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...
Reviewed by Will Luker, Founder of CCW Hub. USCCA Training Counselor, USCCA Certified Instructor, NRA Certified Instructor, Law Enforcement.
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.
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.
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.
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).
| Question | Kentucky rule | Fact |
|---|---|---|
| State permit or registration to acquire | Federal process only; no state permit or registration; if federal law requires a chief law enforcement officer certification the sheriff must issue it within 15 days | |
| State registration or licensing | None; 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 | |
| Suppressors | No Kentucky statute bans, registers, or licenses suppressors | |
| Short-barreled rifles and shotguns | No Kentucky statute bans, registers, or licenses short-barreled rifles or shotguns | |
| Machine guns | No Kentucky statute bans, registers, or licenses machine guns | |
| Destructive device defined | 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, under KRS 237.030(1) | |
| Device lawful under federal law | The destructive-device prohibitions do not apply to 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, under KRS 237.050(2) |
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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).
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.