Kentucky Concealed Carry Laws: Overview

Kentucky carry laws at a glance

Kentucky is a permitless carry state. A person 21 or older who may otherwise lawfully possess a firearm may carry a concealed deadly weapon without a license, in the same locations as a person holding a valid Kentucky license. The Department of Kentucky State Police still issues the license to carry concealed deadly weapon (CCDW license), which reaches applicants aged 18 to 20 and is honored in states that hold a reciprocity agreement with Kentucky.

Who this page is for

The first reader is an adult carrying in Kentucky without a license, which the law allows at 21 or older for a person who may otherwise lawfully possess a firearm, under KRS 237.109(1). The second is someone who wants the license anyway, which the Department of Kentucky State Police still issues on a shall issue basis, so a qualifying applicant cannot be denied, under KRS 237.110. The third is an applicant who is at least 18 but not yet 21, whom Kentucky covers with a provisional license, under KRS 237.118(2)(a). The Department of Kentucky State Police is required to issue provisional licenses, effective July 15, 2026. It is not yet accepting applications from people aged 18 to 20, and its concealed carry page says the online portal is expected to be updated this fall, with the launch date announced once the upgrades are complete.

Ten things to know before you carry

1. You need no license to carry a concealed deadly weapon if you are 21 or older and may otherwise lawfully possess a firearm, under KRS 237.109(1), and the permitless carry page covers that authority.
2. A Kentucky license does not authorize carry into a police station or sheriff's office, a detention facility, a courthouse or court proceeding, a meeting of a governing body or of the General Assembly, the portion of a licensed establishment primarily devoted to on premises alcohol consumption, an elementary or secondary school facility without the consent of school authorities or a child care facility, a secured airport area, or any place federal law prohibits firearms, under KRS 237.110(16), and the prohibited places page gives each one with its exceptions.
3. A firearm kept in a vehicle's factory installed glove compartment, center console, or seat pocket is not deemed concealed, whether or not it is locked, under KRS 527.020(8), though that rule does not apply to a person prohibited from possessing a firearm, as the vehicle carry page explains.
4. Kentucky imposes no duty to tell a law enforcement officer that you are carrying concealed, but a licensee must carry the license while carrying concealed and display it when an officer requests it, under KRS 237.110(15), which the duty to inform page sets out with the penalty for failing.
5. No Kentucky statute prohibits carrying a firearm openly, so an adult who may lawfully possess a firearm may carry openly without a license, under KRS 527.020(1), though open carry of a handgun is limited to persons 18 and older because KRS 527.100(1) bars handgun possession below that age outside the listed situations, and the open carry page has the detail.
6. Deadly physical force in self protection is justified only when you believe it is necessary to protect yourself against death, serious physical injury, kidnapping, sexual intercourse compelled by force or threat, or a felony involving the use of force, under KRS 503.050(2), and the use of force page carries the limits that take that justification away.
7. Kentucky presumes you reasonably feared imminent death or great bodily harm when you used deadly defensive force against someone unlawfully and forcibly entering your dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle, but not if you were engaged in unlawful activity or using that place to further unlawful activity, under KRS 503.055, and the castle doctrine page lists every situation the presumption skips.
8. Kentucky has no offense of carrying a firearm while intoxicated and no blood alcohol threshold for carrying, and KRS 527.020 defines the carrying offense with no intoxication element, but an applicant with two or more convictions under the drunk driving statute in the three years before applying is ineligible for a license, under KRS 237.110(4)(e), as the carrying under the influence page explains.
9. Kentucky reserves firearm regulation to the state, so a city or county cannot write its own gun rules, and a local ordinance that violates that statute is null, void, and unenforceable, under KRS 65.870, which the preemption page covers with the remedy.
10. Kentucky honors a valid concealed deadly weapon license from any other state, so a visiting license holder may carry concealed here, under KRS 237.110(20)(a), and the reciprocity page covers carrying a Kentucky license in another state.

What training or the license changes

An applicant for the CCDW license must complete a qualifying firearms training course before the license can be issued, under KRS 237.110(4)(i). 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. The training requirements page sets out what a qualifying course contains. A license, once issued, is valid for five years from the date of issuance, under KRS 237.110(2)(b). The license grants two things permitless carry alone does not:

• It extends concealed carry eligibility to applicants who are at least 18 but not yet 21, through the provisional license
• It gives the licensee the benefit of the reciprocity agreements the Department of Kentucky State Police negotiates, so other states recognize the Kentucky license

How Kentucky writes its carry law

Kentucky's concealed carry statutes are codified in the Kentucky Revised Statutes. Citations in prose use the prefix KRS, as in KRS 237.118(2)(b). The most recent change in this area is the provisional license section, which took effect on July 15, 2026. That section defines two terms, at KRS 237.118(1):

• Provisional license, meaning a license to carry concealed firearms or other deadly weapons issued under that section
• Standard license, meaning a license to carry concealed firearms or other deadly weapons issued under the standard license statute

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a license to carry concealed in Kentucky?

No, not if you are 21 or older and are otherwise able to lawfully possess a firearm, under KRS 237.109(1). The permit basics page covers who may hold the license instead.

Can an 18 year old carry concealed in Kentucky?

Kentucky issues a provisional concealed carry license to applicants who are at least 18 but not yet 21, and the Department of Kentucky State Police is required to issue it, effective July 15, 2026, under KRS 237.118. The department is not yet accepting those applications, and its concealed carry page says the online portal is expected to be updated this fall.

What does a Kentucky license cost?

A paper application filed with the sheriff of the county where you live costs $60, under KRS 237.110(7)(b)1. An electronic application filed with the Department of Kentucky State Police costs $70, under KRS 237.110(7)(c)1. The fees and costs page covers renewals and exemptions, and the application process page covers the filing itself.

How long does a license last, and when do I renew?

A license is valid for five years from the date of issuance, under KRS 237.110(2)(b). The Department of Kentucky State Police mails a renewal notice at least 120 days before the expiration date, under KRS 237.110(14)(a). The renewal page covers the deadline and what happens after it.

Who is barred from possessing a firearm in Kentucky?

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, under KRS 527.040(1). The restrictions page covers the other bars and what a protective order does to a license.