Kentucky CCDW License Application Process

You apply for a Kentucky concealed deadly weapon license one of two ways: on paper at the sheriff's office in your county of residence for $60, or electronically to the Kentucky State Police for $70. Either way, KSP is the issuing agency, KSP runs the background check, and KSP has a statutory deadline to say yes or no. That deadline is 60 days for a paper application and 15 business days for an electronic one under KRS 237.110(9).

You do not need a license to carry concealed in Kentucky if you are 21 or older. KRS 237.109 has allowed permitless concealed carry for anyone 21 or older who can lawfully possess a firearm since June 27, 2019, in the same locations a licensee may carry. People apply anyway for reciprocity in other states, for the dealer-purchase benefit, and for the training. If you are 18, 19, or 20, permitless carry is not available to you and a license is the only lawful route to concealed carry. Read the provisional license section below.

Two recent changes that make older application guidance wrong

2025 Ky. Acts ch. 59, sec. 7, effective July 1, 2025 rewrote most of KRS 237.110. It added the $70 electronic application track, split the fee allocation four ways, opened the training requirement to instructors certified by national organizations, added a new legal-handout requirement, put hard deadlines on KSP's decision, and moved child support notifications from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to the Office of the Attorney General.

2026 Ky. Acts ch. 173 (House Bill 312) created KRS 237.118, effective July 15, 2026. It authorizes KSP to issue provisional licenses to applicants who are 18 but younger than 21. Governor Beshear vetoed the bill on April 3, 2026. The House overrode the veto 81-18 and the Senate overrode it 28-9 on April 14, 2026.

KSP's own application page has not been updated for either change. It still lists only the $60 paper fee and still describes the training requirement as a course "offered or approved by the Department of Criminal Justice Training." Where this section and the KSP page disagree, the statute controls. The disagreements are listed at the end.

Step by step: the standard license (age 21 and up)

1. Complete a qualifying firearms course first

You need proof of training before you file. Under KRS 237.110(4)(i) you can satisfy the requirement two ways:

• A firearms safety or training course conducted by an instructor certified by a national organization that promotes firearms education, safety, and the profession of firearms use and training, and that certifies instructors using written tests, in person instruction, and a live-fire component. The statute names the National Rifle Association, the United States Concealed Carry Association, and the National Shooting Sports Foundation, and says the list is not exclusive.
• Any firearms safety course offered or approved by the Department of Criminal Justice Training. A DOCJT course runs no more than eight hours, covers handguns, safe use, care and cleaning, and marksmanship principles, includes live range fire of no more than 20 rounds at a full-size silhouette with at least 11 hits on the silhouette, and includes a copy of the laws in KRS Chapters 237 and 527 and the use of force laws in KRS Chapter 503.

For the DOCJT route, DOCJT says the instructor mails your application form and test answer sheet to the DOCJT CCDW office within five business days, and DOCJT sends a Certificate of Completion of Training within 15 business days if you passed. The certificate is good for life. You never have to repeat the course.

Your local sheriff's office keeps a list of certified instructors in your area. DOCJT also publishes a certified instructor and trainer list.

2. Pick paper or electronic

Where the money goes, under KRS 237.110(7)(b)3. and (7)(c)2.:

• Paper $60: $20 stays with the sheriff for office expenses, $20 goes to KSP with the application, $10 goes to the Administrative Office of the Courts for youth leader background checks, and $10 goes to the AOC for concealed weapons applicant background checks.
• Electronic $70: $30 stays with KSP, $20 goes to the sheriff of your county of residence, $10 goes to the AOC for youth leader background checks, and $10 goes to the AOC for concealed weapon carry permit background checks.

KSP's paper instructions ask for the fee in two pieces: $20 to the sheriff of your county of residence, and a check or money order for $40 payable to the Kentucky State Treasurer. KSP warns that an application not accompanied by the $40 check or money order will be returned unprocessed to the sheriff of your county of residence.

Fee exemption. Under KRS 237.110(7)(d), no paper or electronic application or renewal fee is charged to a full-time or part-time peace officer currently certified by the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council who is authorized by his or her employer or government authority to carry concealed at all times and all locations in the Commonwealth under KRS 527.020, or to 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 Kentucky city, county, or urban-county government. KSP's page cites this exemption to KRS 237.110(7), which was the correct subdivision before the 2025 renumbering.

3. Fill out the application under oath

KRS 237.110(7)(e) requires the application, paper or electronic, to be completed under oath on a form or in a manner KSP prescribes by administrative regulation, and to include:

1. Your name, address, place and date of birth, citizenship, gender, and Social Security number. If you are not a U.S. citizen, also your alien registration number if applicable, passport number, visa number, mother's maiden name, and other information needed to determine immigration status and federal firearm-purchase eligibility.
2. A statement that to the best of your knowledge you comply with the criteria in KRS 237.110(3) and (4).
3. For applicants claiming the military training exemption, a statement that you provided one of the accepted service forms, or documentary evidence of an honorable discharge plus a notarized affidavit on a KSP form.
4. A statement that you have been furnished a copy of KRS 237.110 and are knowledgeable about its provisions.
5. A statement that you have been furnished a copy of, have read, and understand KRS Chapter 503 as it applies to the use of deadly force for self-defense in Kentucky.
6. A conspicuous warning that the application is executed under oath and that a materially false answer, or a materially false document, subjects you to criminal prosecution under KRS 523.030.

4. Submit the supporting documents

Under KRS 237.110(8), you submit to the sheriff of your county of residence or county of military posting (paper), or to KSP (electronic):

• The completed application.
• A recent color photograph, as prescribed by administrative regulation.
• Proof of training. Under KRS 237.110(5)(a), a legible photocopy or electronic copy of a certificate of completion issued by a firearms instructor certified by a national organization or by DOCJT is evidence of qualification.
• Proof of a training exemption, if you are claiming one under KRS 237.110(6).
• Immigration documentation, if you are not a U.S. citizen and were lawfully admitted to the United States. KRS 237.110(8)(e) requires an affidavit prescribed by administrative regulation plus your Permanent Resident Card I-551 or successor, other U.S. government evidence of lawful admission showing the category of admission, and evidence of compliance with 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(5), 922(d)(5), or 922(y)(2) and 27 C.F.R. pt. 178. That can include evidence of 90 days of residence in the Commonwealth or a valid current Kentucky hunting license if you are claiming the hunter exemption. If you present identification under this paragraph, the sheriff examines it, may record information from it, and returns it to you.

KSP's paper instructions add operational detail the statute leaves to regulation. On the photograph, KSP accepts any one of:

• An original color photograph, or a color photographic copy developed from the negative of an original, no smaller than 3 1/2 inches by 4 inches and no larger than 4 inches by 6 inches.
• A color photograph from a digital camera rated at 7 megapixels or greater, printed on photograph quality paper.
• An original color passport style photograph, 2 inches by 2 inches, measuring between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head.

The photograph has to show the full front of your head and your facial features. Do not wear sunglasses, a hat, or attire that obscures a facial feature, your hair, or your hairline.

On citizenship, KSP directs non-citizens to complete the Citizenship Affidavit (KSP Form 131) and submit it to the sheriff of the county of residence to be attached to the application.

5. Include the use of force handout and signed statement

This requirement is new and is easy to miss. KRS 237.110(4)(j) conditions issuance on the applicant demonstrating knowledge of the law on justifiable use of force by including with the application a copy of the concealed carry deadly weapons legal handout made available by the Department of Criminal Justice Training, together with a signed statement that the applicant has read and understands the handout. KSP's application page does not mention it.

6. The sheriff forwards the paper application within five working days

KRS 237.110(7)(b)2. gives the sheriff five working days to transmit a paper application and the accompanying material to KSP. Electronic applications go straight to KSP.

7. KSP runs the background check

Under KRS 237.110(3), on receipt of a completed application, the applicable fees, and any required documentation, KSP conducts a background check to determine whether you are eligible under 18 U.S.C. 922(g) and (n), any other applicable federal law, and state law to purchase, receive, or possess a firearm or ammunition. The check includes:

• A state records check covering the items specified in the statute.
• A federal records check that includes a National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) query.
• A federal Immigration Alien Query if you are an alien lawfully admitted to the United States.
• For an applicant who has not been lawfully admitted under permanent resident status, and where a doubt exists about eligibility to purchase a firearm, consultation with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of State, or another federal agency.

DOCJT tells applicants the background check takes roughly three to six weeks in practice, and that permits are not mailed to applicants' homes. DOCJT says you receive a notification of the date your permit will be available at your sheriff's office and should bring the notification with you. Treat those as workflow expectations, not legal deadlines. The legal deadlines are in the next step.

8. KSP issues or denies

KRS 237.110(9) requires KSP, within 60 days of receiving the KRS 237.110(8) items on a paper application, or within 15 business days on an electronic application, to either issue the license or deny it. A denial may rest solely on a failure to qualify under KRS 237.110(3) or (4).

If KSP denies:

1. KSP notifies you in writing, states the grounds, and tells you that you may submit additional documentation relating to those grounds within 30 days.
2. On receiving additional documentation, KSP reconsiders and informs you of the result within 20 days.
3. You may seek de novo review of the denial in the District Court of your place of residence within 90 days from the date of the letter advising you of the denial.

Who qualifies

KRS 237.110(4) directs KSP to issue an original or renewal license if the applicant:

• Is not prohibited from purchasing, receiving, or possessing firearms or ammunition under 18 U.S.C. 922(g), 18 U.S.C. 922(n), or applicable federal or state law.
• Meets one of four status tests: a U.S. citizen who is a Kentucky resident; a U.S. citizen on active duty in the Armed Forces who is at the time of application assigned to a military posting in Kentucky; a person lawfully admitted to the United States who is permitted by federal law to purchase a firearm and is a Kentucky resident; or a person lawfully admitted to the United States who is permitted by federal law to purchase a firearm and is at the time of application assigned to a posting in the Commonwealth.
• Is 21 or older. KRS 237.118 sets this criterion aside for provisional applicants and nothing else.
• Has not been committed to a state or federal facility for controlled substance abuse, and has not been convicted of a misdemeanor violation of KRS Chapter 218A or a similar out-of-state law, within the three years before the application.
• Does not chronically and habitually use alcoholic beverages, shown by two or more convictions under KRS 189A.010 within the preceding three years, or a commitment as an alcoholic under KRS Chapter 222 or a similar out-of-state law within the preceding three years.
• Does not owe a child support arrearage equal to or exceeding one year of nonpayment, if KSP has been notified of the arrearage by the Office of the Attorney General.
• Has complied with any subpoena or warrant relating to child support or paternity proceedings. If the Office of the Attorney General has not notified KSP of a failure, KSP assumes paternity and child support proceedings are not an issue.
• Has not been convicted of KRS 508.030 (assault in the fourth degree) or KRS 508.080 (terroristic threatening in the third degree) within the preceding three years. The KSP commissioner may waive this on good cause shown and a determination that the applicant is not a danger and that a waiver would not violate federal law.
• Completes qualifying firearms training under KRS 237.110(4)(i).
• Submits the DOCJT legal handout and signed statement under KRS 237.110(4)(j).

Several disqualifiers people expect to find in KRS 237.110(4) live in federal law instead and reach you through the first bullet. KSP's qualifications page spells them out: being under indictment for or convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year, being a fugitive from justice, being an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance, having been adjudicated as a mental defective or committed to a mental institution, a dishonorable discharge, an active emergency protective order or domestic violence order, and a conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. KSP also states that people on pretrial diversion for disqualifying offenses are not eligible, and that the three-year clock on state disqualifiers does not apply to federal disqualifiers like a felony conviction or a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

Training exemptions

KRS 237.110(6) deems these applicants to have met the training requirement:

• Peace officers currently certified by the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council under KRS 15.380 to 15.404, and retired peace officers who are members of the Kentucky Employees Retirement System, State Police Retirement System, County Employees Retirement System, or another retirement system operated by or for a Kentucky city, county, or urban-county.
• Current and retired peace officers of federal agencies specified in KRS 61.365; peace officers of other federal civilian law enforcement agencies who completed that agency's basic law enforcement training course; military peace officers of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, or Air Force, a reserve component, or the Army or Air National Guard who completed that branch's military law enforcement training course; and members of the U.S. Coast Guard serving in a peace officer role who completed the Coast Guard law enforcement training course.
• Corrections officers currently employed by a consolidated local government, an urban-county government, or the Department of Corrections who completed a basic firearms training course required for the job, and retired corrections officers from those employers who completed that course and are members of a state-administered or local Kentucky retirement system.
• Active or honorably discharged service members of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, a reserve component, or the Army or Air National Guard who completed handgun training or handgun qualification in that service.

Service members claiming the last exemption submit, under KRS 237.110(5)(b), at least one of DD Form 2586, DD Form 214, Coast Guard Form CG 3029, DA Form 88-R, DA Form 5704-R, OPNAV 3591-1, or AF Form 522 (or a successor form), or else documentary evidence of an honorable discharge plus a notarized affidavit on a KSP form, signed under penalty of perjury, stating that the training requirement was met.

The provisional license for ages 18 to 20 (KRS 237.118)

Effective July 15, 2026, KSP issues provisional CCDW licenses to applicants who are 18 but younger than 21. KRS 237.118(2) requires a provisional applicant, notwithstanding the age criterion in KRS 237.110(4)(c), to otherwise meet every criterion in KRS 237.110(4) and the requirements of KRS 237.110(3). Age is the only thing waived. An 18 year old applicant completes the same training, submits the same documents, and passes the same background check as a 30 year old applicant.

KRS 237.118(3)(a) sends the issuance and regulation of provisional licenses back to KRS 237.110 except where the new section says otherwise, so the paper and electronic filing routes, the document list, the background check, and the KSP decision deadlines all apply. KRS 237.118(3)(b) makes any reference in the Kentucky Revised Statutes to a KRS 237.110 license also a reference to a provisional license.

A provisional license is valid until the holder turns 21 rather than for a fixed five-year term, and KRS 237.118(5) requires it to be readily distinguishable from a standard license.

You cannot apply yet. KSP's CCDW page states that KSP contacted the online application portal vendor in early April, the vendor began work on June 15, and the portal "is expected to be updated this fall" and will then begin accepting concealed carry permit applications from eligible individuals ages 18 to 20. KSP says it will announce the official launch date once the upgrades are complete and encourages applicants to monitor the agency website and social media. If you are advising an 18 to 20 year old student, tell them to watch the KSP site rather than assume the door is open.

Switching to a standard license at 21

KRS 237.118(6) sets the transition out:

1. Not less than 90 days before the provisional license expires, KSP mails the holder a written expiration notice and an application to switch to a standard license, on a form KSP prescribes. The envelope bears only the applicant's name and address.
2. The holder files the paper switch form with the sheriff of his or her county of residence, or files an electronic form with KSP instead.
3. The holder states that he or she remains qualified under the criteria in KRS 237.110(3) and (4), and pays an application fee prescribed by KSP.
4. The sheriff (paper) or KSP (electronic) issues a dated receipt for the switch application.
5. KSP issues the standard license once it has the completed switch application, the records check under KRS 237.110(3), a determination that the applicant is not ineligible under KRS 237.110(4), and payment of the fees. The sheriff destroys the provisional license when the standard license issues.

Two points worth teaching. The training is not repeated: KRS 237.118(6)(g) provides that a provisional licensee applying for a standard license under this subsection is not required to retake the firearms training described in KRS 237.110(4). And there is a six-month cliff: under KRS 237.118(6)(f), a holder who does not submit the switch application within six months after the provisional license expires must start over with a full application under KRS 237.110.

A standard license issued through the switch is not valid until the applicant is 21, per KRS 237.118(6)(g). An expired provisional license is void and is good for nothing except surrender to the sheriff in exchange for a standard license, per KRS 237.118(7).

KRS 237.118(8) lets KSP promulgate administrative regulations under KRS Chapter 13A to administer the section.

Temporary permit for protective order petitioners (KRS 403.754)

A petitioner for an order of protection granted under KRS 403.715 to 403.785 may apply for a temporary permit to carry a concealed deadly weapon into the same places, and under the same conditions, as a CCDW licensee under KRS 237.110.

• Apply electronically. KRS 403.754(2) requires the petitioner to apply electronically in the manner set out in KRS 237.110 and KSP administrative regulation. If the electronic application is unavailable, applications for temporary permits are not accepted. KSP states it has implemented this and created an electronic application process at its CCDW portal.
• Same background check. KRS 403.754(3) applies the KRS 237.110 background check.
• Standard. Under KRS 403.754(4), KSP issues the temporary permit if the applicant is not disqualified under KRS 237.110(4)(a) to (h).
• Decision in one working day. KRS 403.754(6) requires KSP, within one working day or as soon as practically possible after receiving the completed application, a recent color photograph, and any immigration documentation required for non-citizens, to either issue the permit or deny it.
• 45 days, no extension. KRS 403.754(5) makes the temporary permit valid for 45 days from issuance, with no extension or reissuance. An expired temporary permit is void for all purposes.
• Converting to a full license. KRS 403.754(7) requires the applicant to meet the KRS 237.110(4) firearms safety training requirement within the 45-day window. If training is not completed in that window, a new CCDW application is required.
• Denial is final, but the CCDW application continues. Under KRS 403.754(8), a denial of the temporary permit is final, but the applicant's underlying application for a CCDW license continues to be processed and is issued or denied under KRS 237.110.

The KRS 403.754 text in this archive comes from the KSP legal handout and carries an effective date of June 24, 2015. Confirm with KSP before relying on it, since the archive has no fresher copy of that statute.

After the license issues

Carry it. KRS 237.110(15) requires you to carry the license whenever you are carrying a concealed firearm or other deadly weapon and to display it on request of a law enforcement officer. Failure is a noncriminal violation with a $25 penalty payable to the clerk of the District Court, with no court costs.

Address and personal information changes. KRS 237.110(11) requires you to notify KSP within 30 days after changing a permanent address. Failure is a noncriminal violation with a $25 penalty. KSP requires a Carry Concealed Deadly Weapons Licensee Request for Change of Personal Information (KSP Form 121), completed at the office of the sheriff of your county of residence, which the sheriff forwards to KSP. KSP states the CCDW section cannot update an address by telephone or fax. Neither the sheriff nor KSP requires you to surrender the old license until the new one is in the sheriff's office and available for issuance, and the sheriff destroys the old license once the new one issues.

Lost, stolen, or destroyed license. KRS 237.110(11) requires notice to KSP within 30 days. Under KRS 237.110(12) the license is automatically invalid, and a duplicate costs $15 for a paper request or $25 for an electronic request, on furnishing KSP a notarized statement that the license was lost, stolen, or destroyed. KSP's instructions direct you to complete a Request for Duplicate CCDW License (KSP Form 126) at the sheriff's office of your county of residence.

Suspension and revocation. Under KRS 237.110(13), KSP revokes the license of anyone who becomes permanently ineligible and suspends the license of anyone who becomes temporarily ineligible. Surrender is ordered within two business days of notice, a hearing under KRS Chapter 13B is available only after the license is surrendered, and failure to surrender a suspended or revoked license is a Class A misdemeanor. If a domestic violence order or emergency protective order issues under KRS Chapter 403 against a license holder, the holder surrenders the license to the court or to the officer serving the order, and the license stays suspended until the order terminates.

Renewal. KSP mails a renewal notice and form not less than 120 days before expiration. Renewal fees match the application fees in KRS 237.110(7), a late renewal costs an extra $15, and no license is renewed six months or more after expiration. See the Renewal Process and Fees and Costs sections for the full rule.

Where KSP guidance is behind the statute

These are live conflicts in the archive, not editorial opinion. The statute controls in each case.

1. Fees. KSP's application page lists only the $60 paper fee and the $20 plus $40 split. It does not mention the $70 electronic fee in KRS 237.110(7)(c), and it describes the $40 as the portion "allocated to the KSP and the Administrative Office of the Courts," which does not match the current four-way split. DOCJT does list a $70 online fee, described as $50 for the KSP permit application and $20 for the sheriff's fee. That aggregate matches KRS 237.110(7)(c)2., which has KSP retain $30 and transmit $20 to the AOC, plus $20 to the sheriff.
2. Training providers. KSP's application page and qualifications page still say the training course must be "offered or approved by the Department of Criminal Justice Training." KRS 237.110(4)(i) has allowed a course conducted by a nationally certified instructor since July 1, 2025.
3. Out-of-state training. KSP's FAQ says no waiver of the training requirement is authorized based on training completed for a license in another jurisdiction, and DOCJT says all training under its program must be conducted within Kentucky. The national-organization route in KRS 237.110(4)(i) does not on its face contain a Kentucky-location requirement, and no source in this archive resolves whether an NRA, USCCA, or NSSF course taught outside Kentucky is accepted. Confirm with KSP before telling a student it counts.
4. Child support notifications. KSP's qualifications page and the CCDW home FAQ both say the Cabinet for Health and Family Services notifies KSP of a child support arrearage. KRS 237.110(4)(f) and (g) say the Office of the Attorney General.
5. Fee-exemption citation. KSP cites the peace officer fee exemption to KRS 237.110(7). It is now KRS 237.110(7)(d).
6. Age. KSP's qualifications page and CCDW FAQ still state that the applicant must be at least 21 and that persons under 21 are not allowed to carry concealed in Kentucky. That predates KRS 237.118 and has not been revised.
7. Contact number. KSP's current CCDW page gives the CCDW Section number as (502) 227-8700. Older KSP pages still in circulation give (502) 782-9792. Use the number on the current page.

Gaps this archive does not cover

• No published fee for an initial provisional license, and none for the KRS 237.118(6)(c)3. switch application. KRS 237.118 leaves the switch fee to KSP and KSP has not published it. KRS 237.118(3)(a) routes anything the new section does not cover back to KRS 237.110, which sets $60 paper and $70 electronic, but no source here confirms those figures apply to a provisional application. Verify with KSP before quoting a number.
• Whether a sheriff's office will accept a paper provisional application while the KSP online portal work is still in progress. KSP's notice addresses only the portal.
• No KRS Chapter 13A administrative regulations under KRS 237.118(8) appear in this archive.
• The administrative regulation prescribing the photograph and the citizenship affidavit is referenced by KRS 237.110(8)(b) and (8)(e) but is not in this archive. The photograph specifications above come from KSP's published instructions, not from the regulation text.
• No processing-time data for the electronic track. The three to six week figure is DOCJT's general estimate and predates the 15 business day statutory deadline.

Statute and form reference

Contacts

• KSP CCDW Section: (502) 227-8700
• KSP CCDW email: CCDWquestions@ky.gov
• KSP online application portal: https://kspportal.ky.gov/ccdw
• DOCJT CCDW Program: (859) 622-2299, ccdwprogram@ky.gov, Department of Criminal Justice Training, ATTN: CCDW Program, 4449 Kit Carson Drive, Richmond, Kentucky 40475
• Duplicate DOCJT training certificate: email ccdwprogram@ky.gov or call (859) 622-2299 with your name, Social Security number, and current mailing address