State Gun Laws

Under Kentucky state law, if a convicted felon has a handgun in his/her possession, s/he can be charged with a Class C felony.¹ If a person is convicted of a Class C felony, s/he can be sentenced to:

• between five and ten years in prison;
• pay a fine of between $1,000 and $10,000; or
• both, prison time and a fine.²  

Possession of any other firearm by a convicted felon is a Class D felony.¹ It’s also a Class D felony if a person who knows that it’s against the law for him/her to have a firearm:

• provides materially false information to a licensed dealer or private seller; or
• otherwise tries to persuade the dealer or seller to transfer a firearm to him/her.³

If a person is convicted of a Class D felony, s/he can be sentenced to:

• between one and five years in prison;
• a fine of between $1,000 and $10,000; or
• both, prison time and a fine.⁴  

Also, anyone who owns, has or buys a gun in violation of the federal firearm law can be punished by a fine, up to ten years in prison, or both.⁵ Go to our Federal Gun Laws page for more information.

¹ Ky. Rev. Stat. §§ 527.040(2) 
² Ky. Rev. Stat. §§ 532.060(2)(c); 534.030(1)
³ Ky. Rev. Stat. § 527.090
⁴ Ky. Rev. Stat. §§ 532.060(2)(d); 534.030(1)
⁵ 18 U.S.C. § 924(a)(2)