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...
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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.
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.
| Rule | What the statute says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| The offense | 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 the section | KRS 527.020(1) |
| What a provisional license authorizes | A provisional license is valid throughout Kentucky and authorizes the holder to carry a concealed firearm or other deadly weapon and ammunition on or about his or her person | KRS 237.118(4)(c) |
| Ammunition | The license authorizes the holder to carry ammunition for a firearm on or about his or her person | KRS 237.110(2)(d) |
| Vehicle containers | 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 | KRS 527.020(8) |
| Showing the license | The license must be displayed upon request of a law enforcement officer | KRS 237.110(15) |
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.
Some officers and officials may carry concealed weapons while performing official duties without a license.
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.
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 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).
A Kentucky concealed carry license grants benefits that carrying without a license alone does not.
See also: reciprocity.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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).
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).
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.
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.