Order online, pick up at a licensed dealer in Kenton County. Covington faces downtown Cincinnati across the Ohio River at the mouth of the Licking, joined to it by the 1866 Roebling Suspension Bridge that was the model for Brooklyn. MainStrasse Village keeps the German brickwork of the old brewing district, and the city's workforce spreads through Kenton County's hill neighborhoods to Independence.
Pick an FFL dealer near you that accepts shipped transfers and name it at checkout. We confirm their license and ship the firearm to them. Ammunition, optics and parts ship straight to your door where Kentucky law allows.
Kentucky has no permit to purchase, no firearm registration and no state waiting period. At a licensed dealer you show photo ID, fill out ATF Form 4473 and the dealer runs a federal NICS background check. Federal law sets the dealer minimum at 18 for rifles and shotguns and 21 for handguns. Private sales between Kentucky residents need no state background check, though it is still a crime to sell to someone you know cannot legally have a firearm. Cities and counties cannot add their own rules, because KRS 65.870 reserves the whole field of firearm regulation to the General Assembly.
Dealers in these communities all work for Covington-area buyers:
Since June 27, 2019, KRS 237.109 has let anyone 21 or older who may lawfully possess a firearm carry it concealed in Kentucky without a license, in the same places a licensee may. Open carry is legal for the same adults. The Concealed Carry Deadly Weapons license is still worth having for travel and for dealers who ask; you apply at the sheriff's office in your county of residence, pay $60, and the Kentucky State Police issue the license for five years. Police stations, jails, courthouses, school property, the drinking side of a bar and secure airport areas stay off-limits.
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife runs deer seasons on a four-zone system set in 301 KAR 2:172. For 2026-27 the modern firearms season is November 14-29, 2026, archery runs September 5, 2026 to January 18, 2027, crossbow opens September 19, and muzzleloader falls on October 17-18 and December 12-20, 2026. Youth-only firearms is October 10-18. Legal deer guns include centerfire rifles and handguns, shotguns with slugs, muzzleloaders and air guns of .35 caliber or larger. Only one antlered deer may be taken statewide; check the zone rules for Kenton County before you fill a tag.
Kenton County is in Deer Zone 1, though the northern half is city. Curtis Gates Lloyd Wildlife Management Area near Crittenden in Grant County has a public shooting range and is the closest department ground to the river cities.
Devou Park looks down on the whole river valley from the west side, and the Licking River bottoms south of town are the nearest cover for deer and turkey.
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife runs public shooting ranges at Otter Creek and at eight wildlife management areas, and the Daniel Boone National Forest keeps four more in the south and east. Department ranges need a shooting range permit, which is free with a current annual hunting or fishing license and otherwise costs $26.43 a year or $5.29 for a day; Forest Service ranges charge their own day-use fee.
Source: Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources shooting range list and the 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, with U.S. Forest Service Daniel Boone National Forest range pages, September 2026. Distances are approximate; call or check the agency site before you drive out.
Kimber
$905.61Capacity: 7 | Barrel Length: 3.15
Ships to FFL★ 4.7 (28)
Sig Sauer
$1379.99Capacity: 15 | Barrel Length: 3.9
Ships to FFL★ 4.9 (27)
Sig Sauer
$954.49Capacity: 17 | Barrel Length: 3.1
Ships to FFL★ 5.0 (23)
Glock
$581.31Capacity: 10 | Barrel Length: 4.17
Ships to FFL★ 5.0 (23)
Springfield Armory
$711.84Capacity: 13 | Barrel Length: 3.0
Ships to FFL★ 5.0 (23)
Kimber
$933.21Capacity: 6 | Barrel Length: 3.15
Ships to FFL★ 4.9 (23)
Browning
$977.49Capacity: 8 | Barrel Length: 3.63
Ships to FFL★ 5.0 (20)
Colt
$1001.64Capacity: 8 | Barrel Length: 3.0
Ships to FFL★ 4.8 (12)
Glock
$713.00Capacity: 15 | Barrel Length: 4.02
Ships to FFL★ 5.0 (11)
Beretta
$781.41Capacity: 10 | Barrel Length: 4.9
Ships to FFL★ 4.8 (9)
Kimber
$1198.29Capacity: 9 | Barrel Length: 5.0
Ships to FFL★ 4.8 (9)
Tisas
$894.11Capacity: 17 | Barrel Length: 5.0
Ships to FFL★ 5.0 (6)
Glock
$459.99Capacity: 17 | Barrel Length: 4.49
Ships to FFLGood★ 4.8 (4)
Colt
$1318.46Capacity: 8 | Barrel Length: 5.0
Ships to FFL★ 3.5 (2)
Kimber
$1772.14Capacity: 9 | Barrel Length: 5.0
Ships to FFL★ 5.0 (1)
Colt
$1766.96Capacity: 8 | Barrel Length: 5.0
Ships to FFL★ 5.0 (1)
Yes. Order here, name a licensed FFL dealer in Newport, Fort Mitchell, Erlanger, Covington or anywhere in Kenton County, and we ship the firearm to them. You fill out ATF Form 4473 at their counter and they run the background check.
No. Kentucky has no permit to purchase and no firearm registration. You pass a NICS background check and sign Form 4473 at the licensed dealer near Covington that receives your order.
No. Kentucky has no state waiting period, so once the dealer's NICS check comes back as proceed you can take the firearm home the same day.
You apply at the Kenton County Sheriff's Office with a $60 fee, and the Kentucky State Police issue the license. It runs five years and needs a firearms safety course from a certified instructor.
Every firearm ships to a licensed dealer near Covington that you choose at checkout. The dealer runs the background check and hands the gun over; ammunition, optics and most parts ship to your door.
Yes, if you are 21 or older and not barred from having a firearm. KRS 237.109 allows concealed carry without a license in the same places a licensee may carry, and open carry is legal as well.
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife keeps public ranges at Otter Creek in Meade County, Taylorsville Lake in Spencer County and Veterans Memorial in Scott County, among others. A shooting range permit is required and is free with a current annual hunting or fishing license.
Each dealer sets its own fee, commonly $20 to $75. Call before you order to confirm the price and that they accept firearms shipped from an online store.
General information, not legal advice. Rules current as of September 2026. See our Kentucky gun law overview and check with Kenton County Sheriff's Office, with the license issued by the Kentucky State Police or a local attorney about your own situation.