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Kentucky: Laws & Legal Considerations

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Rainwater harvesting: legally the landowner’s own water

Kentucky’s approach to rainwater is unusually explicit for a state without a dedicated harvesting statute: it’s addressed directly through the state’s definition of diffused surface water.

RuleKentucky
Source water Rooftop or other catchment
Legal status "Diffused surface water which flows vagrantly over the surface of the ground shall not be regarded as public water, and the owner of the land on which such water falls or flows shall have the right to its use" (KRS 151.120)
Permit required No, for typical residential non-potable systems
Permitted uses Irrigation, gardening, livestock, outdoor cleaning
Potable use Only if it meets specific quality requirements set by the local health department

Where to find it: the Kentucky Division of Water administers water rights and any larger withdrawal permitting.

Water rights: riparian, with a statutory permit system for larger withdrawals

Kentucky follows the riparian reasonable-use doctrine, layered with a statutory permitting system for larger uses.

ConceptHow it works in Kentucky
Who holds the right Landowners whose property abuts a watercourse
Governing principle Reasonable use, without unreasonably interfering with other riparian owners' access
Larger withdrawals Require a permit under Kentucky's statutory water withdrawal permitting system

Where to find it: the Kentucky Division of Water administers withdrawal permits.

Concealed carry: permitless since 2019, with a brand-new 2026 change for younger adults

Kentucky has allowed permitless carry since July 1, 2019, and a significant change specifically affecting 18-to-20-year-olds took effect in mid-2026.

RequirementDetail
Standard Permitless ("constitutional") carry, open or concealed, for anyone 21+ legally eligible to possess a firearm
Optional CCDW license Requires a state-approved firearms training course; useful for reciprocity in states that don't recognize Kentucky's permitless carry
New provisional license for 18-20 year olds Effective July 15, 2026 (HB312, enacted via veto override on April 14, 2026), 18-to-20-year-olds can obtain a provisional license meeting the same training and background-check standards as the standard license, automatically converting to a full license at 21

A very recent change worth double-checking

This provisional license program only took effect in mid-2026, shortly before this page was written. If you’re an 18-to-20-year-old Kentucky resident, confirm current application details directly with Kentucky State Police rather than relying solely on secondary sources, since a newly implemented program’s practical details can shift in its first months.

Sources