New gun laws passed and others on the way in the Commonwealth of Kentucky

The big one that I've been asked many questions about is the $200.00 Tax Stamp Fee on Suppressors and Short Barreled Rifles (SBR's) The quick answer is this... It was an update to a federal Law that eliminates the $200 Tax Stamp Fee when purchasing a suppressor or SBR, HOWEVER, these items must still be registered with ATF Form 4 & Form 1, along with your fingerprints. From there the ATF will conduct a background check before releasing the item to the buyer. This update to the Federal National Firearms Act of 1934 and took effect on January 1, 2026.

Next, only for the Commonwealth, Parts of House Bill 124 went into effect on Jan 1, 2026. This new law requires private sellers to obtain a background check in order to sell a firearm, effectively closing the "Gun Show Loophole". This law also requires that lost and/or stolen firearms AND ammunition be reported to the local law enforcement. The dangerous portion of this new law which has not passed as of todays date, is requiring the Kentucky State Police to establish regulations to mandate the registration of all handguns and "Assault Weapons" as well as logging the purchase of all ammunition. Parts of this Bill have only been passed under legislative emergency measures. Supporters of our 2nd amendment will tell you that now is the time to contact your local house representative and demand clarification of this law and to remove the blatant infringements upon the 2nd Amendment.

There are a few more bills on the Kentucky House Floor and we will post more about these at a later date as we receive clarification.