Federal law requires firearms dealers to obtain a license from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), although resource limitations prevent the ATF from properly overseeing all its licensees.
Kentucky has no law requiring firearms dealers to obtain a state license or permit. Kentucky also has no law requiring dealers to conduct a background check on prospective firearm purchasers, although the federal background check requirement applies. The only substantive state law restriction Kentucky places on firearm dealers is its prohibition on knowingly transferring a firearm to someone who has been convicted of a felony.1
For information about Kentucky law:
- Requiring federally licensed dealers to conduct background checks on firearm purchasers, see the Kentucky Background Checks section.
- Applicable to both licensed and private firearm sellers, see the Universal Background Checks in Kentucky section.
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- Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 237.070.[↩]