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Kentucky Duty to Inform Police Laws (2026)
Info: No. Kentucky has no duty to tell an officer you are armed, and no permit is needed at 21 or older.
No. Kentucky has no duty to tell an officer you are armed, and no permit is needed at 21 or older. A license holder must carry the license whenever carrying concealed and show it if an officer asks; a violation is a $25 noncriminal penalty. The statute does not say whether this reaches out-of-state licenses, so the cautious reading is that it does.
Official source: apps.legislature.ky.gov →
General legal information, not legal advice — verify important decisions with a licensed attorney.
Duty to Inform Police in states bordering Kentucky
The same rule in each neighboring state LawLert has verified, from that state’s own official source.
- IllinoisConditional
You do not have to announce that you are armed. …
Verified Oct 12, 2026 · Source: ilga.gov · Full Illinois rule →
- IndianaInfo
Indiana has no duty to inform: since permitless carry took effect July 1, 2022 (IC 35-47-2-3(a)), an eligible person 18 and older needs no license, and the handgun chapter contains no provision requiring a carrier to notify an officer or to display the now-optional license. Optional licenses remain valid for reciprocity.
Verified Jul 18, 2026 · Source: iga.in.gov · Full Indiana rule →
- MissouriConditional
Missouri has no proactive duty to inform, but a permit holder must carry the permit whenever carrying concealed and display it with a photo ID at the request of any peace officer (RSMo 571.121.1); noncompliance is expressly noncriminal, with a citation of up to $35. The duty attaches only to permit holders — Missouri permitless carriers have no duty to inform or to display.
Verified Jul 18, 2026 · Source: revisor.mo.gov · Full Missouri rule →
- OhioConditional
Ohio has had no proactive duty to inform since June 13, 2022 (SB 215), but you must still disclose truthfully when an officer asks: it is a second-degree misdemeanor to knowingly fail to disclose that you are carrying before or at the time an officer asks during a stop (ORC 2923.12(B)(1)). You must also keep your hands in plain sight, not touch the gun, and obey orders. Permitless carriers 21 and older have the identical duty via ORC 2923.111(C)(1)(c).
Verified Jul 18, 2026 · Source: codes.ohio.gov · Full Ohio rule →
- TennesseeConditional
Tennessee law does not require you to tell an officer you are armed. A Tennessee permit holder must keep the permit on them and show it when an officer demands it. An out-of-state permit holder must also have the permit on them.
Verified Oct 12, 2026 · Source: tn.gov · Full Tennessee rule →
- VirginiaConditional
You do not have to tell an officer you are armed or have a permit. If you carry concealed on a permit, you must have it on you and show it, with a government photo ID, when an officer demands it. Out-of-state permit holders must likewise carry photo ID and show both on demand. Failing to show a Virginia permit is a $25 civil penalty, which a court may waive if you later show a valid permit.
Verified Oct 12, 2026 · Source: law.lis.virginia.gov · Full Virginia rule →
- West VirginiaInfo
West Virginia law does not require you to tell an officer you are armed, and it does not require you to carry or show a license. A visitor who relies on an out-of-state permit, instead of permitless carry, must have the permit in immediate possession.
Verified Oct 12, 2026 · Source: code.wvlegislature.gov · Full West Virginia rule →
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