Anti-SLAPP Laws in Kentucky

At a glance

Requirements one by one

Coverage

Kentucky's statute is KRS 454.460 through 454.478, effective July 14, 2022. It covers specified communications in or about governmental proceedings and constitutional speech, press, assembly, petition, or association on a matter of public concern (§ 454.462(1)). The long list of exemptions and its expressive-work and consumer-review exceptions appear in § 454.462(2).

Motion, stay, and proof

The motion is due within sixty days after service of the pleading asserting the covered claim, or later for good cause (§ 454.464). Filing stays other proceedings between the moving and responding parties. The court can extend the stay to certain matters involving other parties and must allow necessary, otherwise unavailable limited discovery under the statutory test (§ 454.466(1), (4)). The hearing normally occurs within sixty days of filing, and the court rules within sixty days after the hearing (§§ 454.468, 454.474). It considers the pleadings, motion papers, and summary-judgment evidence (§ 454.470). Section 454.472(1) requires dismissal with prejudice when coverage is shown, no exemption is shown, and the respondent lacks a prima facie case on each element or the movant establishes the stated pleading or summary-judgment ground.

Fees and appeal

The court awards motion-related costs, reasonable attorney's fees, and litigation expenses to a prevailing movant. A prevailing respondent receives them if the motion was brought without good cause (§ 454.478). Either party may appeal a grant or denial in whole or part as of right under the Kentucky Rules of Civil Procedure (§ 454.476). An appeal stays all proceedings between all parties until it concludes (§ 454.466(3)).

What trips people up

The filing stay initially applies between the motion parties; the all-party stay follows an appeal (§ 454.466(1), (3)). Section 454.462(2) excludes several claim classes, but restores coverage for the listed expressive-work and consumer-review actions.

Common questions

Can the claimant end the fee issue by dismissing voluntarily? A dismissal without prejudice does not prevent a ruling or fee request. A dismissal with prejudice establishes the movant as prevailing for the fee rule (§ 454.472(2)-(3)).

Does a losing claimant also get an immediate appeal? Yes. The statute says any party may appeal an order granting or denying the motion (§ 454.476).

Statutes and sources

• KRS 454.462(1)-(2) — “(1) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (2) of this section, KRS 454.460 to 454.478 applies to a cause of action asserted against a person based on the person's: (a) Communication in a legislative, executive, judicial, administrative, or other governmental proceeding; (b) Communication on an issue under consideration or review in a legislative, executive, judicial, administrative, or other governmental proceeding; or (c) Exercise of the right of freedom of speech or of the press, the right to assemble or petition, or the right of association, as guaranteed by the United States Constitution or Kentucky Constitution, on a matter of public concern. (2) (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection, KRS 454.460 to 454.478 shall not apply to a cause of action asserted: 1. Against a governmental unit or an employee or agent of a governmental unit acting or purporting to act in an official capacity; 2. By a governmental unit or an employee or agent of a governmental unit acting in an official capacity to enforce a law to protect against an imminent threat to public health or safety; 3. Against a person primarily engaged in the business of selling or leasing goods or services if the cause of action arises out of a communication or lack of communication related to the person's sale or lease of the goods or services; 4. Against a person named in a civil suit brought to establish or declare real property possessory rights, use of real property, recovery of real property, quiet title to real property, or other claims relating to real property; 5. Seeking recovery for bodily injury, wrongful death, or survival, or to statements made regarding that legal action; 6. Under the Kentucky Insurance Code or arising out of an insurance contract; 7. Based on a common law fraud claim; 8. Under KRS Chapters 401 to 407; 9. Under KRS Chapter 337, 338, 339, 342, 344, or 345, including claims of negligent supervision, retention, or infliction of emotional distress; wrongful discharge in violation of public policy; whistleblowing, including KRS 61.101 to 61.103; or enforcement of employee rights under civil service, collective bargaining, or handbooks and policies; or 10. Under the Kentucky Consumer Protection Act, KRS 367.110 to 367.300. (b) KRS 454.460 to 454.478 applies to a cause of action asserted under paragraph (a) of this subsection when the cause of action is: 1. An action against a person arising from any act of that person, whether public or private, related to the gathering, receiving, posting, or processing of information for communication to the public, whether or not the information is actually communicated to the public, for the creation, dissemination, exhibition, or advertisement or other similar promotion of a dramatic, literary, musical, political, journalistic, or otherwise artistic work, including audio-visual work regardless of the means of distribution, a motion picture, a television or radio program, or an article published in a newspaper, Web site, magazine, or other platform, no matter the method or extent of distribution; or 2. An action against a person related to the communication, gathering, receiving, posting, or processing of consumer opinions or commentary, evaluation of consumer complaints, or reviews or ratings of businesses.” Source: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=53201 (accessed 2026-10-06).
• KRS 454.464 — “No later than sixty (60) days after a party is served with a complaint, crossclaim, counterclaim, third-party claim, or other pleading that asserts a cause of action to which KRS 454.460 to 454.478 applies, or at a later time on a showing of good cause, the party may file a special motion for expedited relief to dismiss the cause of action in whole or in part.” Source: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=53202 (accessed 2026-10-06).
• KRS 454.466(1)-(2), (4) — “(1) Except as otherwise provided in subsections (4) to (7) of this section, on the filing of a motion under KRS 454.464: (a) All other proceedings between the moving party and responding party, including discovery and any pending hearing or motion, shall be stayed; and (b) On motion by the moving party, the court may stay a hearing or motion involving another party, or discovery by another party, if the hearing or ruling on the motion would adjudicate, or the discovery would relate to, an issue material to the motion. (2) A stay under subsection (1) of this section shall remain in effect until entry of an order ruling on the motion under KRS 454.464 and expiration of the time under KRS 454.476 for the moving party to appeal the order. (3) Except as otherwise provided in subsections (5), (6), and (7) of this section, if a party appeals from an order ruling on a motion under KRS 454.464, all proceedings between all parties in the action shall be stayed. The stay shall remain in effect until the conclusion of the appeal. (4) During a stay under subsection (1) of this section, the court shall allow limited discovery if a party shows that specific information is necessary to establish whether a party has satisfied or failed to satisfy a burden under KRS 454.472(1) and the information is not reasonably available unless discovery is allowed, including but not limited to situations where a witness may be unavailable or records may have been destroyed. (5) A motion under KRS 454.478 for costs, attorney's fees, and expenses shall not be subject to a stay under this section. (6) A stay under this section shall not affect a party's ability to voluntarily dismiss a cause of action or part of a cause of action or a motion to sever a cause of action. (7) During a stay under this section, the court for good cause may hear and rule on: (a) A motion unrelated to the motion under KRS 454.464; and (b) A motion seeking a special or preliminary injunction to protect against an imminent threat to public health or safety.” Source: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=53203 (accessed 2026-10-06).
• KRS 454.468(1) — “(1) The court shall hear a motion under KRS 454.464 no later than sixty (60) days after filing of the motion, unless the court orders a later hearing: (a) To allow limited discovery under KRS 454.466; or (b) For good cause shown. (2) If the court orders a later hearing under subsection (1)(a) of this section, the court shall hear the motion under KRS 454.464 no later than sixty (60) days after the court order allowing limited discovery, unless the court orders a later hearing under subsection (1)(b) of this section, in which case the hearing shall be scheduled in an expedited manner.” Source: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=53204 (accessed 2026-10-06).
• KRS 454.470 — “In ruling on a motion under KRS 454.464, the court shall consider the pleadings, the motion, any reply or response to the motion, and any evidence that could be considered in ruling on a motion for summary judgment.” Source: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=53205 (accessed 2026-10-06).
• KRS 454.472(1) — “(1) In ruling on a motion under KRS 454.464, the court shall dismiss with prejudice a cause of action, or part of a cause of action, if: (a) The moving party establishes under KRS 454.462(1) that KRS 454.460 to 454.478 applies; (b) The responding party fails to establish under KRS 454.462(2) that KRS 454.460 to 454.478 does not apply; and (c) Either: 1. The responding party fails to establish a prima facie case as to each essential element of the cause of action; or 2. The moving party establishes that: a. The responding party failed to state a cause of action upon which relief can be granted; or b. There is no genuine issue as to any material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law on the cause of action or part of the action. (2) A voluntary dismissal without prejudice of a responding party's cause of action, or part of a cause of action, that is the subject of a motion under KRS 454.464 does not affect a moving party's right to obtain a ruling on the motion and seek costs, attorney's fees, and expenses under KRS 454.478. (3) A voluntary dismissal with prejudice of a responding party's cause of action, or part of a cause of action, that is the subject of a motion under KRS 454.464 establishes for the purpose of KRS 454.478 that the moving party prevailed on the motion.” Source: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=53206 (accessed 2026-10-06).
• KRS 454.474 — “The court shall rule on a motion under KRS 454.464 no later than sixty (60) days after a hearing under KRS 454.468.” Source: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=53207 (accessed 2026-10-06).
• KRS 454.476 — “Any party may appeal as a matter of right from an order granting or denying, in whole or in part, a motion under KRS 454.464. The appeal shall be filed in accordance with the Kentucky Rules of Civil Procedure.” Source: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=53208 (accessed 2026-10-06).
• KRS 454.478 — “On a motion under KRS 454.464, or the appeal of an order granting or denying a motion under KRS 454.464, the court shall award court costs, reasonable attorney's fees, and reasonable litigation expenses related to the motion: (1) To the moving party if the moving party prevails on the motion; or (2) To the responding party if the responding party prevails on the motion and the court finds that the motion was brought without good cause.” Source: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=53209 (accessed 2026-10-06).