Here in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, we have the benefit of being what is referred to by most as a "Constitutional Carry State." This means that a citizen of Kentucky who is legally authorized to carry a firearm (i.e., no felonies, no domestic violence convictions of any kind, and of the proper age) can carry a firearm on his/her person openly or concealed without needing a permit to do so.
Therefore, I get asked this question a lot: "Why do I need my conceal carry license?"
Benefits of Having Your CCDW License:
Exemption from ATF Form 4473: One of the benefits of having your CCDW (Conceal Carry of a Deadly Weapon) License is that when purchasing a new firearm from any gun store within the State of Kentucky, you are not required to fill out and submit ATF Form 4473. The law, in its current form, requires an unlicensed buyer to fill out ATF Form 4473, the Firearm Transaction Form, and be approved by the ATF through a national background check before the firearm can be taken home. If you possess a CCDW License, the form is not required for any firearm not listed as an NFA Firearm. In other words, no silencers or machine guns even with your license.
Reciprocity: The second benefit is being able to carry legally in many other states. For instance, an unlicensed firearm owner in Kentucky can legally drive anywhere in the state of Kentucky with his/her firearm but cannot legally cross over into any other state unless they possess a license within that state or the Kentucky CCDW License. This is commonly referred to as the law of Reciprocity. Note, this does not apply in Illinois, California, Oregon, New York, Washington, New Jersey, and Hawaii.
Legal Protection: The third benefit that many people don't realize is a little bit of protection from accidentally breaking the law. In the Commonwealth of Kentucky, it is unlawful to possess a firearm within 1000 ft of a school unless it is in your home or vehicle when traveling past a school. But let's say you step out of your vehicle to grab a snack at a gas station that is only 800 ft away from a school, and you are openly carrying a firearm without a CCDW License. According to the law, you are committing a Class D Felony. If you have a CCDW License, you are legally able to carry that same firearm into that same gas station and not be committing a crime. See 18 U.S. Code § 922.
All of this information and plenty more are taught in every CCDW Class throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky as required by law, so a quick education on current gun laws is just another added benefit.
I hope this helps! Let me know if you need any further assistance.
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