To become a Kentucky Colonel, someone has to nominate you: a sponsor submits a free online form to the Governor’s office, and if the Governor approves, an official certificate arrives in the mail. That is the entire process for how to become a Kentucky Colonel. There is no fee, no residency requirement, and no application you can file for yourself.1Kentucky.gov. Kentucky Colonel Commission Application
Who Can Be Nominated
The only hard rule is that the nominee must be at least 18 years old.1Kentucky.gov. Kentucky Colonel Commission Application You do not need to live in Kentucky, and you do not need to be a U.S. citizen. The commission has gone to people around the world.2The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels. The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels
Beyond age, the Governor is looking for a record worth honoring: charitable work, community involvement, professional accomplishments that benefited others, or service that reflects well on the Commonwealth. Approval is discretionary. No specific number of volunteer hours or dollars donated guarantees anything.
One thing you cannot do is nominate yourself. The form has to be filled out by a sponsor on the nominee’s behalf. If you want the honor, you will need to find someone willing to submit it for you.
What to Gather Before You Start
The Governor’s office recommends writing your explanation in a separate document first and pasting it in, because the online form can time out if left idle too long.1Kentucky.gov. Kentucky Colonel Commission Application Before you open the application, have the following ready for your nominee:
- Full name, including middle name and any suffix
- Date of birth (used to confirm they are 18 or older)
- Mailing address, phone number, and email
- Profession
- A list of charitable, community, or military service
- A written reason for the recommendation
That last item carries the most weight. Name the organizations, describe what the person actually did, and explain the impact in enough detail that a reader who has never heard of them can see why the honor fits. Vague praise does not help; concrete accomplishments do.
You will also enter your own name, address, phone, email, and profession as the nominator.
Filing the Nomination
The nomination runs entirely through a single online form on Kentucky.gov, linked from the Governor’s official nominations page.3Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. Kentucky Colonels There is no fee at any point.
The form asks where to mail the certificate: to you as the nominator, to the recipient directly, or to an alternate address. If the commission is meant as a surprise or will be given at a presentation, you can note the event date so the office can try to process it in time.
Do not use your browser’s auto-fill on this form. After submitting, watch for a “Thank You” confirmation page and a confirmation email. If the form instead reloads as a blank application, your submission did not go through and you need to resubmit. Print the completed form before clicking submit if you want a record for yourself.1Kentucky.gov. Kentucky Colonel Commission Application
Nominees Outside the United States
The Governor’s office will not ship certificates internationally. If your nominee lives abroad, the certificate goes to you, the nominator, instead. If both of you are outside the U.S., you must supply an alternate U.S. mailing address on the form.1Kentucky.gov. Kentucky Colonel Commission Application
How Long It Takes
The form itself requires you to acknowledge a minimum 30-day processing time.1Kentucky.gov. Kentucky Colonel Commission Application The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels puts the typical turnaround at four to six weeks.4The Kentucky Colonels. Frequently Asked Questions If a ceremony or presentation is planned, build in extra time.
Nominations are accepted year-round; there are no published cutoff dates. If the Governor approves, the new Colonel receives an official certificate bearing the Great Seal of the Commonwealth and the Governor’s signature. The certificate itself is the notification. Nothing arrives beforehand to tell you it is coming.
Using the Title Once Commissioned
A Kentucky Colonel may use “Colonel” or “Col.” before their name. In formal writing, the standard form is “Col. First Middle Last, Kentucky Colonel.” In conversation, “Colonel” alone works. Under common law tradition, Kentucky Colonels are considered aides-de-camp to the Governor and are entitled to the style “Honorable.”5Wikipedia. Kentucky Colonel
The commission is honorary. It carries no salary, no military authority, and no government duties. After commissioning, the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, an independent charitable organization, may reach out about membership. Joining the Order is voluntary and separate from the Governor’s commission itself; membership involves an annual donation to its Good Works Program.6The Kentucky Colonels. How to Become a Colonel You are a Kentucky Colonel the moment the Governor signs the certificate, whether or not you ever join the Order.