Kentucky Gun Laws
Gun Laws Overview
RIFLES & SHOTGUNS | HANDGUNS | |
---|---|---|
Permit to Purchase | No | No |
Registration of Firearms | No | No |
Licensing of Owners | No | No |
Permit to Carry | No | No |
The list and map below are included as a tool to assist you in validating your information. We have made every effort to report the information correctly, however reciprocity and recognition agreements are subject to frequent change. The information is not intended as legal advice or a restatement of law and does not include: restrictions that may be placed on non-resident permits, individuals under the age of 21, qualifying permit classes, and/or any other factor which may limit reciprocity and/or recognition. For any particular situation, a licensed local attorney must be consulted for an accurate interpretation. YOU MUST ABIDE WITH ALL LAWS: STATE, FEDERAL AND LOCAL. Kentucky only honors permits or licenses from individuals 21 years of age or older. |
STATE STATUS | |
---|---|
Castle Doctrine | Enacted |
No-Net Loss | Enacted |
Right to Carry Confidentiality | Provisions Enacted |
Right to Carry in Restaurants | Partial Ban |
Right To Carry Laws | No Permit Required |
Right To Carry Reciprocity and Recognition | Outright Recognition |
Right to Keep & Bear Arms State Constitutional Provisions | With Provisions |
Laws on Purchase, Possession and Carrying of Firearms
Antiques and Replicas
Kentucky statutes are silent on antique and replica firearms. They are treated as ordinary firearms for possession and carrying purposes. |
Carrying
The open carry of a handgun is lawful except in certain restricted areas. MORE |
Machine Guns
It is lawful to possess, purchase, or sell a machine gun that is legally registered and possessed in compliance with all federal laws and regulations. |
Miscellaneous
It is unlawful to remove, deface, cover, alter or destroy the manufacturer’s serial number or other mark of identification on any firearm. MORE |
Possession
No state permit is required to possess a rifle, shotgun, or handgun. |
Preemption
The regulation of firearms and ammunition is completely reserved to the state legislature. MORE |
Purchase
No state permit is required to purchase a rifle, shotgun, or handgun. MORE |
Range Protection
No shooting range shall be or shall become a nuisance, either public or private, solely as a result of changed conditions in or around the locality of the range if the range has been in operation for one (1) year... MORE |
Sources: Ky.Rev.Stat §§ 65.045; 237.020 et seq.; 411.155; 527.010 et seq |
Friday, May 1, 1992
An early-morning burglary attempt proved to be fatal when, instead of loot, the culprit found an armed homeowner. ...
Friday, June 1, 1990
Sitting in his Bonnyman, Ky., home, 80-year-old Charles McIntosh heard the burglar alarm sound in his daughter's home ...
Sunday, November 1, 1987
Alerted by the sound of his front door being kicked in, Lexington, Ky., resident Bernard McCarthy armed himself. ...
Monday, June 1, 1987
An armed intruder kicked down the bedroom door of Sidney Milner's Louisville, Ky., home, pointed a pistol at ...
Friday, May 1, 1987
Seventy-year-old Eric Christian stepped onto the porch of his Louisville, Ky., home to check a bird feeder when ...
Thursday, January 1, 1987
When two men, identifying themselves as employees of a Louisville, Ky., hotel, knocked on Essel Jones' room door ...
Monday, September 1, 1986
A Covington, Ky., resident awoke to find a strange man in his kitchen. The intruder fled, but Gerry ...
Tuesday, July 1, 1986
Bursting into the Flat Creek, Ky., home, the masked robber pointed a gun at the horrifed family and ...
Thursday, May 1, 1986
Investigating a sound in his Walnut Flat, Ky., country store, Harry Bowling was met with gunfire from a ...
Monday, July 1, 1985
Mercer Co., Ky., mail carrier Loyd Bradley was lying in bed when a rifle-wielding criminal smashed a window ...