Does Kentucky have the death penalty?
Not used in practice
The death penalty remains in law, but executions are suspended (by court order moratorium).
Kentucky is classified “Not used in practice” for the death penalty, as are 10 of the other 49 states and the District of Columbia. For the United States as a whole, the classification is “Retained / in use”.
Source
- Note
- In 2009, a state judge suspended executions pending a new protocol.
- Last checked
- 17 September 2026
- How it was classified
- Read from the source’s state-by-state coverage; the topic is published only once hand-verified reference states match it.
Across the United States
- Retained / in use 16 states.
- Not used in practice 11 states, including Kentucky.
- Fully abolished 23 states and the District of Columbia.
Nearby states
- Indiana
- Retained / in use The death penalty is legal and executions are not suspended.
- Tennessee
- Retained / in use The death penalty is legal and executions are not suspended.
- Ohio
- Not used in practice The death penalty remains in law, but executions are suspended (de facto moratorium).
- Illinois
- Fully abolished Illinois abolished the death penalty in 2011.
- West Virginia
- Fully abolished West Virginia abolished the death penalty in 1965.
- Missouri
- Retained / in use The death penalty is legal and executions are not suspended.
Other laws in Kentucky
- Abortion
- Illegal (with exceptions)
- Euthanasia
- Illegal
- Same-Sex Marriage
- Marriage legal
- Age of Consent
- 16–17
- Sex Work
- Illegal
- Gun Laws
- Permissive
- Cannabis
- Legal (Medical)
The death penalty in the United States → · Which countries have the death penalty? →
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.