The department's sworn personnel hold the title State Trooper, and its nickname is The Thin Gray Line.

The force was the successor agency to the Kentucky Highway Patrol, and inherited the equipment and officers from that organization.

KSP is the premier law enforcement agency of Kentucky, having full jurisdiction in all 120 counties and all 33 independent cities.

East Troop contains Posts 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13 and 14. there is also Regional Offices of the KSP Division of Commercial Vehicle Enforcement.

A Kentucky State Police full color brass seal is worn on the front of the hat.

The KSP Facilities Security Branch will replace their CVPI's with Ford Taurus-based Police Interceptors.

Prior to 2017 troopers carried a traditional 12 gauge shotgun as their long-range alternative to their sidearm and transitioned to a M&P15 patrol rifle (.223).

[13] Sworn Commercial Vehicle Enforcement officers undergo an initial 18 weeks of basic law enforcement officer training at the Department of Criminal Justice Training Academy in Richmond.

KSP Facilities Security Branch officers must meet the requirements for and receive a Special Law Enforcement Officer (SLEO) commission under KRS 61.900-930 as well as undergo specialized training, including firearms training.

[17] The department also operates Trooper Island Camp, a juvenile crime prevention program at Dale Hollow Lake State Park.

[7] On February 15, 2017, then-Commissioner Rick Sanders announced the formation of the Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT).