Kentucky: State Firearms Laws

(As of March 1994)

Please Note: In addition to state laws, the purchase, sale and (in certain circumstances) the possession and interstate transportation of firearms is regulated by the Federal Gun Control Act of 1968, as amended by the Firearm Owners' Protection Act. Also, cities and localities may have their own firearms ordinances in addition to federal and state laws. Details may be obtained by contacting local law enforcement authorities, and by consulting the State Laws and Published Ordinances--Firearms, available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington D.C. 20402.

Quick Reference Chart

                          Rifles and
                          Shotguns     Handguns
                          _____________________
Permit to Purchase           No          No 
Registration of Firearms     No          No
Licensing of Owner           No          No
Permit to Carry              No          N/A*

  * Carrying concealed weapons is forbidden in Kentucky.
    There is no statutory provision for obtaining a 
    license or permit to carry a concealed firearm.

State Constitutional Provision

``All men are by nature, free and equal, and have certain inherent and inalienable rights, among which may be reckoned: ... 7) The right to bear arms in defense of themselves and of the state, subject to the power of the general assembly to enact laws to prevent persons from carrying concealed weapons.'' Article 1, Section 1, Paragraph 7.

Possession

No state permit is required to possess a rifle, shotgun, or handgun.

It is unlawful for a person convicted of a felony to possess, manufacture or transport a firearm unless he has been granted a full pardon by the Governor or by the President of the United States or has been granted relief by the Secretary of the Treasury pursuant to the Gun Control Act of 1968.

Purchase

No state permit is required to purchase a rifle, shotgun, or handgun.

Carry

It is unlawful to carry a concealed firearm ``on or about'' one's person. This applies to carrying a concealed firearm in one's own premises or dwelling.

Exempt from this prohibition are police officers, agents and messengers of express companies when on duty, and U.S. mail carriers on duty.

``Concealed on or about the person'' has been recently defined as ``concealment in such proximity to the person as to be convenient of access and within immediate physical reach.'' Kentucky courts consider firearms located under a driver's seat concealed ``on or about'' the person, and are, therefore, unlawful. Firearms located in glove compartments, locked or unlocked, are not considered concealed.

There is no statutory provision for obtaining a license or a permit to carry a concealed firearm.

It is lawful to carry a loaded rifle or shotgun in a vehicle.

Antiques and Replicas

Kentucky statutes are silent on antique and replica firearms. They are treated as ordinary firearms for possession and carrying purposes.

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.

It is unlawful to possess a firearm that has been defaced. To avoid prosecution this offense must be reported to the police immediately.

It is unlawful to shoot any wild animal, protected or unprotected, from an automobile or any vehicle at any time or place. Boats may be used except as prohibited by state or federal regulations.

It is unlawful to shoot across a highway.

No city, county or urban-county government may occupy any part of the field of regulation of the transfer, ownership, possession, carrying or transportation of firearms, ammunition, or components of firearms or combination thereof.

Caution: State firearms laws are subject to frequent change. The above summary is not to be considered as legal advice or a restatement of law. To determine the applicability of these laws to specific situations which you may encounter, you are strongly urged to consult a local attorney. 

                  Compiled by:
        NRA Institute for Legislative Action
              11250 Waples Mill Road
              Fairfax, Virginia 22030

   (c)  1994, NRA Institute for Legislative Action.

NS 01130                             Rev. 3/94 10M