Kansas Gun Laws

Kansas Gun Forms & Supporting Documentation

• State CCW Site
• State CCW Pamphlet
• CCW Application And Instructions
• KS Personal/Family Protection Act 7/18
• FAQs Updated 8/19
• FAQs 2013 Law
• State Statutes
• State Admin Rules
• Firearm Admin Rules
• State Reciprocity Info
• State Attorney General
• Kansas Firearm Laws
• Age to Carry a Firearm In Other States

Carrying a Firearm

The state of Kansas does not prohibit the open carrying of a handgun in general. A concealed carry license shall be issued by the attorney general to any qualified person and shall be valid for a period of four years from the date it was issued.

Law enforcement officials may verify a valid license to carry a concealed weapon by checking an individual’s vehicle registration and driver’s license information.

A non-resident concealed weapons license to carry is recognized in Kansas if the standards of another state are equal to or greater than standards in Kansas. A list of reciprocal concealed carry states will be maintained and published by the attorney general.

A license to carry a concealed weapon shall be issued by the attorney general if the applicant:

Is a resident of the county for which they have made application, and has lived in the state of Kansas for a period of six months prior to filing the application;

• Is a non-resident active duty U.S. military member;
• Is 21 years or more of age;
• Does not have a physical disability that prevents him/her form handling a weapon safely;
• Has never been convicted of a felony, or been tried for a felony and placed on diversion for such, or committed a crime as a minor that would be considered a felony if committed by an adult;
• Has not, in the past five years prior to the date of application been:

• mentally ill, or committed involuntarily to a mental health facility;
• committed to a treatment center for abusing a controlled substance;
• in violation of the “uniform substance control act” by either misdemeanor or felony conviction, or placed on diversion for such an act, or a juvenile offender of a misdemeanor that would be considered a felony if committed by an adult;
• misdemeanor or felony conviction, or placed on diversion for such an act, or a juvenile offender of a misdemeanor that would be considered a felony if committed by an adult;
• convicted for operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol two or more times, or placed on diversion for such offences;
• convicted of a domestic violence crime that is a misdemeanor, or placed on diversion for such an offense, or a juvenile offender of a crime that would be considered a misdemeanor if committed by an adult;
• convicted of criminal use of a weapon or has committed a crime as a juvenile involving criminal use of a weapon;
• convicted of an offense for carrying a weapon while intoxicated from alcohol or under the influence of any drug or has committed these acts while a juvenile;

• Wishes to carry a concealed weapon for lawful purposes;
• Provides evidence that a safety and training course has been satisfactorily completed and presents that evidence to the attorney general;
• Has not been determined to be a disabled person under under the act f or obtaining either a guardian or conservator or both, or an act that is similar from another state, unless the applicant, three years prior, has been restored to capacity;
• Has not received a dishonorable discharge from the United States armed forces;
• Is a U.S. citizen;
• Is not under a restraining order as it pertains to the “protection from abuse act”, “protection from stalking act”, or an equivalent act from another state.

An eight-hour safety and training course that includes procedures and standards adopted by the attorney general shall be completed by the applicant. The applicant shall pay the fee for the course and provide proof of satisfactory completion of the course in accordance with the attorney general’s guidelines or in an affidavit from the instructor, organization, school or club that sponsored the course.

An applicant must provide proof of completion of a safety and training course to the attorney general, prior to renewing his/her license. An applicant must submit a completed application to the sheriff of the county of his/her residence, during normal hours of business and a non-refundable fee that does not exceed $150.00 The applicant must provide proof that he/she completed a weapons training and safety course with a copy of the proper verification form as well as a photograph of a full frontal taken within the last 30 days if the applicant’s previous license has expired or if no statewide license has been issued in the past. 

A criminal history records check will be done, and include a full set of fingerprints provided to the sheriff and forwarded to the attorney general. A payment of $110.00 of the original fee and the application must be forwarded from the sheriff to the attorney general for a new license and $50.00 of the original fee must be forwarded for renewal of a license. The portion of the fee retained by the sheriff shall be kept to cover the cost of the fingerprints.

Information submitted by the sheriff, corroborated by public records that demonstrate the significantly higher risk an applicant may pose to law enforcement, may be sent to the attorney general.

A state and national criminal history records check is conducted for the purposes of verifying the identity of the applicant and his/her criminal history to determine if the applicant has been convicted of any crime that would disqualify him/her from holding a license. The attorney general may access criminal records that have been expunged for the purposes of determining eligibility.  

A license will be either issued or denied within a 180-day period. Any denial must be based solely on the information provided by the sheriff according to the criteria set forth for eligibility of a concealed handgun license. The attorney general shall notify the applicant of the reason for the denial in writing and the applicant has the right to a hearing under the “administrative procedures act.”  

The licensee must notify the attorney general of any loss, change of address, or destruction of a license within 30 days of occurrence. The license may be revoked or a licensee may be fined for failure to report these changes to the attorney general. If a license is lost or destroyed, it shall be invalid. In the event of a lost or destroyed license, a duplicate may be obtained for a cost of $15.00 and a notarized statement attesting to the loss or destruction.

A license may be suspended or revoked by the attorney general if the licensee fails to provide evidence of completion of a safety and training course or would be ineligible to receive a license at the time. The district court shall review the suspension or revocation of a license.

The attorney general shall be notified by the sheriff of a resident’s county if a restraining order has been issued that would prohibit him/her from the issuance of a license. The license to carry a concealed weapon shall be revoked by the attorney general if it has already been issued.

The attorney general shall notify a licensee in writing within 90 days of expiration and provide for him/her a form for renewal. The licensee must renew the license on or before the expiration date and deliver the renewal form, a notarized affidavit that states he/she remains qualified for a license, a full frontal photograph taken within the past 30 days, and a renewal fee (not to exceed $100.00) to the sheriff of the county in which he/she resides. A late fee of $15.00 shall be paid if the license is not renewed within the prescribed period of time. The license will be renewed immediately by the attorney general if the applicant is qualified. A license cannot be renewed if six months have passed beyond the expiration date and the application for renewal shall be considered permanently expired. A new application must be submitted with fees, and a background check shall be made for an applicant with a permanently expired license.

A license shall not authorize the holder to carry a concealed weapon into: A place where any activity determined to be a common nuisance is declared;

• A law enforcement facility including any police, sheriff, or highway patrol station;
• A prison, detention facility or a jail;
• A courthouse;
• A courtroom, with the exception of a judge carrying a concealed weapon and any other person he/she authorizes to carry.
• A polling place on election day;
• A meeting of a government body including any county, city, or other subdivision of the state, or any committee or subcommittee thereof;
• On fairgrounds operated by the state;
• A sporting event;
• An office building of the state;
• A sporting event that is sponsored by a public or private elementary school, or secondary school, or public institution of postsecondary education that is not related to or does not involve firearms;
• A professional sporting event that does not involve firearms;
• A portion of any established business licensed for alcohol distribution with the exception of a restaurant;
• A school building or facility, whether elementary or secondary, community college or university, used for student education or attendance;
• Any place where federal or state law prohibits the carrying of firearms;
• Any location designated for child exchange and visitation under, K.S.A.75-720, and amendments thereto;
• A community mental health center, psychiatric hospital; or state psychiatric hospital as follows: Larned State Hospital, Osawatomie State Hospital or Rainbow Mental Health Facility;
• Any city hall;
• A state operated public library, or library operated by a subdivision of the state;
• A day care center, group day care home, preschool, or childcare center;
• Any temple, church or church or temple.

Nothing in the above provisions shall prevent:

• An employer, whether public or private from prohibiting or restricting persons licensed to carry a concealed weapon under this act from carrying while on the business property or while engaged in the course of employment; or
• Any entity that owns or operates a business open to the general public from prohibiting or restricting persons licensed to carry a concealed weapon under this act from carrying while on the premises, as long as the restriction is clearly posted at the entrances of the business; or
• Any person who owns property from prohibiting or restricting persons licensed to carry a concealed weapon under this act from entering the property while carrying as long as the restriction is clearly posted on the property.

Machine Guns

t is illegal to possess: a silencing device used to muffle the sound of any firearm; a shotgun that has a barrel less than 18 inches long; or any firearm designed to discharge more than one round of ammunition with one single function of the trigger Exceptions to this prohibition are for:

• Law enforcement officials authorized for use of such firearms within the course of their duties;
• firearms rendered inoperable; or,
• firearms possessed that are properly registered under the National Firearms Act.

Range Protection

No person owning, operating, managing, or using a sport shooting range shall be subject to civil liability or criminal prosecution in any matter involving noise or noise pollution.

KAN. STAT. ANN. § 58-3221. Sport shooting ranges; definitions

As used in this act:

(a) “Generally accepted operation practice” means those safety practices adopted, pursuant to rules and regulations, by the Kansas department of wildlife and parks and established by a nationally recognized nonprofit membership organization that provides voluntary firearms safety programs which include training individuals in the safe handling and use of firearms and which practices are developed with consideration of all information reasonably available regarding the operation of shooting ranges.

(b) “Local unit of government” means a county, city, township or any other political subdivision of the state, or any agency, authority, institution or instrumentality thereof.

(c) “Person” means an individual, proprietorship, partnership, corporation, club, governmental entity or other legal entity.

(d) “Sport shooting range” or “range” means an area designed and operated for the use of archery, rifles, shotguns, pistols, semiautomatic firearms, skeet, trap, black powder or any other similar sport shooting.

KAN. STAT. ANN. § 58-3222.
 Same; conformance to generally accepted operation practices; application of law relating to noise control and nuisance. (a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, and in addition to other protections provided in this act, a person who owns, operates, manages or uses a sport shooting range that conforms to generally accepted operation practices in the state is not subject to civil liability or criminal prosecution in any matter relating to noise or noise pollution resulting from the operation or use of the range if the range is in compliance with any noise control laws or ordinances or resolutions that applied to the range and its operation at the time of construction and initial operation of the range.      

(b) In addition to any civil protection provided by the act, a person who owns, operates, manages or uses a sport shooting range that conforms to generally accepted operation practices is not subject to an action for nuisance, and a court of the state shall not enjoin or restrain the use or operation of a range on the basis of noise or noise pollution, if the range is in compliance with any noise control laws or ordinances or resolutions that applied to the range and its operation at the time of construction or initial operation of the range.
     
(c) Rules or regulations adopted by any state department or agency for limiting levels of noise in terms of decibel level which may occur in the outdoor atmosphere do not apply to a sport shooting range immune from liability under this act. However, this subsection does not constrict the application of any provision of generally accepted operation practices.
     

(d) A person who acquires title to real property adversely affected by the use of property with a permanently located and improved sport shooting range constructed and initially operated prior to the time the person acquires title shall not maintain a nuisance action on the basis of noise or noise pollution or based upon known or inherent dangers against the person who owns, operates or uses the range to restrain, enjoin, or impede the use of the range. This section does not prohibit actions for negligence or recklessness in the operation of the range.
     
History:   L. 2001, Ch. 185, § 5; July 1.

KAN. STAT. ANN. § 58-3223.

Same; application of local law. (a) A sport shooting range that is operated and is not in violation of state law at the time of the enactment of an ordinance or resolution shall be permitted to continue in operation even if the operation of the sport shooting range at a later date does not conform to the new ordinance or resolution or amendment to an existing ordinance or resolution.      

(b) A sport shooting range that is in existence as of the effective date of this act and operates in compliance with generally accepted operation practices, even if not in compliance with an ordinance or resolution of a local unit of government, shall be permitted to do all of the following within its preexisting geographic boundaries if in compliance with generally accepted operation practices:      

(1) repair, remodel or reinforce any improvement or facilities or building or structure as may be necessary in the interest of public safety or to secure the continued use of the building or improvement;      

(2) reconstruct, repair, rebuild or resume the use of a facility or building damaged by fire, collapse, explosion, act of God or act of war occurring after the effective date of this act. The reconstruction, repair or restoration shall be completed within one year following the date of the damage or settlement of any property damage claim. If reconstruction, repair or restoration is not completed within one year as provided in this subsection, such reconstruction, repair or restoration may be terminated in the discretion of the local unit of government; or      

(3) do anything authorized under generally accepted operation practices, including, but not limited to:      

(A) Expand or enhance its membership or opportunities for public participation; and      

(B) reasonably expand or increase facilities or activities.

KAN. STAT. ANN. § 58-3224. 
 Same; regulation by local governments; taking of range for certain uses prohibited. (a) Except as otherwise provided, the provisions of this act shall not prohibit a local unit of government from regulating the location and construction of a sport shooting range.       (b) No person or governmental entity may take title to property which has a permanently located and improved sport shooting range, by condemnation, eminent domain or similar process when the proposed use of said property would be for shooting related activities or recreational activities or for private or commercial development. However, this provision does not limit governmental exercise of eminent domain or easement necessary for infrastructure additions or improvements, such as highways, waterways or utilities.

Kansas Concealed Carry Reciprocity

Miscellaneous

It is illegal to remove, change, alter, or obliterate identifying marks on a firearm including the maker’s name, model, or manufacturer’s number. Possession of a firearm in this condition is considered evidence of guilt.

No party other than the state of Kansas may hold any firearms manufacturer or maker of ammunition liable or bring suit for damages relating to the lawful design or sale of firearms or ammunition.

A city, or county may not adopt an ordinance, regulation, or resolution that governs the transfer, ownership, purchase, storage, or transport of firearms, ammunition, or a component thereof, and shall not take administrative action, other than those outlined and authorized by statute. Any ordinance enacted prior to the date this ordinance took effect will be considered null and void. A statute not in reference to firearms or ammunition, or any component thereof, may not be interpreted to provide authorization. Exceptions to this statute do exist and shall prevail.