states recognize the Kentucky license

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a license to carry concealed at 21?

No. Persons age 21 or older who may otherwise lawfully possess a firearm may carry concealed deadly weapons without a license. The floor for that authority is age 21.

Can an 18-year-old carry concealed in Kentucky?

Not under permitless carry, which starts at 21. Kentucky law provides a separate provisional CCDW license for applicants aged 18 to 20, under KRS 237.118(2). The minimum age for that license is 18. The Department of Kentucky State Police is required to issue provisional licenses, effective July 15, 2026. It is not yet accepting those applications: its online application portal is expected to be updated this fall and will then begin accepting applications, and the department will announce the official launch date once the upgrades are complete.

What happens to a provisional license at 21?

A provisional license is valid until the holder turns twenty-one (21) years of age, under KRS 237.118(4)(b). The Department of Kentucky State Police must mail the switch notice at least 90 days before the provisional license expires. A holder has six months after a provisional license expires to apply to switch to a standard license, under KRS 237.118(6)(f), before having to start a fresh application under the standard license statute. A provisional licensee who converts at 21 is not required to retake the firearms training course, under KRS 237.118(6)(g).

Can I keep a handgun in my glove box without a license?

Yes. A loaded or unloaded firearm or other deadly weapon in a factory-installed enclosed container shall not be deemed concealed, under KRS 527.020(8). That includes a glove compartment, center console, or seat pocket, whether or not it is locked.

May I leave a firearm in my car in my employer's parking lot?

Possession of weapons, or ammunition, or both in a vehicle on the premises is not a criminal offense as long as they are not removed from the vehicle or brandished, under KRS 237.110(17). One exception applies to that rule.

• Justice and Public Safety Cabinet may restrict weapons in vehicles transporting supervised persons

A firearm may be removed from the vehicle or handled in the case of self-defense, defense of another, defense of property, or as authorized by the owner, lessee, or occupant of the property, under KRS 237.106(3). An employer that fires, disciplines, demotes, or otherwise punishes an employee for lawfully exercising that right while complying with the section is liable in civil damages, and a court shall grant an injunction, under KRS 237.106(4). A person, including an employer, who owns, leases, or otherwise occupies real property may still prevent a person prohibited by state or federal law from possessing a firearm or ammunition on the property, under KRS 237.106(2).

Can I leave a firearm in my vehicle on school property?

An adult who is not a pupil of any secondary school may possess a firearm contained within a vehicle, if it is not removed from the vehicle, except for a purpose permitted in that statute, or brandished, under KRS 527.070(3)(a). Schools otherwise appear on the list of locations a license does not reach.

Does permitless carry override federal gun-free zones?

No. Nothing in the section allows carrying or possessing a deadly weapon where it is prohibited by federal law, under KRS 237.109(2). A knowing Gun-Free School Zones Act violation carries imprisonment of not more than 5 years under 18 U.S.C. 924(a)(4).

What is the charge for carrying concealed unlawfully?

Carrying a concealed weapon is a Class A misdemeanor, or a Class D felony where the defendant was previously convicted of a felony in which a deadly weapon was possessed, used, or displayed, under KRS 527.020(10).

Concealed Carry in Kentucky

Kentucky lets a person age 21 or older who may lawfully possess a firearm carry a concealed deadly weapon without a license. The Department of Kentucky State Police is authorized to issue and renew the license to carry a concealed deadly weapon. The minimum age for carrying concealed without a license is 21. Kentucky law also provides a provisional license for applicants who are at least 18 but not yet 21.

Who may carry

Under KRS 237.109(1), persons age 21 or older, and otherwise able to lawfully possess a firearm, may carry concealed deadly weapons without a license. That authorization took effect June 27, 2019. The statute titles this authority carrying concealed deadly weapons without a license. A person carrying without a license may carry in the same locations as a person holding a valid Kentucky license. See also: permitless carry.

For those who want the document, KRS 237.110(1) authorizes licenses to carry concealed firearms or other deadly weapons, or a combination thereof. A standard Kentucky concealed deadly weapon license cannot take effect until the holder turns 21.

Kentucky law provides a separate provisional concealed carry license for applicants aged 18 to 20. The minimum age to hold a provisional license is 18. The Department of Kentucky State Police is required to issue provisional licenses, effective July 15, 2026. The department is not yet accepting applications from 18 to 20 year olds, and its concealed carry page says the online application portal is expected to be updated this fall and will then begin accepting applications from eligible individuals ages 18 to 20. A provisional license is valid until the holder turns twenty-one (21) years of age. See also: permit basics.

The rule

Kentucky imposes no duty to tell a law enforcement officer that you are carrying a concealed weapon; the licensee must carry the license while carrying concealed and display it upon an officer's request, and the statute requires nothing more. Failing to carry or display the license is a noncriminal violation with a $25 penalty and no court costs. See also: prohibited places and vehicle carry.

Exceptions

Some officers and officials may carry concealed weapons while performing official duties without a license.

• Peace officers and certified court security officers, when necessary for their protection in the discharge of their official duties
• United States mail carriers when actually engaged in their duties
• Agents and messengers of express companies, when necessary for their protection in the discharge of their official duties
• The director of the Division of Law Enforcement in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
• Game wardens of the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
• Policemen directly employed by state, county, city, or urban-county governments
• An elected sheriff, and full-time and part-time certified deputy sheriffs, when expressly authorized to do so by the unit of government employing the officer
• An elected jailer and a deputy jailer who has completed Department of Corrections basic training and maintains current in-service training, when expressly authorized to do so by the jailer
• The department head or any employee of a corrections department in any jurisdiction where the office of elected jailer has been merged with the office of sheriff, who has completed Department of Corrections basic training and maintains current in-service training, when expressly authorized to do so by the unit of government employing him or her

A separate group, if they hold a Kentucky license to carry a concealed deadly weapon, may carry a firearm or other concealed deadly weapon on or about their persons at all times and at all locations within the Commonwealth of Kentucky, without any limitation other than as provided in that subsection.

• A Commonwealth's attorney or assistant Commonwealth's attorney
• A retired Commonwealth's attorney or retired assistant Commonwealth's attorney
• A county attorney or assistant county attorney
• A retired county attorney or retired assistant county attorney
• A justice or judge of the Court of Justice
• A retired or senior status justice or judge of the Court of Justice
• A retired peace officer who holds a concealed deadly weapon license issued pursuant to the federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act, 18 U.S.C. 926C, and KRS 237.138 to 237.142, under KRS 527.020(5)(a)

An honorably retired elected or appointed peace officer may carry a concealed deadly weapon if he or she meets the federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act, 18 U.S.C. 926C, and the requirements of KRS 237.138 to 237.142.

Penalty

A person commits carrying a concealed weapon by carrying concealed a firearm or other deadly weapon on or about his or her person in violation of KRS 527.020(1). That offense is a Class A misdemeanor, and a Class D felony if the defendant was previously convicted of a felony in which a deadly weapon was possessed, used, or displayed, under KRS 527.020(10).

What training or the license changes

A Kentucky concealed carry license grants benefits that carrying without a license alone does not.

• It extends concealed carry eligibility to 18 to 20 year olds through the provisional license under KRS 237.118(2)(a), while permitless carry under KRS 237.109 requires being 21 or older
• It gives the licensee interstate reciprocity recognition

See also: reciprocity.

Common questions

Do I need a license to carry concealed in Kentucky?

Not if you are 21 or older and otherwise able to lawfully possess a firearm, because KRS 237.109(1) allows carrying concealed deadly weapons without a license. A person carrying without a license may carry in the same locations as a person with a valid license.

I am 18, 19 or 20. What are my options?

Carrying concealed without a license starts at age 21. Kentucky law provides a provisional concealed carry license for applicants who are 18 but younger than 21. The Department of Kentucky State Police is required to issue provisional licenses, effective July 15, 2026, and it is not yet accepting applications from 18 to 20 year olds; its online application portal is expected to be updated this fall and will then begin accepting applications from eligible individuals ages 18 to 20.

Is a handgun in my glove box legally concealed?

No. A loaded or unloaded firearm or other deadly weapon is not deemed concealed on or about the person if it is located in any enclosed container, compartment, or storage space installed as original equipment in a motor vehicle by its manufacturer, under KRS 527.020(8).

Must I tell an officer that I am carrying?

No. Kentucky imposes no duty to tell a law enforcement officer that you are carrying a concealed weapon. The duty that does apply is triggered when a law enforcement officer requests to see the license. At that point the licensee must display the license.

Does the license cover weapons other than handguns?

Yes. The license covers concealed carry of firearms or other deadly weapons, or a combination thereof, not just handguns. The license also authorizes the holder to carry ammunition for a firearm on or about his or her person under KRS 237.110(2)(d).

What is the charge for carrying concealed unlawfully?

The offense is carrying concealed a firearm or other deadly weapon on or about the person in violation of KRS 527.020(1). It is a Class A misdemeanor, and a Class D felony where the defendant has a prior felony conviction in which a deadly weapon was possessed, used, or displayed, under KRS 527.020(10).

Can a retired peace officer carry under the federal rule?

An honorably retired elected or appointed peace officer may carry a concealed deadly weapon if he or she meets the federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act, 18 U.S.C. 926C, and the requirements of KRS 237.138 to 237.142. A retired peace officer holding that license is also listed among those who may carry at all times and at all locations within Kentucky, without any limitation other than as provided in that subsection.

Kentucky has no statute that prohibits carrying a firearm openly, so an adult who may lawfully possess a firearm may carry it openly without a license. Open carry of a handgun is limited to persons 18 and older, because a person under 18 may not possess a handgun except in the listed situations. A person must be at least 21 years old to carry concealed without a license.

Who may carry openly

Kentucky's only carry offense is carrying a concealed weapon, and it reaches a firearm or other deadly weapon carried concealed on or about the person under KRS 527.020(1). No Kentucky statute sets a minimum age for open carry, and because KRS 527.100(1) bars a person under 18 from possessing a handgun except in the listed situations, open handgun carry is limited to persons 18 and older.

Persons age 21 or older who may otherwise lawfully possess a firearm may also carry concealed deadly weapons without a license under KRS 237.109(1).

The rule

Because the concealed weapon offense reaches only a weapon carried concealed, an adult who may lawfully possess a firearm may carry it openly in Kentucky without a license.

Cities, counties, and other local government units are barred from regulating firearms, ammunition, or their carrying under KRS 65.870(1), apart from the government building carve-out. Any local ordinance, regulation, or other action that violates that preemption law is null, void, and unenforceable under KRS 65.870(2).

In a vehicle, a loaded or unloaded firearm kept in a factory-installed glove compartment, center console, or seat pocket is not deemed concealed under KRS 527.020(8).

Exceptions and limits

Knowingly carrying a firearm or other deadly weapon in a public or private school building or bus, or on school grounds, is unlawful possession of a weapon on school property under KRS 527.070(1), subject to the listed exemptions. An adult who is not a pupil may keep a firearm inside a vehicle on school property if it is not removed from the vehicle, except for a purpose permitted in the statute, or brandished, under KRS 527.070(3)(a).

Colleges, universities, technical schools, and other postsecondary facilities may control the possession of deadly weapons on any property they own or control under KRS 237.115(1). A local government unit may restrict concealed carry only inside the specific portion of a government building it occupies, must mark that portion with posted signs, and cannot attach a criminal penalty to a violation, under KRS 237.115(2).

A private business enterprise that is not a public employer may ban concealed carry on its premises, must post signs on or about the premises if they are open to the public, and a violation is not a crime but is a basis for denial of entry or removal, under KRS 237.110(17). A property owner or employer generally cannot prohibit a person legally entitled to possess a firearm from keeping a firearm, ammunition, or ammunition components in a vehicle on the property under KRS 237.106(1).

Nothing in the permitless carry statute allows the carrying or possession of a deadly weapon where it is prohibited by federal law, even for a person otherwise eligible to carry without a license, under KRS 237.109(2).

What training or the license changes

The CCDW license adds two things that permitless carry alone does not provide.

• It extends concealed carry eligibility to people 18 to 20 years old through the provisional license under KRS 237.118(2)(a), while permitless carry under KRS 237.109 is open only to people 21 or older.
• It gives the licensee the benefit of the reciprocity agreements the Department of Kentucky State Police negotiates under KRS 237.110(20), so other states recognize the Kentucky license.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a license to carry a firearm openly in Kentucky?

No. The only carry offense applies to a firearm carried concealed, so an adult who may lawfully possess a firearm may carry it openly without a license.

How old do I have to be to carry openly?

No statute sets a minimum age for open carry, and because a person under 18 may not possess a handgun except in the listed situations, open handgun carry is limited to persons 18 and older.

Can my city or county pass its own open carry ordinance?

Local government units are barred from regulating firearms, ammunition, or their carrying, apart from the government building carve-out. A local ordinance, regulation, or other action that violates that preemption law is null, void, and unenforceable under KRS 65.870(2).

If I carry openly, can I put the gun in my glove box when I get in the car?

A loaded or unloaded firearm in a factory-installed glove compartment, center console, or seat pocket is not deemed concealed, whether or not it is locked.

Can I carry a firearm onto school grounds?

No. Knowingly carrying a firearm or other deadly weapon in a public or private school building or bus, or on school grounds, is unlawful possession of a weapon on school property, subject to the listed exemptions. An adult who is not a pupil may keep a firearm inside a vehicle on school property if it is not removed from the vehicle, except for a purpose permitted in the statute, or brandished.

Can a business ban concealed carry on its premises?

A private business may ban concealed carry on its premises and must post signs if the premises are open to the public, and violating a posted ban is not a crime but can lead to denial of entry or removal.

Does carrying without a license let me into federal gun-free zones?

No. Nothing in the permitless carry statute allows the carrying or possession of a deadly weapon where it is prohibited by federal law.

Kentucky requires a qualifying firearms training course before a license to carry concealed deadly weapon (CCDW license) is issued. The approved course runs no more than eight hours. It includes actual live-fire range shooting with a handgun. An instructor may not charge more than $75 to conduct the applicant course. A copy of your completion certificate goes in with the application.

Who has to take the class

The training rule applies to applicants for the CCDW license, who must complete a qualifying firearms training course before the license can be issued under KRS 237.110(4)(i). If you carry under permitless carry and never apply, the course requirement in that subsection is not triggered for you.

The separate instructor and instructor trainer rules below apply to people who want to teach the class, not to a first-time carrier taking it.

The rule: what a qualifying course contains

The course must be taught by a firearms instructor certified by a qualifying national firearms organization, or be a course offered or approved by the Department of Criminal Justice Training. The statute names these organizations as examples, and the list is not exclusive:

• National Rifle Association
• United States Concealed Carry Association
• National Shooting Sports Foundation

An approved course must include these four elements:

• A course length cap
• Instruction on handguns, safe use, care and cleaning, and marksmanship principles
• Live-fire range qualification
• A handout of the laws on possession and carrying of firearms and the laws on use of force

Those four elements are set out in KRS 237.110(4)(i)2 and KRS 237.110(4)(i)4, along with the length and range provisions.

The class may not exceed eight hours under KRS 237.110(4)(i)1. The range portion is required, not optional. You fire no more than 20 rounds at a full-size silhouette target, and at least 11 of them must hit the silhouette portion, under KRS 237.110(4)(i)3. A legible photocopy or electronic copy of the completion certificate is accepted as evidence of qualification when submitted with the application, under KRS 237.110(5)(a).

Exceptions to retaking training

Kentucky's provisional license statute carries an exemption from retaking training:

• A provisional licensee applying to switch to a standard license need not retake the firearms training described in KRS 237.110(4), under KRS 237.118(6)(g)

Rules that govern instructors

These rules bind the person teaching the class and the person who trains instructors.

The instructor certification course itself must be taught by a certified instructor trainer and may not exceed 16 hours under KRS 237.122(3).

What training or the license changes

Holding a license does two things permitless carry alone does not:

• It extends concealed carry eligibility to 18 to 20 year olds through the provisional license, while permitless carry requires being 21 or older
• It brings the licensee under the written reciprocity agreements Kentucky State Police must enter with each state that agrees to let Kentucky license holders carry there

Frequently asked questions

How long is the Kentucky concealed carry class?

A firearms safety course offered or approved by the Department of Criminal Justice Training may not exceed eight hours under KRS 237.110(4)(i)1.

Do I have to shoot to complete the course?

Yes. The approved course must include actual range firing of a handgun in a safe manner. You fire no more than 20 rounds at a full-size silhouette target, and at least 11 must hit the silhouette portion of the target.

Can I submit a copy of my training certificate instead of the original?

Yes. A legible photocopy or electronic copy of the completion certificate is accepted as evidence of qualification when submitted with the application.

Who is allowed to teach the class?

The course must be taught by a firearms instructor certified by a qualifying national firearms organization, or it must be a course offered or approved by the Department of Criminal Justice Training.

What can an instructor charge me for the class?

A firearms instructor or instructor trainer may not charge more than $75 to conduct an applicant training course, though actual range, target, and classroom costs may be passed through separately.

What happens if an instructor claims to have taught a class that never happened?

A firearms instructor or instructor trainer who falsely claims to have conducted required training commits a Class D felony under KRS 237.126(2).

Application Process

Kentucky offers two filing paths for a license to carry concealed deadly weapon (CCDW license). A paper application goes to the office of the sheriff in the county in which the person resides. An electronic application goes to the Department of Kentucky State Police. The form is sworn. If the application is denied, the applicant may seek de novo review in District Court.

Who files, and where

The Department of Kentucky State Police is the agency that receives electronic applications and administers the license, under KRS 237.110(7)(a)2.. A paper application instead goes to the office of the sheriff in the county in which the person resides, under KRS 237.110(7)(a)1.. The rest of this section describes that application.

The rule: what the application must include

The application must contain each of the following:

• Name, address, place and date of birth, citizenship, gender, and Social Security number of the applicant, under KRS 237.110(7)(e)
• A statement of compliance with the eligibility criteria
• For an applicant qualifying by military training, the additional statement and documentation, including documentary evidence of an honorable discharge and a notarized affidavit on a form provided by the Department of Kentucky State Police
• A statement that the applicant has been furnished a copy of KRS 237.110 and is knowledgeable about its provisions
• A statement that the applicant has been furnished a copy of, has read, and understands KRS Chapter 503 as it pertains to the use of deadly force for self-defense
• A conspicuous warning that the application is executed under oath and that a materially false answer or document subjects the applicant to criminal prosecution

A denied applicant is informed of the right to seek de novo review of the denial in the District Court of his or her place of residence within ninety days from the date of the denial letter, under KRS 237.110(9)(b).

Exceptions

A training exception runs through the provisional license statute. The Department of Kentucky State Police is required to issue provisional licenses, effective July 15, 2026. The Department of Kentucky State Police is not yet accepting applications from people ages 18 to 20, and says on its concealed carry page that it expects to update the online portal this fall. The provisional license statute provides:

• A provisional licensee applying to switch to a standard license is not required to retake the firearms training, under KRS 237.118(6)(g)

What training or the license changes

An applicant for a Kentucky concealed deadly weapon license must complete a qualifying firearms training course before the license can be issued, under KRS 237.110(4)(i). The approved course must meet four requirements:

• A cap on the length of the course
• Instruction on handguns, safe use, care and cleaning, and marksmanship principles
• Live-fire range qualification
• A handout of the laws on possession and carrying of firearms and on the use of force

The course must include actual range firing of a handgun.

Rules at a glance

Frequently asked questions

Where does a paper application go?

It goes to the office of the sheriff in the county in which the person resides, under KRS 237.110(7)(a)1.. An electronic application goes instead to the Department of Kentucky State Police, under KRS 237.110(7)(a)2..

What does the application fee cost?

A paper application for an original or renewal license costs $60. An electronic application submitted in place of a paper application costs $70.

What happens if the application is denied?

The applicant is informed of the right to seek de novo review of the denial in the District Court of his or her place of residence. That filing must come within ninety days from the date of the letter advising the applicant of the denial.

Who is allowed to teach the required course?

The instructor must be certified by a qualifying national firearms organization, or the course must be offered or approved by the Department of Criminal Justice Training. The statute names three such organizations, and the list is not exclusive:

• National Rifle Association
• United States Concealed Carry Association
• National Shooting Sports Foundation

What proof of training goes with the application?

A legible photocopy or electronic copy of the certificate of completion is accepted as evidence of qualification when submitted with the application. The certificate comes from a certified instructor or from the Department of Criminal Justice Training.

What if an instructor claims training that never happened?

A firearms instructor trainer or certified firearms instructor who falsely represents to the department that training was conducted commits a Class D felony, under KRS 237.126(2).

Does a provisional licensee retake training to convert?

No. A provisional licensee applying to switch to a standard license is not required to retake the firearms training, under KRS 237.118(6)(g). The Department of Kentucky State Police is required to issue provisional licenses, effective July 15, 2026, under KRS 237.118(2). The Department of Kentucky State Police is not yet accepting applications from people ages 18 to 20, and its concealed carry page says the online portal is expected to be updated this fall.

If you decide to get a license to carry concealed deadly weapon (CCDW license), the cost is set by statute. A paper application filed with your county sheriff costs $60. An electronic application filed with Kentucky State Police costs $70. Renewal costs the same as the original. A renewal filed after the expiration date adds a $15 late fee to the $60 or $70.

Who pays these fees

An applicant for an original CCDW license pays the application fee, and a renewing licensee pays the renewal fee. The amount depends on how you file, on paper or electronically, and a renewal filed after the expiration date carries an added late fee. Qualifying current and retired peace officers pay no application or renewal fee at all under KRS 237.110(7)(d).

What the fee rules say

The paper route sends your completed application, required documentation, and a fee of $60 to the office of the sheriff of the county where you live, under KRS 237.110(7)(b)1. The electronic route sends the application, documentation, and a fee of $70 to the Department of Kentucky State Police, under KRS 237.110(7)(c)1.

The statute sets one amount that serves as both the application fee and the renewal fee. Renewing on paper therefore costs $60 under KRS 237.110(7)(b)1. Renewing electronically costs $70 under KRS 237.110(7)(c)1.

If you file your renewal after the license expiration date, you pay a late fee of $15 in addition to the license fees, under KRS 237.110(14)(c). There is a hard cutoff. No license may be renewed six months or more after its expiration date, and the license is then deemed permanently expired. An expired license is void and is valid only for surrender to the sheriff in exchange for a renewal license. After that six-month cutoff, you must apply again as a new applicant and pay the original application fee.

If your license is lost, stolen or destroyed, it is automatically invalid, and a duplicate costs $15 for a paper request to the Department of Kentucky State Police under KRS 237.110(12). An electronic request for a duplicate costs $25.

You pay the fee when you file: the $60 goes to the sheriff with the paper application itself.

The training course has its own cap: an instructor may charge no more than $75 for the applicant training course under KRS 237.122(8).

Exceptions to paying

One group is exempt from the paper and electronic application and renewal fees:

• A full-time or part-time peace officer currently certified by the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council who is authorized by the employer or government authority to carry a concealed deadly weapon at all times and all locations in the Commonwealth, or a retired peace officer who is a member of the Kentucky Employees Retirement System, State Police Retirement System, County Employees Retirement System, or another retirement system operated by or for a city, county, or urban-county government in Kentucky

Fee table

What training or the license changes

Unless revoked or suspended as provided by law, the license is valid for five years from the date of issuance under KRS 237.110(2)(b). Renewed on or before the expiration date, a license costs one fee per five-year term.

A firearms safety course offered or approved by the Department of Criminal Justice Training may not be more than eight hours in length, under KRS 237.110(4)(i)1.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Kentucky CCDW license cost?

It depends on how you file. A paper application costs $60. An electronic application costs $70.

Is renewing cheaper than applying the first time?

No. The statute uses the same amount for an application fee or a renewal fee. Paper renewal is $60, and electronic renewal is $70.

What happens if I miss my renewal date?

You may still renew by paying a late fee of $15 in addition to the license fees. Do not wait too long, because no license may be renewed six months or more after its expiration date.

Can I ever get the fee waived?

Yes, for one group. Qualifying current and retired peace officers are exempt from paying the paper or electronic application or renewal fees.

How often will I have to pay again?

The license is valid for five years from the date of issuance unless revoked or suspended as provided by law. Renewing on or before the expiration date avoids the $15 late fee.

Does the electronic option cost more for a reason I control?

The higher amount, $70, attaches to the electronic filing route, which goes to the Department of Kentucky State Police. Filing on paper with your county sheriff costs the lower amount, $60.

Renewing your Kentucky license

A Kentucky renewal is a form and a fee, not a new class. The Department of Kentucky State Police mails you a renewal form at least 120 days before your license expires. You file it on paper with your county sheriff or electronically with the Department. An expired license is void. Six months past expiration, it can never be renewed.

Who renews and who switches

Two groups deal with expiration. The first is the holder of a standard license to carry concealed deadly weapon (CCDW license), which runs five years from the date it was issued.

The second is a provisional licensee. Kentucky State Police issues a separate provisional license for applicants aged 18 to 20 under KRS 237.118(2). That provisional license is valid until the holder turns 21. The Department of Kentucky State Police is required to issue provisional licenses, effective July 15, 2026. The Department of Kentucky State Police is not yet accepting applications from people ages 18 to 20, and its concealed carry page says the online portal is expected to be updated this fall. A provisional holder does not renew. That holder applies to switch to a standard license.

The renewal rule

Under KRS 237.110(14)(a), the Department mails a written expiration notice and a renewal form at least 120 days before the expiration date. The renewal asks for a sworn statement that you remain qualified under the criteria in subsections (3) and (4), not a new training class. You may file the paper renewal form with the sheriff of your county of residence, or file an electronic renewal form with the Department. The paper renewal fee is $60 under KRS 237.110(7)(b)1. The electronic renewal fee is $70 under KRS 237.110(7)(c)1. The renewed license is valid for five years from the date of issuance under KRS 237.110(2)(b).

There is no grace period during which an expired license still works. Under KRS 237.110(14)(b), an expired license is void and is not valid for any purpose other than surrender to the sheriff in exchange for a renewal license. Filing the renewal itself late is still possible for a time: under KRS 237.110(14)(c), a licensee who fails to file on or before the expiration date may renew by paying a $15 late fee in addition to the license fees. That late filing window closes six months after the expiration date.

For a provisional holder, KRS 237.118(6)(a) requires the Department to mail the expiration notice and the switch application at least 90 days before the provisional license expires. The switch application may be filed on paper with the sheriff of the county of residence or electronically with the Department under KRS 237.118(6)(c)1. Under KRS 237.118(6)(e), the standard license issues once the Department receives the completed switch application, completes a records check, confirms continued eligibility, and receives the fee, and it is not valid until the holder turns 21. A provisional licensee applying to switch to a standard license is not required to retake the firearms training under KRS 237.118(6)(g). An expired provisional license is void and may only be surrendered to the sheriff in exchange for a standard license under KRS 237.118(7).

Exceptions: the six month cliff

Under KRS 237.110(14)(c), no license may be renewed six months or more after its expiration date, and it is then permanently expired. A person whose license has permanently expired must reapply as a new applicant under the original application process.

A provisional licensee has six months after expiration to file the switch application before being treated as a new applicant under KRS 237.118(6)(f). Under KRS 237.118(6)(f), a provisional licensee who misses that window must instead submit a full new application under KRS 237.110.

Standard renewal and provisional switch side by side

What training or the license changes

A renewed standard license runs five years from the date it was issued.

Holding a current license does what permitless carry alone does not:

• Extends concealed carry eligibility to 18 to 20 year olds through the provisional license, while permitless carry requires being 21 or older
• Gives the licensee the benefit of reciprocity agreements Kentucky State Police negotiates so other states recognize the Kentucky license

Common questions

Do I have to take the training course again to renew?

No. The renewal form calls for a sworn statement that you remain qualified under the criteria in subsections (3) and (4), not a new class.

What happens if my license expires before I file?

An expired license is void and is not valid for any purpose other than surrender to the sheriff in exchange for a renewal license. There is no grace period. A licensee who fails to file on or before the expiration date may still renew by paying a $15 late fee in addition to the license fees. That option runs out six months after the expiration date.

Can I renew a license that expired more than six months ago?

No. A license cannot be renewed six months or more after its expiration date, and it is permanently expired at that point. You must reapply as a new applicant under the original application process.

How long is the renewed license good for?

Five years from the date it is issued.

What does a renewal cost?

The paper renewal fee is $60. The electronic renewal fee is $70.

I have a provisional license and I turn 21 soon. What do I file?

You file the switch application, on paper with your county sheriff or electronically with the Department. The Department mails you that application at least 90 days before the provisional license expires. The standard license issues after the completed application, a records check, an eligibility determination, and the fee, and it is not valid until you turn 21.

Prohibited places

A Kentucky license to carry concealed deadly weapon (CCDW license) does not open every door. State law names places where the license does not authorize carry, and schools, colleges, and private property owners add rules of their own. Carrying without a license does not shrink or expand that map, because a person may carry without a license in the same locations as persons with valid licenses under KRS 237.109(1).

Who these rules bind

They bind everyone carrying a concealed deadly weapon in Kentucky, whether under a CCDW license or under permitless carry. They also bind cities and counties, which cannot write their own version of these rules. KRS 65.870(1) preempts local regulation of firearms and ammunition, including carrying, and any conflicting local ordinance is null and void. Because the state occupies the whole field, cities and counties generally cannot pass their own gun ordinances, apart from the government-building carve-out described below.

Where a license does not authorize carry

A CCDW license does not authorize carrying a concealed deadly weapon into any of these:

• Police station or sheriff's office
• Detention facility, prison, or jail
• Courthouse, solely occupied Court of Justice courtroom, or court proceeding
• Meeting of the governing body of a county, municipality, or special district, or any meeting of the General Assembly or a committee of it
• Portion of an establishment licensed for on-premises consumption of beer or alcoholic beverages that is primarily devoted to that purpose
• Elementary or secondary school facility without the consent of school authorities, any child-caring facility, day-care center, or certified family child-care home
• Area of an airport to which access is controlled by the inspection of persons and property
• Any place where the carrying of firearms is prohibited by federal law

The drinking restriction reaches any portion of an establishment licensed to dispense beer or alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises, which portion of the establishment is primarily devoted to that purpose, under KRS 237.110(16)(e).

Schools carry a separate state offense. Knowingly possessing a firearm or other deadly weapon on public or private school property is a Class D felony under KRS 527.070, subject to statutory exemptions that include ROTC and school teams, certain peace, military, and civil officers, board-authorized persons, hunters, and approved gun and knife shows, and the school must post a sign warning of that offense.

Government buildings follow a narrow local rule. Under KRS 237.115(2), a state, city, county, or urban-county legislative body may prohibit or limit concealed carry only in the portion of a building it owns, leases, or controls, must post signs at the entrance to the restricted area, and cannot attach a criminal penalty. Campuses are broader: under KRS 237.115(1), colleges, universities, technical schools, community colleges, and other postsecondary facilities may control deadly weapons on any property they own or control.

Private property owners may also close their doors. Under KRS 237.110(17), a private business, day-care center, family child-care home, or licensed health-care facility may ban concealed carry, must post signs if the premises are open to the public, and may respond to a violation by denying entry or removing the person rather than by criminal charge.

Exceptions that keep your carry rights

Three groups keep carry rights inside places that are otherwise closed to license holders:

• A licensed member of a governing body may carry at a meeting of that body
• The owner of a certified child-care home may carry in that residence
• Off-duty and certified retired peace officers may carry wherever an on-duty officer may

Under KRS 237.137(1), off-duty peace officers authorized by their employing agency and certified retired peace officers may carry concealed firearms at any location in Kentucky where an on-duty peace officer may carry.

Your vehicle is treated separately. Under KRS 237.106(1), no owner, lessee, occupant, or employer may prohibit a person legally entitled to possess a firearm from keeping a firearm, part of a firearm, ammunition, or an ammunition component in a vehicle on the property, though the owner may still bar a person who is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm. That vehicle protection does not reach federal property, detention facilities, or property where a specific KRS section bars firearms.

What a violation costs

The consequence depends on which rule you broke. Violating a local government's concealed-carry restriction inside its own building carries no criminal penalty under KRS 237.115(2), only denial of entrance, removal, or employee discipline. A posted private-business ban works the same way: it is not a crime, but it supports denial of entry or removal under KRS 237.110(17). School property is different, because KRS 527.070 makes knowing possession there a Class D felony. A knowing violation of the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act is punishable by a fine and imprisonment of not more than 5 years under 18 U.S.C. 924(a)(4), served consecutively to any other sentence and deemed a misdemeanor for other purposes of law.

Quick reference

What training or the license changes

The CCDW license adds what permitless carry does not:

• It extends concealed carry eligibility to people who are eighteen but younger than twenty-one through the provisional license under KRS 237.118(2)(a), while permitless carry requires being twenty-one or older
• It gives the licensee the benefit of the written reciprocity agreements Kentucky State Police must enter with any state that agrees to let Kentucky license holders carry there

Common questions

Can I carry into a restaurant that serves alcohol?

The license does not authorize carry into any portion of an establishment licensed to dispense beer or alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises, and the listed place is the portion primarily devoted to that purpose.

Can my employer stop me from leaving a gun in my car?

Generally no. KRS 237.106(1) bars an owner, lessee, occupant, or employer from prohibiting a person legally entitled to possess a firearm from keeping a firearm, ammunition, or components in a vehicle on the property. That protection does not extend to federal property, detention facilities, or property where a specific KRS section bars firearms.

Is walking past a "no guns" sign at a store a crime?

Under KRS 237.110(17), a private business may ban concealed carry and must post signs if the premises are open to the public, and the response is denial of entry or removal rather than criminal charge.

Can my city council pass a stricter carry ordinance?

KRS 65.870(1) preempts local regulation of firearms and ammunition, including carrying, and a conflicting ordinance is null and void. The exception is a legislative body restricting the portion of a building it owns, leases, or controls, with posted signs and no criminal penalty.

What happens if I carry onto school grounds?

KRS 527.070 makes knowing possession of a firearm or other deadly weapon on public or private school property a Class D felony, subject to the statutory exemptions. Federal law adds a fine and imprisonment of not more than 5 years for a knowing violation of the Gun-Free School Zones Act, served consecutively to any other sentence.

Do off-duty officers follow the same place rules?

No. KRS 237.137(1) lets off-duty peace officers authorized by their agency and certified retired peace officers carry concealed firearms at any location in Kentucky where an on-duty peace officer may carry.

Does carrying without a license change where I may go?

No. A person carrying without a license may carry in the same locations as persons with valid licenses issued under Kentucky law.

Vehicle carry in Kentucky

A firearm kept in a vehicle's factory-installed glove compartment, center console, or seat pocket is not treated as concealed under Kentucky law, locked or unlocked, loaded or unloaded KRS 527.020(8). Because it is not deemed concealed there, no license to carry concealed deadly weapon (CCDW license) is needed to keep it in that spot. That rule in KRS 527.020(8) does not apply to a person prohibited from possessing a firearm under KRS 527.040.

Who this applies to

Kentucky allows a person age 21 or older who may lawfully possess a firearm to carry concealed without a license under KRS 237.109(1). Kentucky law separately provides that a loaded or unloaded handgun kept in a vehicle's glove box, center console, or other factory-installed enclosed container is not legally considered concealed, so it may be carried there without a CCDW license. Kentucky puts one limit on that rule in the same subsection: KRS 527.020(8) does not apply to a person prohibited from possessing a firearm under KRS 527.040.

The protection does not reach someone who may not have a gun in the first place. A person, including an employer, who owns, leases, or otherwise occupies real property may prevent a person prohibited by state or federal law from possessing a firearm or ammunition from possessing one on the property, under KRS 237.106(2).

The rule

Kentucky law lists the glove compartment, center console, and seat pocket as containers installed by the vehicle manufacturer, and a firearm there is not concealed storage whether or not the container is locked. A loaded or unloaded firearm or other deadly weapon in such a container "shall not be deemed concealed". The KRS 527.020(8) rule that a firearm in a factory-installed container is not concealed does not apply to a person prohibited from possessing a firearm under KRS 527.040.

On someone else's land, KRS 237.106(1) generally bars a property owner, lessee, occupant, or employer from prohibiting a person legally entitled to possess a firearm from keeping a firearm, firearm part, ammunition, or ammunition component in a vehicle on the property. On an employer's premises, possession of weapons or ammunition in a vehicle is not a criminal offense so long as they are not removed from the vehicle or brandished while the vehicle is on the premises, under KRS 237.110(17).

An employer that fires, disciplines, demotes, or otherwise punishes an employee for lawfully exercising this vehicle-firearm right, while the employee complies with the statute, is liable in civil damages, and the court shall grant an injunction against the violating employer under KRS 237.106(4). Under KRS 237.106(3), a firearm may be removed from the vehicle or handled for self-defense, defense of another, defense of property, or as authorized by the owner, lessee, or occupant of the property.

Exceptions

One agency is carved out of the employee-vehicle protection.

• Under KRS 237.110(17), the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet may prohibit an employee from carrying weapons or ammunition, other than those issued or authorized for that employee, in a vehicle while transporting persons under the employee's supervision or jurisdiction.

School property has its own rule. Under KRS 527.070(3)(a), an adult who is not a pupil of a secondary school may possess a firearm contained within the vehicle the adult operates, if it is not removed from the vehicle except for a purpose permitted in that statute and is not brandished.

Travel across state lines is governed by federal law. 18 U.S.C. 926A lets a person transport a firearm through Kentucky between two places where possession is legal, if the firearm is unloaded and not readily accessible from the passenger compartment, and in a vehicle without a separate trunk it is in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console.

Penalty exposure

Knowingly possessing a firearm or other deadly weapon on public or private school property is unlawful possession of a weapon on school property, a Class D felony under KRS 527.070(1), subject to the listed statutory exemptions. The adult-in-a-vehicle exemption in KRS 527.070(3)(a) requires that the firearm stay in the vehicle and not be brandished.

A private business, day-care center, family child-care home, or licensed health-care facility may ban concealed carry on its premises and must post signs if the premises are open to the public; violating a posted ban is not a crime but can result in denial of entry or removal. A CCDW licensee who fails to carry or display the license on a law enforcement officer's request commits a noncriminal violation with a penalty of $25 and no court costs, under KRS 237.110(15).

Vehicle rules at a glance

The KRS 527.020(8) rows above carry one limit: that subsection does not apply to a person prohibited from possessing a firearm under KRS 527.040.

What training or the license changes

The CCDW license adds two things that permitless carry alone does not provide.

• It extends concealed carry eligibility to people 18 to 20 years old through the provisional license under KRS 237.118(2)(a), while permitless carry under KRS 237.109 is open only to people 21 or older.
• It gives the licensee the benefit of the reciprocity agreements the Department of Kentucky State Police negotiates under KRS 237.110(20), so other states recognize the Kentucky license.

Frequently asked questions

I am 18 to 20. Can I get a license instead?

The Department of Kentucky State Police is required to issue provisional licenses, effective July 15, 2026, and it is not yet accepting those applications: the agency says its online application portal is expected to be updated this fall and will then begin accepting applications from eligible individuals ages 18 to 20, with the official launch date announced once the upgrades are complete. Separately, a loaded or unloaded handgun in a factory-installed enclosed container in a vehicle is not legally considered concealed under KRS 527.020(8), so it may be carried there without a CCDW license. KRS 527.020(8) itself does not apply to a person prohibited from possessing a firearm under KRS 527.040.

Can I keep a loaded handgun in my glove compartment without a license?

A loaded or unloaded firearm in a factory-installed enclosed container is not deemed concealed under KRS 527.020(8), so no CCDW license is required for that storage. The statute names the glove compartment, center console, and seat pocket among those containers, locked or unlocked. One limit goes with it: KRS 527.020(8) does not apply to a person prohibited from possessing a firearm under KRS 527.040.

Can my employer ban guns from my car in the company parking lot?

KRS 237.106(1) generally bars an employer who owns, leases, or occupies the property from prohibiting a firearm, firearm part, ammunition, or ammunition component in a vehicle on the property. Possession in the vehicle on those premises is not a criminal offense if the weapons are not removed from the vehicle or brandished.

What happens if my employer disciplines me anyway?

An employer that fires, disciplines, demotes, or otherwise punishes a complying employee for exercising this right is liable in civil damages, and the court shall grant an injunction against that employer.

Can I leave a firearm in my car at a school?

An adult who is not a pupil of a secondary school may possess a firearm contained within the vehicle the adult operates, if it is not removed except for a purpose permitted in the statute and is not brandished. Knowing possession of a firearm on school property otherwise is a Class D felony, subject to the statutory exemptions.

May I take the firearm out of the car if I am attacked?

Yes. A firearm may be removed from the vehicle or handled for self-defense, defense of another, defense of property, or as authorized by the owner, lessee, or occupant of the property.

How should I pack a firearm for a trip through Kentucky?

Federal law protects transport between two places where possession is legal when the firearm is unloaded and not readily accessible from the passenger compartment, and, in a vehicle without a separate trunk, is in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console.

If an officer asks for my license at a traffic stop, what happens if I do not have it?

A licensee must carry the license while carrying concealed and display it on a law enforcement officer's request. Failing to do so is a noncriminal violation with a penalty of $25 and no court costs.

Transport

You can move a firearm from place to place in Kentucky without a license. A loaded or unloaded firearm kept in a factory-installed glove compartment, center console, or seat pocket is not deemed concealed under KRS 527.020(8). A property owner or employer generally cannot stop a person legally entitled to possess a firearm from keeping one in a vehicle on the property.

Who these transport rules cover

The vehicle protection runs to any person legally entitled to possess a firearm, and it covers a firearm, a part of a firearm, ammunition, or an ammunition component kept in a vehicle on the property, under KRS 237.106(1). The federal interstate rule covers a person not otherwise prohibited from possessing firearms. A property owner, lessee, or occupant, including an employer, may still prevent a person who is prohibited by state or federal law from possessing a firearm or ammunition on the property, under KRS 237.106(2).

Younger adults are a separate case. The Department of Kentucky State Police is required to issue provisional licenses, effective July 15, 2026, under KRS 237.118(2). The Department of Kentucky State Police is not yet accepting applications from people ages 18 to 20, and its concealed carry page says the online portal is expected to be updated this fall.

Moving a firearm inside Kentucky

Kentucky treats a factory-installed glove compartment, center console, seat pocket, or other enclosed vehicle container as not concealed storage, locked or unlocked, so a firearm or ammunition may sit there loaded or unloaded under KRS 527.020(8). Employer parking lots, taking the firearm back out of the vehicle, and an employee's civil remedy are covered in the Vehicle Carry section.

Cities and counties cannot write their own transport rules. Kentucky bars local governments from occupying any part of the field of regulation of the manufacture, sale, purchase, taxation, transfer, ownership, possession, carrying, storage, or transportation of firearms and ammunition, and declares a conflicting local ordinance null and void, under KRS 65.870(1).

Crossing state lines

For a trip that runs between two states, 18 U.S.C. 926A lets a person not otherwise prohibited transport a firearm between any two places where they may lawfully possess and carry it, so long as the firearm is unloaded and neither it nor its ammunition is readily accessible from the passenger compartment, or, in a vehicle without a separate trunk compartment, is locked in a container other than the glove box or console. In a vehicle with no separate trunk, that container must be a locked container other than the glove compartment or console. Kentucky's glove box rule and the federal container rule are different rules for different trips.

Exceptions and limits

A person may possess unloaded hunting weapons while crossing the grounds of a public or private educational institution to reach public or private hunting land, unless the institution's grounds are posted prohibiting entry, under KRS 527.070(3)(h). An adult who is not a pupil of a secondary school may keep a firearm inside a vehicle they operate on school property, provided it is not removed from the vehicle except for a permitted purpose and is not brandished, under KRS 527.070(3)(a).

Transport rules at a glance

What training or the license changes

A license to carry concealed deadly weapon (CCDW license) adds two things permitless carry does not give:

• Extends concealed carry eligibility to 18-20 year-olds through the provisional license, while permitless carry requires being 21 or older
• Gives the licensee the benefit of reciprocity agreements Kentucky State Police negotiates so other states recognize the Kentucky license

Common questions

Can I keep a loaded handgun in my glove box without a CCDW license?

Yes. A loaded or unloaded firearm in a factory-installed glove compartment, center console, seat pocket, or similar enclosed container is not deemed concealed under KRS 527.020(8).

What do I do when I drive through Kentucky to another state?

Keep the firearm unloaded and neither it nor its ammunition readily accessible from the passenger compartment, or, if the vehicle has no separate trunk compartment, locked in a container other than the glove box or console, as 18 U.S.C. 926A requires.

Can I carry unloaded hunting weapons across a school's grounds?

Yes, while crossing the grounds of a public or private educational institution to reach public or private hunting land, unless the institution's grounds are posted prohibiting entry, under KRS 527.070(3)(h).

Can I leave a firearm in my car in a school parking lot?

An adult who is not a pupil of a secondary school may keep a firearm contained within a vehicle they operate on school property, if it is not removed from the vehicle except for a permitted purpose and is not brandished, under KRS 527.070(3)(a).

Does the parking lot protection apply if I cannot legally own a gun?

No. An owner, lessee, or occupant of real property, including an employer, may prevent a person prohibited by state or federal law from possessing a firearm or ammunition on the property, under KRS 237.106(2).

Can a city pass its own transport ordinance?

No. Kentucky bars local governments from occupying any part of the field of regulation covering carrying, storage, or transportation of firearms and ammunition, and a conflicting local ordinance is null and void, under KRS 65.870(1).

Kentucky Firearm Storage Requirements

Overview

Kentucky does not have a general state law mandating specific storage requirements for firearms in the home. There are no state statutes requiring firearms to be stored in locked containers, with trigger locks, or in any particular manner for the general population. Kentucky also has no "child access prevention" (CAP) law imposing criminal liability on adults who fail to secure firearms from minors.

Since June 28, 2019, Kentucky has been a constitutional carry (permitless carry) state, meaning lawful gun owners aged 21 and older may carry concealed firearms without a CCDW license. This permissive framework extends to storage — the state imposes minimal prescriptive requirements on how firearms must be kept.

Vehicle Storage Provisions

Kentucky law specifically addresses the storage and transport of firearms in vehicles under KRS 527.020(8):

• A loaded or unloaded firearm or other deadly weapon is not deemed concealed on or about the person if it is located in any enclosed container, compartment, or storage space installed as original equipment in a motor vehicle by its manufacturer, including but not limited to:
  • Glove compartment
  • Center console
  • Seat pocket
• This applies regardless of whether the enclosed container, storage space, or compartment is locked, unlocked, or does not have a locking mechanism.

Carrying a Concealed Weapon — Penalties (KRS 527.020)

• KRS 527.020(1): "A person is guilty of carrying a concealed weapon when he or she carries concealed a firearm or other deadly weapon on or about his or her person."
• KRS 527.020(9): Carrying a concealed weapon is a Class A misdemeanor, unless the defendant has been previously convicted of a felony in which a deadly weapon was possessed, used, or displayed, in which case it is a Class D felony.

Protection of Vehicle Storage Rights

• No person or organization, public or private, shall prohibit a person from keeping a loaded or unloaded firearm or ammunition, or both, or other deadly weapon in a vehicle in accordance with KRS 527.020(8).
• Any attempt to violate this provision may be the subject of an action for appropriate relief or for damages in a Circuit Court or District Court of competent jurisdiction.
• This subsection does not apply to any person prohibited from possessing a firearm pursuant to KRS 527.040 (persons prohibited from possessing firearms, such as convicted felons).

Dealer and Commercial Storage Requirements

While private individuals face no storage mandates, Kentucky administrative regulations impose requirements on firearms dealers. Under 502 KAR 13:010, regulated firearms must:

• Not be stored in an area accessible to the public

This regulation applies to licensed dealers and commercial operations, not to private firearm owners in their homes.

Minors and Firearm Access

Under KRS 527.100, possession of a handgun by a person under the age of 18 is generally prohibited. The statute also covers manufacturing and transporting handguns (as defined by KRS 527.010). Specific exceptions include:

• (a) Attendance at a hunter's safety course or a firearms safety course
• (b) Practice or target shooting at an established firing range, or any other area where the discharge of a firearm is not prohibited
• (c) Organized competition involving firearms, or participating in or practicing for a performance by a 501(c)(3) organization that uses firearms as part of the performance
• (d) Hunting or trapping with a valid license issued pursuant to Kentucky statutes or administrative regulations
• (e) Traveling to or from the above activities (a–d) with an unloaded handgun in possession
• (f) On real property under the control of an adult, with permission of both that adult and the minor's parent or legal guardian
• (g) At the minor's residence, with parental/guardian permission, when justified under KRS Chapter 503 (justification and use of physical force or deadly physical force in self-defense)

Definition of "Loaded" for Minors (KRS 527.100(2))

A handgun is considered "loaded" if:

1. There is a cartridge in the chamber of the handgun
2. There is a cartridge in the cylinder of the handgun (revolvers)
3. There is a cartridge in an attached magazine of the handgun (semi-automatics)
4. The handgun and ammunition are carried on the minor's person or are in such close proximity that the minor could readily gain access to the handgun and the ammunition and load the firearm

Penalties for Minor Possession (KRS 527.100(3))

• First offense: Class A misdemeanor
• Subsequent offenses: Class D felony

Note: Kentucky imposes no criminal liability on adults for failing to secure firearms from minors. The penalties above apply only to the minor who possesses the handgun unlawfully.

Restricted Locations Affecting Storage and Possession

While not storage laws per se, the following statutes restrict where firearms may be kept or carried, which has practical implications for storage:

• KRS 527.070 — Unlawful possession of a weapon on school property (whether carried openly or concealed), with limited exceptions
• KRS 244.125 — Prohibits loaded firearms (concealed or otherwise) in places where alcohol is sold by the drink, with limited exceptions

These restrictions apply regardless of how the firearm is stored or carried.

Protective Orders and Firearm Storage

KRS 403.754 authorizes an EPO/DVO (Emergency Protective Order / Domestic Violence Order) temporary concealed carry permit for eligible petitioners seeking an order of protection. Kentucky State Police accepts applications electronically at kspportal.ky.gov/ccdw. While this statute addresses carrying rather than storage, individuals subject to protective orders should be aware that federal law (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(8)) may separately restrict firearm possession for respondents of qualifying DVOs.

Pending and Recent Legislation

Multiple bills related to firearm storage have been introduced in recent Kentucky legislative sessions, though none have been enacted into law as of the current session:

2025 Regular Session (25RS)

2026 Regular Session (26RS)

The repeated introduction of storage-related bills across multiple sessions indicates ongoing legislative interest, but Kentucky's legislature has not enacted any of these proposals. Track bill status at apps.legislature.ky.gov.

Federal Considerations

Kentucky's lack of state storage laws does not eliminate all obligations:

• Federal property within Kentucky (military installations, federal buildings, national parks) may impose separate firearm storage requirements under federal regulations
• Federal firearms licensees (FFLs) are subject to ATF storage and security requirements
• Persons subject to federal firearm disabilities (felony convictions, domestic violence misdemeanors, certain court orders) are prohibited from possessing firearms under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) regardless of how they are stored

For federal law questions, contact the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Louisville Field Division: (502) 753-3400.

Summary

This information is based on Kentucky Revised Statutes, Kentucky Administrative Regulations, Kentucky State Police CCDW guidance, and Kentucky Legislative Research Commission records. It is current as of April 2026 and is not intended as legal advice. Consult an attorney for specific legal questions.

Sources: Kentucky State Police CCDW FAQs, KRS Chapter 527, 502 KAR 13:010, 25RS Firearms and Weapons Index, 26RS Firearms and Weapons Index

Use of force in Kentucky

In self-protection, Kentucky justifies physical force when you believe it necessary against the use or imminent use of unlawful physical force. Deadly force requires a belief it is necessary against death, serious physical injury, kidnapping, sexual intercourse compelled by force or threat, or a felony involving force. Wanton or reckless belief, or degree of force, forfeits it in a wantonness or recklessness prosecution. Retreat is not required where you may lawfully be and are not breaking the law.

Who you may protect, and on what belief

Kentucky's justification statutes are written around a person who uses force, not around a document in your wallet. They cover force used for yourself, for a third person, and for property you or another possesses. Under KRS 503.020, justification as defined in KRS Chapter 503 is a defense in any prosecution for an offense. Under KRS 503.050(1), the use of physical force upon another person is justifiable when the defendant believes that such force is necessary to protect himself against the use or imminent use of unlawful physical force by the other person. What the defendant believed is the question the statute asks, and it is not the last word. Under KRS 503.120(1), the justification is unavailable in a prosecution for an offense for which wantonness or recklessness suffices to establish culpability when the defendant was wanton or reckless in believing the use of any force, or the degree of force used, to be necessary, or in acquiring or failing to acquire any knowledge or belief material to the justifiability of his use of force. Under KRS 503.050(3), any evidence presented by the defendant to establish the existence of a prior act or acts of domestic violence and abuse as defined in KRS 403.720 by the person against whom the defendant is charged with employing physical force is admissible under that section.

The same chapter reaches force used for someone else. Under KRS 503.070(2), a person may use deadly force to protect a third person against imminent death, serious physical injury, kidnapping, sexual intercourse compelled by force or threat, or another felony involving the use of force, and only if, under the circumstances as they actually exist, the person he seeks to protect would himself have been justified under KRS 503.050 and KRS 503.060 in using that protection.

Property is covered separately. Under KRS 503.080(1), physical force is justifiable when the defendant believes it is immediately necessary to prevent criminal trespass, robbery, burglary, another felony involving force, theft, criminal mischief, trespassory taking of movable property, or, under specified conditions, unlawful camping, in property he or another possesses.

The rule for deadly force

Deadly physical force under KRS 503.050(2) is justifiable only when the defendant believes that such force is necessary to protect himself against death, serious physical injury, kidnapping, sexual intercourse compelled by force or threat, or a felony involving the use of force. That limit in KRS 503.050(2) reaches the listed harms and the circumstances permitted by KRS 503.055, and nothing else.

Being justified against the attacker is not the end of your exposure. Under KRS 503.120(2), a defendant who is justified in using force but who wantonly or recklessly injures or creates a risk of injury to innocent persons loses the justification in a prosecution for an offense involving wantonness or recklessness toward those innocent persons. A round that misses is the case that provision is written for.

Standing your ground away from home has its own wording. Under KRS 503.055(3), a person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and who is attacked in any other place where he has a right to be has no duty to retreat and may stand his ground and meet force with force, including deadly force, if he reasonably believes it is necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or another. The same subsection also reaches force used to prevent the commission of a felony involving the use of force. The self-protection section says it flatly: under KRS 503.050(4), a person does not have a duty to retreat prior to the use of deadly physical force.

At home and in a vehicle the statute moves the question. Under KRS 503.055(1), a person is presumed to have held a reasonable fear of imminent peril of death or great bodily harm when using defensive force that is intended or likely to cause death or great bodily harm. The presumption runs where the other person was unlawfully and forcibly entering or had unlawfully and forcibly entered a dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle, or had removed or was attempting to remove another against that person's will from one of them. It applies only if the person using defensive force knew or had reason to believe that an unlawful and forcible entry or unlawful and forcible act was occurring or had occurred, under KRS 503.055(1)(b). Under KRS 503.055(4), a person who unlawfully and by force enters or attempts to enter a dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle is presumed to be doing so with the intent to commit an unlawful act involving force or violence. The protected places are:

• dwelling
• residence
• occupied vehicle

Deadly force for property is narrower. Under KRS 503.080(2), deadly physical force is justifiable under that section only when the defendant believes the other person is doing one of the things it lists. Those situations are:

• attempting to dispossess the defendant of his or her dwelling otherwise than under a claim of right to its possession
• committing or attempting to commit a burglary, robbery, or other felony involving the use of force of such dwelling
• committing or attempting to commit arson of a dwelling or other building in his or her possession

Every situation on that list concerns a dwelling or a building in the defendant's possession, so nothing in it covers the theft of movable property.

Immunity, and what it does not stop

Under KRS 503.085(1), a person who uses force as permitted in KRS 503.050, KRS 503.055, KRS 503.070, and KRS 503.080 is justified in using such force and is immune from criminal prosecution and civil action for the use of such force, unless the person against whom the force was used is a peace officer who was acting in the performance of his or her official duties and who identified himself in accordance with any applicable law, or the person using force knew or reasonably should have known that the person was a peace officer. In that subsection, criminal prosecution includes arresting, detaining in custody, and charging or prosecuting the defendant.

Under KRS 503.085(2), a law enforcement agency may use standard procedures to investigate the use of force, but it may not arrest the person for using force unless it determines that there is probable cause that the force that was used was unlawful. Under KRS 503.085(3), the court shall award reasonable attorney's fees, court costs, compensation for loss of income, and all expenses incurred by the defendant in defense of any civil action brought by a plaintiff, if the court finds that the defendant is immune. That award presupposes a plaintiff who has already sued and a court that has already ruled.

Exceptions that take the justification away

What the other person was doing does not loosen these limits. Under KRS 503.100(3), the limitations imposed on the justifiable use of force in self-protection by KRS 503.050 and KRS 503.060, for the protection of others by KRS 503.070, for the protection of property by KRS 503.080, and for effecting an arrest or preventing an escape by KRS 503.090 apply notwithstanding the criminality of the conduct against which such force is used.

The same chapter sets out three bars that remove the justification outright. Force is not justifiable when the defendant is resisting an arrest by a peace officer recognized to be acting under color of official authority and using no more force than reasonably necessary, even if the arrest is unlawful, under KRS 503.060(1). Under KRS 503.060(2), force is not justifiable if the defendant, intending to cause death or serious physical injury, provokes the use of physical force by the other person. Under KRS 503.060(3)(a) and KRS 503.060(3)(b), an initial aggressor is barred unless his initial physical force was nondeadly and the force returned by the other is such that he believes himself to be in imminent danger of death or serious physical injury, or he withdraws from the encounter and effectively communicates to the other person his intent to do so and the latter nevertheless continues or threatens the use of unlawful physical force.

One more limit sits outside the self-protection sections. Under KRS 503.030(2), when the defendant believes conduct that would otherwise be an offense is necessary to avoid a greater injury but is wanton or reckless in holding that belief, or is wanton or reckless in bringing about the situation requiring the conduct, that justification is unavailable in a prosecution for any offense for which wantonness or recklessness suffices to establish culpability.

The home and vehicle presumption also drops out in the situations that statute lists:

• the person against whom the defensive force is used has the right to be in, or is a lawful resident of, the dwelling, residence, or vehicle, and there is no injunction for protection from domestic violence or written pretrial supervision order of no contact against that person
• the person sought to be removed is a child or grandchild, or is otherwise in the lawful custody or under the lawful guardianship of the person against whom the defensive force is used
• the person who uses defensive force is engaged in an unlawful activity or is using the dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle to further an unlawful activity
• the person against whom the defensive force is used is a peace officer who enters or attempts to enter in the performance of his or her official duties, and the officer identified himself in accordance with any applicable law or the person using force knew or reasonably should have known that the person entering was a peace officer

The rules side by side

What training or the license changes

Kentucky's justification rules turn on the circumstances of the encounter, and they read the same whether or not you carry under a license to carry concealed deadly weapon (CCDW license). What the license adds here is instruction. A firearms safety course offered or approved by the Department of Criminal Justice Training must include information on and a copy of the laws relating to the use of force set out in KRS Chapter 503. That is the same body of law this page describes, so a class is where the elements, the presumption at home and in a vehicle, and the bars on the justification get worked through before you need them.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to retreat before using deadly force?

Not if you are somewhere you have a right to be and are not engaged in an unlawful activity, and you reasonably believe force is necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm to yourself or another. The self-protection section states that a person does not have a duty to retreat prior to the use of deadly physical force. If you started the encounter, withdrawal is the way back: an initial aggressor is barred unless his initial physical force was nondeadly and the force returned is such that he believes himself to be in imminent danger of death or serious physical injury, or he withdraws and effectively communicates that intent and the other person nevertheless continues or threatens unlawful force.

Can I use deadly force to protect my property?

Only when you believe the other person is doing one of the things KRS 503.080(2) lists. Those are attempted dispossession of your dwelling otherwise than under a claim of right, a burglary, robbery, or other felony involving force of that dwelling, or arson of a dwelling or other building in your possession. Nothing on that list covers the theft of movable property. Non-deadly physical force has a wider list of triggering crimes.

Does the castle doctrine cover my car?

The presumption of reasonable fear applies to a dwelling, a residence, and an occupied vehicle. It runs where the other person was unlawfully and forcibly entering or had entered one of those places, or had removed or was attempting to remove another against that person's will. It applies only if you knew or had reason to believe that the unlawful and forcible entry or act was occurring or had occurred. It is also lost in the situations listed above, including where the person using defensive force is engaged in an unlawful activity.

What if I miss and hit someone else?

A defendant who is justified in using force against another but who wantonly or recklessly injures or creates a risk of injury to innocent persons loses the justification in a prosecution for an offense involving wantonness or recklessness toward those innocent persons. Being right about the attacker does not answer for the people behind him.

Can I still be sued if the shooting was lawful?

You can be named in a lawsuit, and immunity is what ends it. A person who uses force as permitted by those statutes is justified and is immune from criminal prosecution and civil action, unless the force was used against a peace officer acting in the performance of official duties who identified himself as the law requires, or whom the person using force knew or reasonably should have known was a peace officer. If the court finds the defendant immune, it shall award reasonable attorney's fees, court costs, compensation for loss of income, and all expenses incurred in defense of the civil action.

Will police arrest me anyway while they investigate?

An agency may use standard procedures to investigate, but it may not arrest the person for using force unless it determines that there is probable cause that the force used was unlawful. The immunity is worded to cover the arrest itself: criminal prosecution there includes arresting, detaining in custody, and charging or prosecuting the defendant.

What if I started the confrontation?

An initial aggressor loses the justification unless his initial physical force was nondeadly and the force returned by the other is such that he believes himself to be in imminent danger of death or serious physical injury, or he withdraws from the encounter and effectively communicates his intent to do so and the other person nevertheless continues or threatens the use of unlawful physical force. Separately, force is not justifiable if you provoked the other person's use of physical force while intending to cause death or serious physical injury.

When does the home presumption not apply?

It does not apply if the other person is a lawful resident or has a right to be there and no protective or no-contact order is in place, if the person sought to be removed is a child, grandchild, or ward, if the person using force is engaged in or furthering unlawful activity, or if the other person is a peace officer entering in the performance of official duties who identified himself or was known to be an officer.

Castle doctrine in Kentucky

Kentucky presumes you reasonably feared imminent death or great bodily harm when you use defensive force intended or likely to cause death or great bodily harm against someone who was unlawfully and forcibly entering a dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle, or who had removed or was attempting to remove another from it against that person's will, and you knew or had reason to believe that was happening. Four situations in KRS 503.055(2), listed below, take the presumption away.

Who and where the presumption reaches

The statute names three protected places.

• dwelling
• residence
• occupied vehicle

The vehicle branch reaches an occupied vehicle, which is the word KRS 503.055(1)(a) uses.

Two kinds of conduct set the presumption off.

• unlawful and forcible entry into one of those places, attempted or completed
• removing or attempting to remove another person against that person's will from the dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle

Both words in the first one matter. KRS 503.055(1)(a) reaches a person who was in the process of unlawfully and forcibly entering, or who had unlawfully and forcibly entered, so the entry has to be unlawful and forcible together.

The rule

Under KRS 503.055(1), a person is presumed to have held a reasonable fear of imminent peril of death or great bodily harm when using defensive force against someone who was in the process of unlawfully and forcibly entering, or had unlawfully and forcibly entered, a dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle, or who had removed or was attempting to remove another against that person's will from it. The presumption runs only to defensive force that is intended or likely to cause death or great bodily harm. It arises only if the person using that force knew or had reason to believe that an unlawful and forcible entry or unlawful and forcible act was occurring or had occurred, under KRS 503.055(1)(b). And it does not arise at all in the four situations KRS 503.055(2) lists, set out under the next heading.

A second presumption runs against the intruder. Under KRS 503.055(4), a person who unlawfully and by force enters or attempts to enter a person's dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle is presumed to be doing so with the intent to commit an unlawful act involving force or violence. That presumption is about what the entrant meant to do. It does not supply the knowledge KRS 503.055(1)(b) requires of the person using defensive force, and it does not reach the four situations in KRS 503.055(2).

Under KRS 503.055(3), a person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and who is attacked in any other place where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand that ground and meet force with force, including deadly force, if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another, or to prevent the commission of a felony involving the use of force.

Exceptions

Under KRS 503.055(2), the presumption does not apply in these four situations.

• the person against whom the defensive force is used has the right to be in, or is a lawful resident of, the dwelling, residence, or vehicle, such as an owner, lessee, or titleholder, and there is no injunction for protection from domestic violence and no written pretrial supervision order of no contact against that person
• the person sought to be removed is a child or grandchild of the person against whom the defensive force is used, or is otherwise in that person's lawful custody or under that person's lawful guardianship
• the person who uses defensive force is engaged in an unlawful activity, or is using the dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle to further an unlawful activity
• the person against whom the defensive force is used is a peace officer who enters or attempts to enter in the performance of his or her official duties, where the officer identified himself or herself in accordance with any applicable law or the person using force knew or reasonably should have known that the person entering was a peace officer

The second one runs the opposite way from how it reads at a glance. Force is used against the adult doing the removing, and the exception applies when the person being removed is that adult's own child, grandchild, or ward.

Being engaged in unlawful activity, or using the dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle to further unlawful activity, defeats the presumption under KRS 503.055(2)(c).

Two more limits sit outside the castle doctrine statute and reach the justification itself. Under KRS 503.120(1), where the defendant is wanton or reckless in believing the use of any force, or the degree of force used, to be necessary, or in acquiring or failing to acquire any knowledge or belief which is material to the justifiability of that use of force, the justification is unavailable in a prosecution for an offense for which wantonness or recklessness suffices to establish culpability. Under KRS 503.120(2), a defendant who is justified in using force against another but who wantonly or recklessly injures or creates a risk of injury to innocent persons loses the justification in a prosecution for an offense involving wantonness or recklessness toward those persons.

Kentucky can also take the justification away for how the encounter started. Under KRS 503.060, self-protection is not available to an initial aggressor unless his initial force was nondeadly and the force returned put him in imminent danger, or he withdrew and effectively communicated that intent, and it is not available to a person who provokes the other person's use of force intending to cause death or serious physical injury.

After the force is used

A person who uses force as permitted in KRS 503.050, KRS 503.055, KRS 503.070, and KRS 503.080 is justified in using that force and is immune from criminal prosecution and civil action for it, under KRS 503.085(1), unless the person against whom the force was used is a peace officer who was acting in the performance of his or her official duties and identified himself or herself in accordance with any applicable law, or the person using force knew or reasonably should have known that the person was a peace officer. For that immunity, criminal prosecution includes arresting, detaining in custody, and charging or prosecuting the defendant.

Both halves of that are decided after the fact. A law enforcement agency may use standard procedures to investigate the claimed justified use of force, and may not arrest the person for using force unless it determines that there is probable cause that the force used was unlawful, under KRS 503.085(2). Under KRS 503.085(3), the court shall award reasonable attorney's fees, court costs, compensation for loss of income, and all expenses incurred by the defendant in defense of any civil action brought by a plaintiff, if the court finds the defendant immune. That award is made in a civil action a plaintiff has already brought, and after a court has ruled on immunity.

Rules at a glance

What training or the license changes

Kentucky's castle doctrine rules turn on the circumstances of the encounter, and they read the same whether or not you hold a license to carry concealed deadly weapon (CCDW license). What a course adds here is instruction. A firearms safety course offered or approved by the Department of Criminal Justice Training must include information on and a copy of the laws relating to the use of force set out in KRS Chapter 503, under KRS 237.110(4)(i). That is the chapter the castle doctrine statute sits in, so a course on that list is where the presumption, its four exceptions and the bars on the justification get worked through. A course that is not offered or approved by that department carries no such requirement.

Common questions

Does the presumption cover an occupied vehicle?

It does. The presumption applies to defensive force intended or likely to cause death or great bodily harm used against someone who was in the process of unlawfully and forcibly entering, or had unlawfully and forcibly entered, a dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle, or who had removed or was attempting to remove an occupant against that person's will, where you knew or had reason to believe that was happening. It drops out in the four situations set out under the exceptions heading above.

Do I have to retreat before using force?

Not if you are not engaged in an unlawful activity and are attacked in a place where you have a right to be. In that case there is no duty to retreat and there is a right to stand that ground and meet force with force, including deadly force, if you reasonably believe it is necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm to yourself or another, or to prevent the commission of a felony involving the use of force.

Can I be arrested after a defensive use of force at home?

A law enforcement agency may use standard procedures to investigate the claimed justified use of force, and it may not arrest the person for using force unless it determines that there is probable cause that the force used was unlawful. The agency makes that call itself, and criminal prosecution for the immunity provision includes arresting and detaining in custody.

What if the intruder or the family sues me?

A plaintiff can bring the civil action. Immunity is what ends it: the court shall award reasonable attorney's fees, court costs, compensation for loss of income, and all expenses incurred by the defendant in defense of any civil action brought by a plaintiff, if the court finds the defendant immune. That immunity does not apply where the force was used against a peace officer acting in the performance of official duties who identified himself as the law requires, or whom the person using force knew or reasonably should have known was a peace officer.

Does the law assume an intruder meant to harm me?

A person who unlawfully and by force enters or attempts to enter a person's dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle is presumed to be doing so with the intent to commit an unlawful act involving force or violence. It does not remove the four situations in which the presumption of reasonable fear does not apply, it does not remove the requirement that you knew or had reason to believe the unlawful and forcible entry or act was occurring or had occurred, and a wanton or reckless belief that force was necessary still forfeits the justification.

Duty to Inform

Kentucky imposes no duty to tell a law enforcement officer that you are carrying a concealed weapon; under KRS 237.110(15) the licensee must carry the license while carrying concealed and display it upon an officer's request, and the statute requires nothing more. The duty to display is set off by the request of a law enforcement officer. Failing to carry or display is a noncriminal violation with a $25 penalty and no court costs.

Who this applies to

The rule is written for the person carrying under a license. Kentucky imposes no duty to tell a law enforcement officer that you are carrying a concealed weapon; the licensee must carry the license while carrying concealed and display it upon an officer's request, and the statute requires nothing more.

The Department of Kentucky State Police is required to issue provisional licenses, effective July 15, 2026, under KRS 237.118(2). The Department of Kentucky State Police is not yet accepting applications from people ages 18 to 20, and its concealed carry page says the online portal is expected to be updated this fall.

A petitioner for a domestic violence order of protection who holds a temporary permit has a parallel carrying duty:

• Temporary permit: shall carry the permit at all times the permit holder is carrying a concealed firearm or other deadly weapon, under KRS 403.754(9)

The rule

KRS 237.110(15) reads: "The licensee shall carry the license at all times the licensee is carrying a concealed firearm or other deadly weapon and shall display the license upon request of a law enforcement officer". In practice that is two obligations. The license must be displayed to a law enforcement officer upon request.

Exceptions and limits

The statute names one trigger for display: the request of a law enforcement officer. The obligation to have the license on you runs the entire time you are carrying a concealed firearm or other deadly weapon. A temporary permit issued to a domestic violence petitioner is valid for 45 days and cannot be extended or reissued under KRS 403.754(5).

Penalty

Failing to carry or display the license is a noncriminal violation with a $25 penalty and no court costs. The $25 is payable to the clerk of the District Court. A licensee who does not display the license on an officer's request while carrying a concealed firearm faces that noncriminal $25 penalty, with no court costs assessed.

The rules at a glance

What training or the license changes

The CCDW license gives two things permitless carry alone does not:

• Extends concealed carry eligibility to people who are 18 but younger than 21 through the provisional license, while permitless carry requires being 21 or older, under KRS 237.118(2)(a)
• Gives the licensee the benefit of reciprocity agreements Kentucky State Police negotiates so other states recognize the Kentucky license, under KRS 237.110(20)

Common questions

Do I have to announce that I am armed before an officer asks?

No, Kentucky imposes no duty to tell a law enforcement officer that you are carrying a concealed weapon, and under KRS 237.110(15) the licensee must carry the license while carrying concealed and display it upon an officer's request, and the statute requires nothing more. When the officer asks, the license must be displayed to a law enforcement officer upon request.

What happens if I left my license at home?

Failing to carry or display the license is a noncriminal violation with a $25 penalty and no court costs. The $25 penalty is payable to the clerk of the District Court.

Is a display violation a crime on my record?

KRS 237.110(15) calls it a noncriminal violation with a penalty of $25. That $25 penalty carries no court costs.

How long is a domestic violence temporary permit good for?

A temporary permit is valid for 45 days and cannot be extended or reissued. While it is in force, the holder shall carry the permit at all times the permit holder is carrying a concealed firearm or other deadly weapon.

What if the license in my pocket has expired?

Once a license expires it is void and cannot be used for any purpose other than surrender to the sheriff in exchange for a renewal license, under KRS 237.110(14)(b). A licensee who files the renewal application after the expiration date pays a $15 late fee in addition to the license fees.

My license was lost or stolen. How do I get one to display?

A paper replacement request for a lost, stolen, or destroyed license costs $15 under KRS 237.110(12). An electronic replacement request costs $25.

Carrying and alcohol or controlled substances

Kentucky has no offense of carrying a firearm while intoxicated and no blood-alcohol threshold for carrying, and KRS 527.020 defines carrying a concealed weapon with no intoxication element. The law reaches the room instead: no person may possess a loaded firearm in the room of a licensed premises where alcohol is sold by the drink, with exceptions for staff, law enforcement, and qualifying restaurants. Two or more DUI convictions in the three years before applying also disqualify a license applicant.

Who this reaches

The drinking-room rule is written as a bar on any person possessing a loaded firearm in that room, with exceptions for staff, law enforcement, and qualifying restaurants. The alcohol and controlled substance criteria reach a person applying for a license to carry a concealed deadly weapon (CCDW license). The controlled substance criterion looks back over the three years immediately preceding the date the application is submitted. The alcohol criterion looks back over the three years immediately preceding that same date.

The Department of Kentucky State Police is required to issue provisional licenses, effective July 15, 2026, under KRS 237.118(2). The Department of Kentucky State Police is not yet accepting applications from people ages 18 to 20, and its concealed carry page says the online portal is expected to be updated this fall.

The rule

Under KRS 244.125(1), "no person shall be in possession of a loaded... firearm while actually within the room where alcoholic beverages are being sold by the drink" for on-site consumption, subject to the exceptions for staff, law enforcement, and qualifying restaurants. On licensing, KRS 237.110(4)(e) treats "two (2) or more convictions for violating KRS 189A.010" in the three years before the application as evidence of chronic and habitual alcohol use, which makes the applicant ineligible. KRS 237.110(4)(d) makes an applicant ineligible if committed to a state or federal facility for controlled substance abuse, or convicted of a misdemeanor controlled substance offense under KRS Chapter 218A, within the three years before applying.

Exceptions

The drinking-room prohibition does not apply to the owner, manager, or employee of the licensed premises, to law enforcement officers, to specially commissioned local peace officers, or to a qualifying bona fide restaurant, under KRS 244.125(2) and KRS 244.125(3).

What it costs you at the application desk

Two or more DUI convictions under KRS 189A.010 inside the three-year window before the application date block issuance under KRS 237.110(4)(e). A commitment for controlled substance abuse, or a misdemeanor KRS Chapter 218A conviction, inside the same three-year window blocks issuance under KRS 237.110(4)(d). The controlled substance window is measured backward from the date the application is submitted.

Rules at a glance

What training or the license changes

The CCDW license carries these things that permitless carry alone does not.

• It extends concealed carry eligibility to people 18 to 20 years old through the provisional license under KRS 237.118(2)(a), while permitless carry under KRS 237.109 is open only to people 21 or older.
• It gives the licensee the benefit of the reciprocity agreements the Department of Kentucky State Police negotiates under KRS 237.110(20), so other states recognize the Kentucky license.

Common questions

Is there a legal blood-alcohol limit for carrying a firearm in Kentucky?

Kentucky has no offense of carrying a firearm while intoxicated and no blood-alcohol threshold for carrying, and KRS 527.020, the carrying statute, defines the offense of carrying a concealed weapon with no intoxication element. The room rule still applies. State law bars possession of a loaded firearm inside the room of a licensed premises where alcoholic beverages are sold by the drink for on-site consumption, with exceptions for staff, law enforcement, and qualifying restaurants. Drinking also reaches the license, because two or more convictions for violating KRS 189A.010 within the three years immediately preceding the application date make an applicant ineligible under KRS 237.110(4)(e).

Can I carry a loaded firearm in a bar?

State law bars possession of a loaded firearm while actually within the room where alcoholic beverages are being sold by the drink for on-site consumption, with exceptions for staff, law enforcement, and qualifying restaurants.

Who is exempt from the drinking-room rule?

The owner, manager, or employee of the licensed premises, law enforcement officers, specially commissioned local peace officers, and a qualifying bona fide restaurant are outside the rule under KRS 244.125(2) and KRS 244.125(3).

Does a restaurant that serves alcohol count as a bar for this rule?

A qualifying bona fide restaurant is one of the listed exceptions to the prohibition.

Will a DUI conviction stop me from getting a CCDW license?

Two or more convictions for violating KRS 189A.010 within the three years immediately preceding the application date make the applicant ineligible under KRS 237.110(4)(e).

What about a drug conviction or a commitment for substance abuse?

Commitment to a state or federal facility for controlled substance abuse, or a misdemeanor conviction under KRS Chapter 218A, within the three years before the application makes the applicant ineligible under KRS 237.110(4)(d).

Restrictions

Kentucky's firearm restrictions fall into two groups. Some bar particular people from possessing firearms at all, and a license to carry concealed deadly weapon (CCDW license) does not lift that bar. Others apply to every carrier, licensed or not, and reach the gun itself, the ammunition, and the place. A protective order against a licensee suspends the license and requires its surrender.

What we read: KRS 237.110(13)(k), on September 5, 2026.

Who these restrictions cover

The felon-in-possession statute names the class of person barred from possessing, manufacturing, or transporting a firearm.

• Convicted felon in any state or federal court who has not been granted a full pardon by the Governor or the President, and has not been granted relief by the United States Secretary of the Treasury, under KRS 527.040(1)

That statute reaches young people convicted as adults as well. KRS 527.040(3) applies it to any youthful offender convicted of a felony, and the exceptions for handgun possession by a minor do not apply to it.

Applying for a license runs into a second set of bars. To qualify for a Kentucky license, an applicant must meet ten statutory criteria under KRS 237.110(4), covering firearms eligibility, residency, age, substance use, child support compliance, prior convictions, training, and legal knowledge. The first of those criteria is federal: Kentucky ties license eligibility to the federal prohibitions in 18 U.S.C. 922(g) and 18 U.S.C. 922(n), and under KRS 237.110(3) the background check asks whether the applicant may lawfully purchase, receive, or possess a firearm under those sections, any other federal law, and state law.

A protective order also changes a licensee's status. When a domestic violence order or emergency protective order issues against a licensee, KRS 237.110(13)(k) requires the license to be surrendered, and it is suspended until the order terminates. Kentucky statute does not order a person under a domestic violence order or emergency protective order to surrender firearms; it requires the concealed carry license to be surrendered to the court or to the officer serving the order and suspends it while the order is in effect, and federal law separately bars possession under a qualifying order.

A mental health commitment creates a federal disability with a statutory path out. A person subject to that federal disability from a Kentucky commitment, finding, or adjudication may petition the court in which it occurred for relief under KRS 237.108(2), and the court must grant relief if a preponderance of the evidence shows the person is unlikely to be dangerous and relief would not be contrary to the public interest. Under KRS 237.108(4), once the petition is granted, the underlying order is deemed not to have occurred for purposes of 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(4).

Rules that apply with or without a license

These rules do not depend on holding a CCDW license. Two neighbouring subjects are covered elsewhere on this guide: where a firearm may not be carried at all is covered on the Prohibited Places page, and when force is justified is covered on the Use of Force page.

Under KRS 527.050(1) and KRS 527.050(2), knowingly possessing a firearm with a defaced serial number is a Class A misdemeanor, unless the possessor reports it to police or another appropriate government agency before arrest or authorization of a warrant.

KRS 527.080(1) makes it a separate felony offense to be armed with a firearm loaded with armor-piercing or flanged ammunition while committing any felony under the penal code. Under KRS 527.080(4), the provisions of that section shall not apply to any person who is justified in acting pursuant to the provisions of KRS Chapter 503.

A separate statute reaches the ammunition itself rather than the person carrying it. Under KRS 237.080, it is unlawful in Kentucky to knowingly manufacture, sell, deliver, transfer, or import armor-piercing ammunition.

KRS 244.125(1) bars possession of a loaded firearm while actually within the room of a licensed premises where alcoholic beverages are sold by the drink for consumption on the premises.

One rule runs the other direction and protects the carrier. During a declared disaster or emergency, or at any other time, no government may revoke, suspend, limit the use of, or otherwise impair the right to purchase, transfer, loan, own, possess, carry, or use a firearm, firearm part, ammunition, or other deadly weapon, under KRS 237.104(1).

Exceptions

The bar on loaded firearms in a drinking room has named exceptions. It does not apply to the premises' owner, manager, or employee, to law enforcement officers, to specially commissioned local peace officers, or to a qualifying bona fide restaurant, under KRS 244.125(2) and KRS 244.125(3).

The armor-piercing ammunition ban has named exceptions too. Under KRS 237.080(2), it does not apply to members of the Armed Forces of the United States or to law enforcement officers within the scope of their duties, and it does not prohibit licensed gun dealers from possessing armor-piercing ammunition for the purpose of receiving and transferring it to them.

The emergency-powers protection also has limits. It does not apply to a person in any of the following situations.

• Forbidden to possess a firearm pursuant to KRS 527.040, as listed in KRS 237.104(3)
• Forbidden to possess a firearm pursuant to federal law
• Violating KRS 527.020, another situation named in KRS 237.104(3)
• In possession of a stolen firearm
• Using a firearm in the commission of a separate criminal offense
• Using a firearm or other weapon in the commission of an offense under KRS Chapter 150

The defaced-firearm offense has its own exception built into the statute. A possessor who reports the defaced firearm to police or another appropriate government agency before arrest or before a warrant is authorized is not guilty under that section.

When a license is suspended or revoked

A CCDW license can be taken back, and the statute says on what terms. Under KRS 237.110(13)(a), the commissioner of the Department of Kentucky State Police must revoke the license of any person who becomes permanently ineligible to be issued a license or have a license renewed under the criteria set out in that section. Under KRS 237.110(13)(b), the commissioner must suspend the license of a person who becomes only temporarily ineligible, and the license stays suspended until that person is again eligible for the issuance or renewal of a license.

Two grounds run on their own. Under KRS 237.110(22)(i), a license holder who is convicted of, pleads guilty to, or enters an Alford plea to a felony offense has the license revoked by the Department of Kentucky State Police as a matter of law. Under KRS 237.110(22)(k), the Department must revoke the license of a person who received no firearms training as required by KRS 237.126 and administrative regulations, or who received insufficient training, whether the person admits it or it is proven at a hearing under KRS Chapter 13B.

Contesting either one starts with giving up the license. Under KRS 237.110(13)(d), a person who wants a hearing must surrender the license and petition the commissioner of the Department of Kentucky State Police to hold a hearing on the suspension or revocation. Under KRS 237.110(13)(e), that hearing is held in accordance with KRS Chapter 13B, and no hearing is scheduled or held while the license has not been surrendered. Under KRS 237.110(13)(h), if the license is not surrendered as ordered, the commissioner must order a peace officer to seize it and deliver it to the commissioner.

Under KRS 237.110(13)(f), a hearing officer who determines that the license was wrongly suspended or revoked must order the commissioner to return the license and abrogate the suspension or revocation, and under KRS 237.110(13)(g) any party may appeal a decision to the District Court in the licensee's county of residence, in the same manner as for the denial of a license.

Penalties

Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon is a Class D felony, or a Class C felony if the firearm is a handgun, under KRS 527.040(2)(a). Under KRS 527.040(2)(b), a felon convicted of another offense committed while possessing a firearm is penalized one class more severely for the possession offense if it is a second or subsequent violation.

The armor-piercing ammunition ban carries penalties of its own. Under KRS 237.080(3), a violation of that ban is a Class D felony for a first offense and a Class C felony for each later offense. Under KRS 237.080(4), armor-piercing ammunition transferred, sold, or offered for sale in violation of that section is contraband and must be seized and forfeited to the state.

Restrictions at a glance

What training or the license changes

A CCDW license does not change who may possess a firearm, and it does not change the rules on defaced firearms, restricted ammunition, or drinking rooms. Two things the license does change are named by statute.

• It extends concealed carry eligibility to people 18 to 20 years old through the provisional license under KRS 237.118(2)(a), while permitless carry under KRS 237.109 is open only to people 21 or older
• It gives the licensee the benefit of the reciprocity agreements the Department of Kentucky State Police negotiates under KRS 237.110(20), so other states recognize the Kentucky license

Frequently asked questions

Can I carry a loaded firearm into a bar in Kentucky?

KRS 244.125(1) bars possession of a loaded firearm while actually within the room where alcoholic beverages are sold by the drink for on-premises consumption. That section does not apply to the owner, manager, or employee of the licensed premises, to law enforcement officers, to specially commissioned local peace officers, or to a qualifying bona fide restaurant.

What happens to my CCDW license if a protective order is entered against me?

The holder surrenders the license to the court or to the officer serving the order, and the license is suspended until the order terminates. Kentucky statute does not order a person under a domestic violence order or emergency protective order to surrender firearms; it requires the concealed carry license to be surrendered to the court or to the officer serving the order and suspends it while the order is in effect, and federal law separately bars possession under a qualifying order.

Can the state take my firearm during a declared emergency?

No government may revoke, suspend, limit the use of, or otherwise impair the right to purchase, transfer, loan, own, possess, carry, or use a firearm, firearm part, ammunition, or other deadly weapon during a declared disaster or emergency or at any other time. Under KRS 237.104(3), that protection does not apply to a person forbidden to possess a firearm pursuant to KRS 527.040 or federal law, or in possession of a stolen firearm.

I bought a used handgun and the serial number is scratched off. What should I do?

Knowingly possessing a firearm with a defaced serial number is a Class A misdemeanor, unless the possessor reports it to police or another appropriate government agency before arrest or before a warrant is authorized.

Does the felon-in-possession law apply to someone convicted as a youthful offender?

KRS 527.040(3) applies the statute to any youthful offender convicted of a felony, and the exceptions for handgun possession by a minor do not apply to it.

How long does a firearm disability from a mental health commitment last?

The disability lasts until a court grants a petition for relief, at which point the underlying order is deemed not to have occurred for purposes of 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(4). The petition goes to the court in which the commitment, finding, or adjudication occurred, and the court must grant it on a preponderance showing that the person is unlikely to be dangerous and that relief is not contrary to the public interest.

What is the penalty for a felon caught with a gun in Kentucky?

The base offense is a Class D felony, or a Class C felony if the firearm is a handgun. A felon convicted of another offense committed while possessing a firearm is penalized one class more severely for the possession offense if it is a second or subsequent violation.

NFA items in Kentucky

Kentucky adds no state step to acquiring an NFA item: the federal transfer or making process applies, and when federal law or regulation requires a chief law enforcement officer certification, the sheriff must provide it within 15 days of the request to an applicant who is not prohibited from possessing the firearm, under KRS 237.075(2)(a). Kentucky has no state registration or licensing requirement for these firearms.

Who this affects

This section is for a Kentucky resident working through the federal process for a firearm the National Firearms Act regulates, such as a suppressor, a short-barreled rifle or shotgun, or a machine gun. Kentucky has no state registration or licensing requirement for NFA items, and KRS 237.075(2)(a) only designates the sheriff of the applicant's county as the chief law enforcement officer for the federal certification the federal form calls for.

The rule

When a chief law enforcement officer's certification is required by federal law or regulation for the transfer or making of a firearm, the sheriff must provide that certification within 15 days of receiving the request if the applicant is not prohibited by law from receiving or possessing the firearm, under KRS 237.075(2)(a).

One other part of Kentucky law reaches devices rather than firearms. Under KRS 237.030(1), a "destructive device" means any explosive, incendiary, or poison gas bomb, grenade, mine, rocket, missile, or similar device, and includes the unassembled components from which such a device can be made.

What Kentucky does not regulate

• Suppressors: Kentucky has no state statute that bans, registers, or licenses suppressors, and KRS 237.075 addresses only the federal certification step
• Short-barreled rifles and shotguns: Kentucky has no state statute that bans, registers, or licenses short-barreled rifles or shotguns
• Machine guns: Kentucky has no state statute that bans, registers, or licenses machine guns
• Any other weapon the National Firearms Act reaches: Kentucky has no state statute that bans, registers, or licenses other NFA-regulated weapons
• A state penalty for possessing one: Kentucky has no state statute that bans, registers, or licenses possession of NFA items

Exceptions

Kentucky's destructive-device and booby-trap prohibitions in KRS 237.030 to 237.050 do not apply to any device that is lawfully possessed under the Gun Control Act of 1968, the Organized Crime Control Act of 1971, or any other law of the United States or this state, unless a crime is committed with it, under KRS 237.050(2).

Rules at a glance

Frequently asked questions

Are suppressors and short-barreled rifles legal in Kentucky?

Kentucky has no state statute that bans, registers, or licenses suppressors. It has no state statute that bans, registers, or licenses short-barreled rifles or shotguns either. The federal transfer or making process still applies, and when federal law or regulation requires a chief law enforcement officer certification the sheriff must provide it within 15 days of the request to an applicant who is not prohibited from possessing the firearm.

Does Kentucky require its own permit or registration for an NFA item?

Kentucky adds no state step to acquiring an NFA item: the federal transfer or making process applies, and when federal law or regulation requires a chief law enforcement officer certification, the sheriff must provide it within 15 days of the request to an applicant who is not prohibited from possessing the firearm.

How long does the sheriff have to sign the certification?

The sheriff must act within 15 days of receiving a request for certification and provide the certification if the applicant is not prohibited by law from receiving or possessing the firearm. Kentucky has no state registration or licensing requirement of its own here, and the sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer the federal certification form calls for.

Is a destructive device automatically illegal in Kentucky?

KRS 237.030(1) defines a destructive device as any explosive, incendiary, or poison gas bomb, grenade, mine, rocket, missile, or similar device, including the unassembled components from which such a device can be made. Those prohibitions do not reach a device lawfully possessed under the Gun Control Act of 1968, the Organized Crime Control Act of 1971, or any other federal or state law, unless a crime is committed with it.

Who is barred from receiving one of these firearms?

A person convicted of a felony in any state or federal court is barred from possessing, manufacturing, or transporting a firearm unless pardoned or granted federal relief:

• Convicted felon (state or federal court) who has not been pardoned or granted federal relief, under KRS 527.040(1)

Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon is a Class D felony, or a Class C felony if the firearm is a handgun, under KRS 527.040(2)(a).

Red flag orders in Kentucky

Kentucky has no red flag law: no extreme risk protection order statute exists here. No family member or police officer may petition to disarm someone, because Kentucky created no such order. A domestic violence order or emergency protective order does cost a license holder the license to carry concealed deadly weapon (CCDW license) until the order ends. Kentucky reports mental health commitments to the national background check database instead, with a court petition for relief.

Who may petition: no one

No one. Kentucky names no petitioner for an extreme risk protection order, because it has created no such order to petition for. No relative, household member, doctor, prosecutor, or peace officer is given a route to ask a Kentucky court to take a person's firearms on a finding of dangerousness.

The rule

With no order, the machinery that would surround one is absent as well. Kentucky sets no standard for a court to apply before entering such an order. It provides no way for a court to enter one without notice to the respondent. It fixes no term for one, neither an initial period nor a final period. It commands no surrender of firearms or of a carry license under such an order, no compliance check, and no return of property when one ends. It gives a respondent no motion to terminate, modify, or appeal one, and a petitioner no way to extend one. And it sets no penalty for violating one, for filing a false petition, or for giving a firearm to a person one restrains.

Exceptions and what Kentucky uses instead

A protective order costs you the license. Kentucky statute does not order a person under a domestic violence order or emergency protective order to surrender firearms, and what it does require is that the concealed carry license be surrendered to the court or to the officer serving the order and suspended while the order is in effect, under KRS 237.110(13)(k). The license stays suspended until the order terminates.

A mental health commitment is reported. Kentucky's answer to a person a court has found dangerous is mandatory reporting of the commitment for inclusion in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System database, with a judicial petition process for relief, under KRS 237.108(1). A person subject to the resulting federal firearm disability may petition the court in which the commitment, finding, or adjudication occurred to remove it, and the court must grant relief if a preponderance of the evidence shows the person is unlikely to be dangerous and relief would not be contrary to the public interest, under KRS 237.108(2). That disability continues until a court grants the petition, at which point the order, finding, or adjudication is deemed not to have occurred for that purpose, under KRS 237.108(4).

Element by element

Common questions

Does Kentucky have a red flag law?

No. Kentucky has no extreme risk protection order statute.

Can a relative or a police officer petition to have my firearms taken?

Not through a red flag order. Kentucky has created none and names no one who may seek one.

Could a judge enter one against me before I get a hearing?

Kentucky provides no such order entered without notice to the respondent, and no route for a respondent to terminate, modify, or appeal one.

What happens to my CCDW license if a protective order is entered against me?

You surrender it to the court or to the officer serving the order, and it is suspended until the order terminates. Kentucky statute does not itself order you to surrender firearms.

What does Kentucky do after a mental health commitment?

The commitment is reported for inclusion in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System database, and a petition process exists for relief. You may petition the court in which the commitment, finding, or adjudication occurred to remove the federal firearm disability, and the court must grant relief on a preponderance showing that you are unlikely to be dangerous and that relief would not be contrary to the public interest.

Does that disability ever end?

It continues until a court grants the petition for relief, and then the order, finding, or adjudication is deemed not to have occurred for that purpose.

Preemption

Kentucky reserves firearm regulation to the state, so a city or county cannot write its own gun rules. A local ordinance, executive order, administrative regulation, policy, procedure, or rule that violates the preemption statute is null, void, and unenforceable. A person or organization adversely affected may sue for declaratory and injunctive relief, and the prevailing party is entitled to attorney's fees, costs, and expert witness fees.

Who the preemption law binds

The bar reaches every existing or future city, county, urban-county government, charter county, consolidated local government, unified local government, special district, local or regional public or quasi-public agency, board, commission, department, and public corporation, under KRS 65.870(1). It reaches any person acting under the authority of one of those organizations as well, so an official is no freer to regulate than the body that official serves.

The rule

No local unit may occupy any part of the field of firearm regulation. Local governments are barred from regulating firearms, ammunition, or their carrying. Carrying is one of the subjects the statute names.

KRS 65.870(1) reserves these subjects, as to firearms, ammunition, components of firearms, components of ammunition, and firearms accessories, to the state:

• manufacture
• sale
• purchase
• taxation
• transfer
• ownership
• possession
• carrying
• storage
• transportation

Any executive or legislative action that violates the statute is null, void, and unenforceable under KRS 65.870(2).

The General Assembly made the same choice for concealed carry licensing. It found that statewide uniform standards are needed for issuing licenses to carry concealed firearms, and it did not delegate to the Department of Kentucky State Police the authority to regulate or restrict the issuing of those licenses beyond what the statute itself provides, under KRS 237.110(19).

Exceptions

The preemption statute carries one carve-out of its own:

• Regulation of a reserved subject where another statute specifically authorizes or directs the local agency or person to regulate it, under KRS 65.870(7)

The plainest example of such a statute is the government-building authority, which sits outside KRS 65.870. KRS 237.115(2) lets a state, city, county, or urban-county legislative body prohibit or limit the carrying of concealed deadly weapons in the portion of a building it owns, leases, or controls, requires signs posted at the entrance of the restricted area, and forbids any criminal penalty for a violation.

Remedies and deadlines

What training or the license changes

The CCDW license adds two things that permitless carry alone does not provide.

• It extends concealed carry eligibility to people 18 to 20 years old through the provisional license under KRS 237.118(2)(a), while permitless carry under KRS 237.109 is open only to people 21 or older
• It gives the licensee the benefit of the reciprocity agreements the Department of Kentucky State Police negotiates under KRS 237.110(20), so other states recognize the Kentucky license

Common questions

Can my city pass its own concealed carry ordinance?

Not a general one. Cities, counties, and other local units are barred from regulating firearms, ammunition, or their carrying, and the state occupies the entire field of firearm regulation. The narrow thing a city legislative body may still do by ordinance is prohibit or limit the carrying of concealed deadly weapons in the portion of a building it owns, leases, or controls, under KRS 237.115(2).

What if my county still has an old gun ordinance on the books?

An ordinance, executive order, administrative regulation, policy, procedure, or rule that violates the preemption statute is null, void, and unenforceable. Local governments were given six months after the July 12, 2012 effective date to repeal, rescind, or amend such an action.

Can a city keep me from carrying inside city hall?

Yes, within limits. A city legislative body may prohibit or limit the carrying of concealed deadly weapons only in the portion of a building it owns, leases, or controls, must post signs at the entrance of that area, and cannot attach a criminal penalty to a violation.

Does preemption override a store's no-guns sign?

No. A private business may prohibit concealed carry on its premises and must post signs if the premises are open to the public, and violating a posted ban is not a crime but is grounds for denial of entry or removal.

Can a local government ban open carry downtown?

Carrying is one of the reserved subjects, so local units cannot regulate it. Kentucky has no statute that prohibits carrying a firearm openly, so an adult who may lawfully possess a firearm may carry it openly without a license. Open handgun carry is limited to people 18 and older.

Who pays if I win a preemption lawsuit?

A court must award the prevailing party reasonable attorney's fees and costs, plus expert witness fees and expenses. The suit itself seeks declaratory and injunctive relief, and a court that finds a violation must issue a permanent injunction against enforcement.

Reciprocity

Kentucky honors a valid concealed deadly weapon license from any other state, so a visiting license holder may carry concealed here KRS 237.110(20)(a). Kentucky also allows carry without a license at age 21 or older for anyone who may lawfully possess a firearm KRS 237.109(1). A license to carry concealed deadly weapon (CCDW license) matters most when you leave the state.

Who this applies to

This unit is for three readers. The first is a visitor who holds a license issued by another state and wants to carry while in Kentucky. The second is someone who has just moved to Kentucky and still holds the old state's license. The third is a Kentucky CCDW license holder planning to drive or travel into another state.

The rule

Inbound recognition is broad. Kentucky treats a valid out-of-state concealed deadly weapon license as valid here, and the holder may carry a concealed deadly weapon in Kentucky on that license.

Outbound recognition works differently, because another state decides whether it honors your Kentucky card. The Department of Kentucky State Police must annually contact other states seeking permission for Kentucky license holders to carry there, and must enter a written reciprocity agreement with each state that agrees KRS 237.110(20). The inquiry asks each state's licensing authority whether a Kentucky concealed carry license will be honored or accepted there, unless a written reciprocity agreement already covers that state KRS 237.110. State police must repeat that contact at least every twelve months unless a formal written agreement is already in force KRS 237.110(20)(e).

Exceptions and special situations

A person moving to Kentucky may keep using a valid out-of-state license from a state that has a reciprocity agreement with Kentucky for up to 120 days after establishing residency KRS 237.110(20)(b). That grace period depends on a filing step: the new resident must complete the required notarized form within 60 days of moving to Kentucky.

Carry documents matter on a traffic stop. A licensee must carry the license at all times while carrying a concealed firearm or other deadly weapon and must display it upon request of a law enforcement officer, and a violation is a noncriminal violation with a penalty of $25 KRS 237.110(15). A separate rule applies to one document type.

• Temporary permit, which the holder must carry at all times while carrying a concealed firearm or other deadly weapon KRS 403.754(9)

Reciprocity rules at a glance

What training or the license changes

The differences below apply to a person who holds a CCDW license rather than carrying without one.

• It extends concealed carry eligibility to 18 to 20 year olds through the provisional license, while permitless carry under KRS 237.109 requires being 21 or older KRS 237.118(2)(a)
• It gives the licensee the benefit of the reciprocity agreements state police negotiate, so other states recognize the Kentucky license

Frequently asked questions

Does Kentucky recognize my concealed carry license from another state?

Yes. Kentucky treats a valid out-of-state concealed deadly weapon license as valid, and you may carry a concealed deadly weapon in Kentucky on it.

I just moved here. How long can I use my old state's license?

You may treat the old license as valid for the first 120 days of Kentucky residency, if the old state has a reciprocity agreement with Kentucky. You must complete the required notarized form within 60 days of the move.

Will my Kentucky CCDW license be honored in another state?

That depends on the other state. Kentucky State Police must ask each state's licensing authority whether a Kentucky license will be honored or accepted, unless a written reciprocity agreement already covers that state. Where a state agrees, state police must enter a written reciprocity agreement with that state's agency.

How often is the reciprocity list checked?

State police must contact each other state at least every twelve months, unless a formal written reciprocity agreement is already in force with that state.

Do I need a license at all to carry concealed in Kentucky?

Not if you are 21 or older and otherwise able to lawfully possess a firearm. The license still governs recognition in other states.

Do I have to show my license to an officer?

Yes. A licensee must carry the license while carrying concealed and display it upon request of a law enforcement officer, and failure is a noncriminal violation with a penalty of $25.

Resources

This page is the directory for the rest of the Kentucky guide. It names the agency that issues the license, the office that takes a paper application, the statutes the other pages quote, and the state pages for applying and for training. Each statute below links to the Kentucky General Assembly's own page for that section, and the closing list links to every other page in this guide.

The agency and its pages

The Department of Kentucky State Police is the state agency that receives electronic applications for the license to carry concealed deadly weapon (CCDW license) and administers the license, under KRS 237.110(7). A paper application is filed with the office of the sheriff in the county in which the person resides, under KRS 237.110(7).

The department's own pages for the license:

• Concealed carry landing page
• Concealed deadly weapon home page
• Online application portal
• Paper application process
• Reciprocity page
• Forms and downloads
• Frequently asked questions

Kentucky law provides a separate provisional license for applicants who are at least 18 but not yet 21. The Department of Kentucky State Police is required to issue provisional licenses, effective July 15, 2026. The department is not yet accepting applications from 18 to 20 year olds, and its concealed carry page says the online application portal is expected to be updated this fall and will then begin accepting applications from eligible individuals ages 18 to 20.

The statutes behind this guide

Where the class comes from

Training for the license must be taught by a firearms instructor certified by a national organization with membership open to residents, or be a course offered or approved by the Department of Criminal Justice Training, under KRS 237.110(4)(i). That department's concealed deadly weapons program page is the state page for the program.

Every other page in this guide

• Overview
• Permit basics
• Permitless carry
• Open carry
• Training requirements
• How to apply
• Fees and costs
• Renewal
• Prohibited places
• Vehicle carry
• Transport
• Use of force
• Castle doctrine
• Duty to inform
• Carrying under the influence
• Weapon restrictions
• NFA items
• State preemption
• Reciprocity

Frequently Asked Questions

You can carry a concealed handgun in Kentucky at age 21 without any license, if you may lawfully possess a firearm. Someone carrying without a license may carry in the same locations as a person holding a valid license. The Department of Kentucky State Police is still authorized to issue and renew the license to carry concealed deadly weapon (CCDW license). The answers below cover fees, training, places, vehicles, and stops.

Does Kentucky require a license to carry a concealed handgun?

No. Persons age 21 or older who are otherwise able to lawfully possess a firearm may carry concealed deadly weapons without a license under KRS 237.109(1). That authorization took effect June 27, 2019, and the statute titles it carrying concealed deadly weapons without a license. See also: permitless carry.

What does a CCDW license add that permitless carry does not?

The license extends concealed carry eligibility to people ages 18 through 20 through the provisional license, while permitless carry requires being 21 or older. It also gives the licensee the benefit of the written reciprocity agreement the Department of Kentucky State Police enters into with the appropriate agency in each state that agrees to permit Kentucky residents to carry concealed deadly weapons in the other state on the basis of a Kentucky-issued concealed deadly weapon license. See also: permit basics.

Is the 18 to 20 provisional license available yet?

Under KRS 237.118(2), the Department of Kentucky State Police shall issue provisional licenses, effective July 15, 2026, and the minimum age for one is 18. The department is not yet accepting those applications, and its concealed carry page says the online application portal is expected to be updated this fall and will then begin accepting applications from eligible individuals ages 18 to 20. A provisional license is valid until the holder turns 21. See also: permit basics.

What do I do when a provisional license runs out at 21?

Kentucky State Police must mail the switch notice not less than 90 days before the provisional license expires, under KRS 237.118(6)(a). A holder who does not apply to switch within six months of expiration must apply as a new applicant, under KRS 237.118(6)(f). A provisional licensee who switches is not required to retake the firearms training, under KRS 237.118(6)(g). See also: renewal process.

Is Kentucky a shall-issue state?

Yes. Under KRS 237.110(19), no person who qualifies may be denied a license. A citizen applicant must generally be a Kentucky resident, though active-duty military posted here and lawfully admitted aliens residing here may also qualify, under KRS 237.110(4)(b). See also: permit basics.

What does the license cost, and where do I file?

A paper application or renewal fee is $60, and the paper application goes to the office of the sheriff in the county where you reside, under KRS 237.110(7). An electronic application or renewal fee is $70, and the electronic application goes to the Department of Kentucky State Police. Certain active and retired peace officers are exempt from the paper or electronic application or renewal fees, under KRS 237.110(7)(d). See also: fees and costs.

How long does the state take to decide?

Under KRS 237.110(9), an electronic application must be granted or denied within 15 business days of receipt of the required items, and a paper application within 60 days. A denied applicant may seek de novo review of the denial in the District Court of his or her place of residence within 90 days of the denial letter, under KRS 237.110(9)(b). See also: application process.

How long is a license good for, and what does renewing cost?

A license is valid for five years from issuance, under KRS 237.110(2)(b). Kentucky State Police mails a renewal notice not less than 120 days before expiration, under KRS 237.110(14)(a). Renewing after the expiration date adds a $15 late fee to the license fees, and no license may be renewed six months or more after its expiration date, when it is deemed permanently expired, under KRS 237.110(14)(c). See also: renewal process.

What does replacing a lost license cost?

Replacement costs $15 for a paper request, under KRS 237.110(12). Replacement costs $25 for an electronic request submitted in lieu of a paper request. See also: fees and costs.

What training does a first-time applicant have to take?

An applicant must complete a qualifying firearms training course before the license issues, under KRS 237.110(4)(i). The approved course is not more than eight hours in length and covers instruction on handguns and marksmanship principles, actual range firing, and a copy of the laws on carrying firearms and the use of force. The live-fire portion is not more than 20 rounds at a full-size silhouette target, under KRS 237.110(4)(i)3. See also: training requirements.

At a traffic stop, do I have to say I am armed?

Kentucky imposes no duty to tell a law enforcement officer that you are carrying a concealed weapon; the licensee must carry the license while carrying concealed and display it upon an officer's request, and the statute requires nothing more. Failing to carry or display the license is a noncriminal violation with a $25 penalty and no court costs. See also: duty to inform.

Where does a license not let me carry?

A license does not authorize carrying into police stations and sheriffs' offices, detention facilities, prisons and jails, courthouses and court proceedings, certain governing body meetings, the alcohol service area of a licensed premises, elementary and secondary schools and child-care facilities, secured areas of an airport, or any place federal law prohibits, under KRS 237.110(16). A person carrying without a license may carry in the same locations as a person holding a valid license. See also: prohibited places.

Can I carry into a bar or a restaurant that serves alcohol?

State law bars possession of a loaded firearm in the room of a licensed premises where alcohol is sold by the drink for on-site consumption, with exceptions for staff, law enforcement, and qualifying restaurants, under KRS 244.125(1). Separately, a license does not authorize concealed carry in the portion of an establishment licensed to dispense beer or alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption that is primarily devoted to that purpose. See also: carrying under the influence.

Is there a blood alcohol limit for carrying in Kentucky?

Kentucky has no statute that sets a blood alcohol threshold for carrying and no offense of carrying a firearm while intoxicated, and KRS 527.020, the carrying statute, defines the offense of carrying a concealed weapon with no intoxication element. The rule about the room where alcohol is sold by the drink still applies whether or not you have had a drink. See also: carrying under the influence.

Can a store or a city ban guns where I want to carry?

The owner or manager of a private business enterprise may prohibit concealed carry on the premises, and if the premises are open to the public it shall post signs, under KRS 237.110(17). Carrying past such a sign is not a criminal act but may subject the person to denial of entry or removal from the premises. A city or county is a different matter, because Kentucky preempts local governments from regulating the manufacture, sale, purchase, transfer, ownership, possession, carrying, storage, or transportation of firearms and ammunition, and declares any conflicting local ordinance null and void, under KRS 65.870(1). See also: prohibited places and preemption.

Can my employer keep me from leaving a gun locked in my car?

Under KRS 237.106(1), no property owner, lessee, occupant, or employer may prohibit a person legally entitled to possess a firearm from keeping a firearm, part of a firearm, ammunition, or ammunition component in a vehicle on the property. An employer that fires, disciplines, demotes, or otherwise punishes an employee for lawfully exercising that right is liable in civil damages, under KRS 237.106(4). See also: vehicle carry.

Is a handgun in my glove box treated as concealed?

No. Under KRS 527.020(8), a loaded or unloaded firearm in a factory-installed glove compartment, center console, seat pocket, or other enclosed container is not deemed concealed. That rule in KRS 527.020(8) does not apply to a person prohibited from possessing a firearm under KRS 527.040. See also: transport.

I am visiting from another state. Is my carry license good here?

Yes. Under KRS 237.110(20)(a), a valid license from another state is considered valid for carrying concealed in Kentucky. A person moving here may use a valid out-of-state license from a reciprocity-agreement state for the first 120 days of Kentucky residency, if within 60 days of moving to Kentucky the person completes the required notarized form, under KRS 237.110(20)(b). See also: reciprocity.

Does Kentucky require me to retreat before defending myself?

No. Under KRS 503.050(4), a person does not have a duty to retreat prior to the use of deadly physical force. Deadly physical force is justifiable only when the defendant believes it is necessary to protect himself against death, serious physical injury, kidnapping, sexual intercourse compelled by force or threat, or a felony involving the use of force, or under those circumstances permitted pursuant to KRS 503.055, under KRS 503.050(2). See also: use of force.

Am I protected from being charged or sued if the force was lawful?

Under KRS 503.085(1), a person who uses force as permitted is immune from criminal prosecution and civil action for that use of force. That immunity does not apply where force was used against an identified peace officer acting in the performance of official duties. See also: castle doctrine.