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,...
Reviewed by Will Luker, Founder of CCW Hub. USCCA Training Counselor, USCCA Certified Instructor, NRA Certified Instructor, Law Enforcement.
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 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:
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.
| Statute | What it sets |
|---|---|
| KRS 237.109(1) | Persons age 21 or older who may lawfully possess a firearm may carry concealed deadly weapons without a license |
| KRS 237.110 | Names the license to carry concealed deadly weapon and covers its criteria and training |
| KRS 237.110(20) | Kentucky honors a valid concealed deadly weapon license issued by any other state |
| KRS 237.115(2) | A local government may limit concealed carry only in the portion of a building it occupies, must post signs at that area, and may not specify a criminal penalty |
| KRS 237.118(2) | The provisional license, issued to applicants who are at least 18 but not yet 21 |
| 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 in violation of the section |
| KRS 527.040(1) | A person convicted of a felony in any state or federal court may not possess, manufacture, or transport a firearm unless pardoned or granted federal relief |
| KRS 503.050(2) | Deadly physical force in self protection is justified only when the person believes it necessary to protect against death, serious physical injury, kidnapping, sexual intercourse compelled by force or threat, or a felony involving the use of force |
| 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 unlawfully and forcibly entering or who had entered a dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle |
| KRS 503.085(1) | Immunity from criminal prosecution and civil action for force used as permitted by the justification statutes, unless the person against whom the force was used is an identified peace officer acting in the performance of official duties |
| KRS 65.870(1) | No city, county, or other local government may occupy any part of the field of firearm regulation |
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.
This page covers one part of our Kentucky concealed carry guide.
Read the complete Kentucky guideBrowse local instructors offering state-approved training in your area. Book online, complete your training, and get one step closer to your concealed carry permit.