I get cold sores 3 times per year. if i kiss someone when a sore is not present, what are the chances the person i kiss will get a cold sore?

<10%: If you aren't having an active outbreak then the chance of transmission is probably less than 10%. It depends if the person is actively shedding or not.

Depends on person: Risk also depends on the other person. Cold sores are usually caused by HSV-1. The virus may on the lips before blisters appear or at other times i.e. when a sore is not present. HSV is spread by close contact between a person with HSV and somebody without HSV. A lot of people already have HSV-1, even if they have no symptoms, and don't get infected again. A person without HSV-1 might get infected

Low: But it will be high if you have lesions or open sores. During active infection avoid giving oral sex or kissing

Very Low...: It is possible to transmit HSV (the cause of cold sores) when there are no sores, but this is extremely low. However, several hours to a day before the cold sore appears people do start shedding the virus & can transmit it. People will often have some mild symptoms like tingling or burning in the area the cold sore is going to appear during this time. The sore may not be present, but symptoms are!