Someone on Reddit linked to this article from back in Nov 2014, but it’s worth sharing. Since 2004 there have been a number of changes to the Kentucky CCDW law:
• Active and honorably discharged military personnel who apply for licenses are no longer required to undergo training on state laws related to legal liability and the use of deadly force.
This is fantastic if you are a vet. Merely provide a copy of your DD214 and pay the fees and you are on your way.
• Domestic violence victims can receive a temporary, 45-day permit without completing the normally required training on firearms safety and state law.
This was a much needed change as well. Permit issuance time has been known to take anywhere from 2-6 weeks, and until then people who did not have one but were experiencing real, documented threats had no way to speed the process along.
• Employers cannot prevent employees from keeping guns in their car while at work.
This was an issue with several large corporations who had policies that prohibited CCW on company property, including company parking lots. While I am not a fan of keeping unsecured firearms in an unattended automobile, if you have to work for a company that prohibits CCW, this is a better option than leaving it at home.
• Officials are required to process applications at a faster rate. KSP must issue or deny permits within 60 days, down from 90, or within 15 days if the paperwork is submitted electronically.
Jim Wayne (one of the anti-gun state politicians from Louisville) lamented this change, screaming that this would help criminals or somesuch. The KSP responded by saying that they weren’t having any problems meeting the new requirements.
• Public access to the names of licensees have been eliminated and access to the information by law enforcement has been tightened.
This probably came about as a result of the newspaper in New York publishing the names and addresses of CCW holders, which effectively made them a target for thieves. This was a privacy issue and there was no valid need for the general public to have access to this information.
• Gun owners have been granted authority to carry concealed weapons without a license on property they lease or own, or on property leased or owned by a relative. They may also carry in their own business without a license.
Another smart move by the KY legislature.
All around, these were all valid changes to Kentucky’s CCDW laws, but there’s still room for improvement – namely the CCDW should be valid for a decade or more instead of 5 years.
Even more interesting are these statistics of permits issued:
ANNUAL GUN PERMITS
Number of permits issued each year by Kentucky State Police:
2004 — 10,884
2005 — 7,791
2006 — 9,956
2007 — 11,682
2008 — 16,114
2009 — 25,913
2010 — 19,808
2011 — 24,908
2012 — 27,462
2013 — 59,530
I’m honestly shocked that the number of permits issued doubled in 2013!
