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, April 26, 2002
House Bill 97 was signed into law by Governor Paul Patton (D) on April 26th.
Monday, February 25, 2002
House Bill 97, currently under consideration by the Kentucky State Senate, is a common-sense bill that would allow ...
Friday, February 1, 2002
An Elsmere, Ky., man was shot and killed by a clerk after he tried to rob a Covington, ...
Tuesday, January 1, 2002
A 77-year-old woman shot one of two men as they tried to break into her home early one ...
Saturday, December 1, 2001
Wayne County, Ky., man, after breaking into a home, was fatally shot by a woman staying at the ...
Tuesday, July 25, 2000
Since its passage in 1996, Kentucky`s law allowing citizens to obtain permits to carry firearms has proven a ...
Monday, November 1, 1999
Retired utility worker Joe Mergerle was walking in a Kenton County, Kentucky, park one morning when a man ...
Sunday, August 1, 1999
The robber fraternity apparently has failed to spread the word among its members that hitting the Bank of ...
Thursday, July 1, 1999
Three people armed with a handgun entered the rural, south central Kentucky home of Harold Clontz early one ...
Monday, September 1, 1997
Anne Barry of Bowling Green, Kentucky, knows the importance of having a firearm. "If I hadn't had that ...