Kentucky2026Active
HB116
HB116: New Rules for Firearms and Safety
Last scannedAug 24, 2026, 10:26 AM
In one sentence
This bill defines specific firearms as 'assault weapons,' requires background checks for most private sales, mandates reporting of lost or stolen guns within 24 hours, sets safe storage rules, and establishes a licensing system for handgun possession.
What it does
- Defines semiautomatic rifles, shotguns, and pistols with specific features like detachable magazines or folding stocks as 'assault weapons,' while excluding manually operated firearms and antiques.
- Requires background checks through licensed dealers for most private sales or transfers of firearms between individuals who are not immediate family members.
- Mandates that owners report the loss or theft of a firearm to law enforcement within 24 hours, requiring police to enter this data into the National Crime Information Center database.
- Requires gun owners to lock firearms in a safe storage container or use a locking device when they do not have immediate control over the weapon.
- Creates a licensing system managed by the Kentucky State Police for anyone who wants to possess a handgun, with specific age and eligibility requirements.
Who it affects
- People buying, selling, or transferring firearms outside of licensed dealerships
- Owners of handguns in Kentucky
- Individuals whose guns are lost or stolen
- Licensed firearm dealers who conduct background checks
Limits and unknowns
- The bill text provided ends before listing the specific fees for handgun licenses.
- The exact details of exemptions to the background check requirement are limited to immediate family members and licensed dealers in this excerpt.
- The final effective date is not listed in the provided metadata.
Plain language
Terms to know
- Assault weapon
- A semiautomatic rifle, shotgun, or pistol with specific features like a detachable magazine and extra grips, stocks, or barrel attachments.
- Large capacity ammunition feeding device
- Any magazine, belt, drum, feed strip, or similar device that holds more than seven rounds of ammunition, excluding certain old devices used only in antique guns and specific .22 caliber rimfire tubes.
- Safe storage depository
- A locked safe or secure container that prevents unauthorized people from accessing a firearm; it does not include an unlocked car glove compartment.
Official record
Sources
Official summary
AN ACT relating to firearms and declaring an emergency.