Kansas Concealed Carry Handgun License (CCHL) Application Process

To get a Kansas Concealed Carry Handgun License (CCHL), you apply at your county sheriff's office, complete an 8-hour training course, pass a background check, and pay the $32.50 statutory sheriff fee plus the cost of training (set by the instructor, typically around $100). The Office of the Attorney General no longer charges a license fee.

You do not need a CCHL to carry concealed in Kansas if you are 21 or older and lawful to possess a firearm. Kansas has been a permitless carry state since July 1, 2015. People still apply for the CCHL because it unlocks reciprocity with roughly 39 other states, allows 18- to 20-year-olds to carry under a provisional license, and exempts holders from the federal Gun Free School Zone Act when traveling near K-12 schools.

The application is governed by the Personal and Family Protection Act, K.S.A. 75-7c01 et seq., with eligibility at K.S.A. 75-7c04, the application mechanics at K.S.A. 75-7c05, and the implementing regulations at K.A.R. 16-11-1 through 16-11-8. The application is filed under oath and false answers are prosecutable as a felony under K.S.A. 21-5903 (perjury) by way of K.S.A. 75-7c09.

Two License Tiers

Kansas issues two CCHLs under K.S.A. 75-7c04(a)(3):

• Standard license: applicant is 21 years of age or older. Recognized by other states under reciprocity.
• Provisional license: applicant is 18, 19, or 20 years of age. Authorizes concealed carry inside Kansas; reciprocity treatment varies by state.

Effective April 2, 2025 (HB 2052, L. 2025, ch. 55), a provisional licensee transitions to a standard license on turning 21 without filing a new application. The Attorney General must notify provisional licensees at least 60 days before their 21st birthday. On confirmation of age, the AG issues a standard license for the remaining unexpired term of the provisional license. (K.S.A. 75-7c05(f)).

Eligibility Checklist

Confirm every item below before paying for training. The Attorney General is required to deny a license if any disqualifier in K.S.A. 75-7c04(a) applies.

• Residency. You are a resident of the Kansas county where you apply, and a resident of Kansas. Active duty military stationed in Kansas (and their dependents) may apply even if their state of legal residence is elsewhere; they keep their non-resident driver's license. Active duty Kansas residents stationed at a U.S. military installation outside Kansas may apply by mail through their home county sheriff under K.S.A. 75-7c05(j).
• Age. 21 or older for a standard license. 18 or older for a provisional license.
• Federally lawful to possess a firearm. You are not prohibited under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) or (n). This rules out: anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison, fugitives, unlawful users of or addicts to controlled substances, persons adjudicated mentally defective or committed to a mental institution, dishonorably discharged service members, anyone who has renounced U.S. citizenship, persons subject to qualifying domestic protection orders, persons with a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence conviction, and persons under indictment for a felony.
• Kansas firearm prohibitions. You are not prohibited under K.S.A. 21-6301(a)(10), (a)(13), or (a)(15) through (a)(18), and you are not prohibited under K.S.A. 21-6304(a)(1) through (a)(4) (criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon).
• Citizenship/legal status. U.S. citizen or qualifying lawful permanent resident. Most nonimmigrant aliens cannot meet the residency requirement and are also barred under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(5).
• No active diversion or pending charge for an offense that would disqualify you. A pending charge that could trigger ineligibility under K.S.A. 75-7c04(a) suspends the application or any existing license until disposition (K.S.A. 75-7c07(b)).
• Training. You have completed an 8-hour handgun safety and training course taught by a Kansas-certified instructor, or you qualify for an exemption (see Step 2).

Federal law treats some misdemeanors as disqualifying. A misdemeanor crime of domestic violence under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9) is a permanent firearms prohibitor even when the underlying statute does not contain the word "domestic." If your record includes any battery, assault, or disorderly conduct involving force against a partner, household member, child, or co-parent, talk to a private attorney before paying for training. The Office of the Attorney General will not give you eligibility advice over the phone.

Expungements

Effective July 1, 2021, applicants are no longer required to disclose expunged offenses on the CCHL application. Expungement may not restore federal firearms rights, however, and expunged items still appear on the background check the Concealed Carry Licensing Unit (CCLU) runs. The CCLU recommends voluntary disclosure to avoid processing delays.

Step-by-Step Procedure

Step 1: Get the application form

Two equally valid options:

1. Download the current PDF from the Office of the Attorney General at ag.ks.gov (Concealed Carry Licensing page).
2. Pick up a paper copy at the sheriff's office in your county of residence.

The application is a multi-page form prescribed by the Attorney General. Use the current version. The CCLU will reject obsolete forms.

Step 2: Complete the 8-hour handgun safety and training course

K.S.A. 75-7c04(b)(1) requires an 8-hour course covering:

• Safe storage of handguns.
• Actual firing of handguns (live-fire qualification).
• Kansas laws governing the carrying of concealed handguns.
• Kansas laws on the use of deadly force, including K.S.A. 21-5222 (Stand Your Ground) and K.S.A. 21-5223 (Castle Doctrine).

The course must be one of the following:

• A handgun course certified or sponsored by the Kansas Attorney General.
• A handgun course certified or sponsored by the National Rifle Association.
• A course offered by a law enforcement agency, college, private or public institution, or training school that the Attorney General has determined meets or exceeds the AG's standards, taught by an AG-certified or NRA-certified instructor.

Tuition is set by the instructor and is paid by the applicant. Course pricing is typically around $100 in Kansas. The instructor issues a certificate of completion that you must photocopy and attach to your application.

Training exemptions

Three groups can submit the application without taking the Kansas course (all three still need the background check):

• Holders of a valid CCHL from another jurisdiction whose training met or exceeded Kansas standards (instruction on self-defense law and demonstrated competency in safe handling, storage, and live fire). Attach: a copy of the non-Kansas CCHL, documentation of the training contents, and certification you completed that course. (K.S.A. 75-7c04(c)).
• Retired law enforcement officers, as defined in K.S.A. 21-5111, who were certified by the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers' Standards and Training (or a similar body in another jurisdiction) within eight years before applying. Submit a letter from the head of the retiring agency attesting to retirement in good standing for reasons other than mental instability and to a non-forfeitable retirement benefit. (K.S.A. 75-7c05(h)).
• Corrections officers, parole officers, and federal Bureau of Prisons corrections officers (as defined in K.S.A. 75-5202) who hold a firearms training certificate issued by the Department of Corrections, the Bureau of Prisons, or a similar body within one year before applying. (K.S.A. 75-7c05(i)).

Step 3: Assemble the application packet

Per K.S.A. 75-7c05(a), the form requires:

• Legal name, address, Social Security number, place and date of birth.
• Kansas driver's license or Kansas non-driver ID number, with a photocopy of the card.
• A photocopy of your training certificate of completion.
• A statement that you comply with K.S.A. 75-7c04 eligibility criteria.
• A statement that you have been furnished a copy of the act and are knowledgeable of its provisions.
• A statement that you desire a CCHL as a means of lawful self-defense.
• A conspicuous warning that the application is executed under oath and that any false answer is criminal under K.S.A. 21-5903.

You also submit, per K.S.A. 75-7c05(b):

• The completed application.
• $32.50 payable to the sheriff of your county of residence (covers fingerprints).
• The training certificate photocopy (or, for an exemption, the substitute documentation).
• A full frontal-view photograph taken within the preceding 30 days.

Active duty military and dependents who do not hold a Kansas driver's license attach a photocopy of their out-of-state license or military ID instead. (K.S.A. 75-7c05(a)(1)(B)).

Step 4: File at the sheriff's office in your county of residence

Take the packet, in person, to the sheriff's office in the Kansas county where you reside, during normal business hours. There are no exceptions for filing in a different county. (K.S.A. 75-7c05(b); AG FAQ).

The sheriff accepts payment by personal check, cashier's check, or money order made out to the sheriff. Cash policies vary by county; call ahead.

If you are active duty military stationed at a U.S. military installation outside Kansas, you may mail the packet to your Kansas home-county sheriff under K.S.A. 75-7c05(j). Have your fingerprints taken at the military installation and include the prints with the application. The CCLU recommends sending the package by tracked mail with a highlighted copy of K.S.A. 75-7c05(j) on top of the application so the sheriff's staff recognizes the mail-in route.

Step 5: Sit for fingerprints

The sheriff takes a full set of classifiable fingerprints and forwards them, with the application, to the Office of the Attorney General. (K.S.A. 75-7c05(c)(1)).

The $32.50 paid to the sheriff covers fingerprinting. Funds the sheriff retains under K.S.A. 75-7c05(c)(3) go into a special administrative fund for the sheriff's office and may only be used to administer the act.

Sheriff or chief law enforcement officer may, within 45 days, submit a voluntary report to the Attorney General if public records, combined with another enumerated factor, establish that the applicant poses a significantly greater threat to law enforcement or the public than an average citizen. The submission is discretionary and the sheriff incurs no civil or criminal liability for a good-faith report. (K.S.A. 75-7c05(c)(2)). The Attorney General may deny the application based on that report only "for good cause shown."

Step 6: Background check

The Attorney General runs a state and national criminal history records check, including an inquiry through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), under K.S.A. 75-7c05(d) and K.S.A. 22-4714.

The Attorney General is checking against every disqualifier in K.S.A. 75-7c04(a) and the federal disqualifiers under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) and (n). For applicants with criminal history outside Kansas, the AG applies both the convicting jurisdiction's law and Kansas firearm-possession standards (K.S.A. 21-6304). A felony from another state that would not be a Kansas firearm prohibitor still has to clear the convicting state's analysis, and a Kansas felony triggers Kansas-law possession bars regardless.

Step 7: Issuance or denial

K.S.A. 75-7c05(e) requires the Attorney General to issue or deny within 90 days of receiving the complete packet from the sheriff. The CCLU's published practice is most initial applications process in 60-90 days; you should not expect to hear from the CCLU before day 60 unless the office requests additional information.

If approved:

• The AG certifies issuance to the Kansas Department of Revenue (KDOR), which produces a physical license card at a KDOR driver's license station. KDOR no longer charges a card-production fee for the initial license (effective July 1, 2023).
• If KDOR cannot practicably issue physical cards (and that condition has lasted at least 30 days), the AG issues a temporary authorization document under K.S.A. 75-7c03(d) that functions as the license until the card is produced.
• You will need to physically appear at a KDOR station to pick up the card. Active duty military approved through the mail-in process under K.S.A. 75-7c05(j) generally still must travel to Kansas to receive the card.

If denied, the AG must notify you in writing, state the ground for denial, and inform you of the right to a hearing under the Kansas Administrative Procedure Act. The denial is reviewable in district court under the Kansas Judicial Review Act, in either Shawnee County or your county of residence. (K.S.A. 75-7c07).

Required Documents Checklist

Bring to the sheriff:

• Completed K.S.A. 75-7c05(a) application form, signed under oath.
• Photocopy of your Kansas driver's license or non-driver ID (or out-of-state ID for active duty military and dependents).
• Photocopy of your 8-hour training certificate of completion (or exemption documentation: copy of valid out-of-state CCHL plus training contents and certification, or retired-LEO letter, or corrections officer firearms-training certificate).
• One full frontal-view photograph taken within the preceding 30 days.
• Personal check, cashier's check, or money order for $32.50 payable to the sheriff.

Keep with you (the AG's office may request follow-up):

• Original training certificate.
• Original out-of-state CCHL if claiming the training exemption.
• Documentation of any "yes" answers on the criminal-history portion of the application.

Timeline

Plan for the process to take roughly 8 to 14 weeks end to end:

• Week 0: Complete the 8-hour course. Receive certificate.
• Week 0-1: Gather documents, take photo, file at sheriff. Fingerprints taken at filing.
• Weeks 1-13: Sheriff forwards packet to AG. AG runs state and national background check, NICS query, and any voluntary sheriff report. By statute, the AG must act within 90 days. Most applicants hear back at 60-90 days; the CCLU has at times processed in approximately 30 days.
• After issuance: KDOR produces the card. Plan a separate trip to a KDOR station.

If you do not hear from the CCLU within 60 days and have received no written request for additional information, the application is in normal processing. The CCLU publishes its phone number ((785) 291-3765) for status questions but cannot give legal advice.

Fees Summary

All fees are non-refundable, including if you withdraw the application. (K.S.A. 75-7c05).

License Validity, Renewal, and Address Changes

A Kansas CCHL is valid for four years from the date of issuance. (K.S.A. 75-7c03(a)). The license is only valid while you are a Kansas resident or stationed in Kansas as active duty military or a dependent.

Renewal under K.S.A. 75-7c08: The Attorney General mails a renewal form at least 90 days before expiration. The licensee returns the renewal form, a notarized affidavit of continued eligibility under K.S.A. 75-7c04, and a current frontal-view photo (taken within 30 days). Renewal is filed with the Attorney General directly, in person or by certified mail. The AG runs a name-based background check, including a NICS database search.

• Fingerprints are not required for renewal.
• A provisional licensee who renews after turning 21 receives a standard license on renewal.
• A renewal application filed six months or more after the license expiration date is rejected as permanently expired. The licensee must reapply through the sheriff with new fingerprints.

Change of address or name: Notify the CCLU in writing within 30 days. Failure carries a fine up to $100 or suspension up to six months under K.S.A. 75-7c06(e). KDOR charges a fee to issue a new card with corrected information.

Move out of state: Under K.S.A. 75-7c07(e), a Kansas license remains valid for 90 days after you change residency, but only if you notified the AG of the pending move in writing before leaving and only in jurisdictions that recognize Kansas licenses. A licensee who moves back to Kansas before the license expires can have it reinstated by notifying the AG.

Suspension, Revocation, and Surrender

Under K.S.A. 75-7c07, the Attorney General must revoke a license if the holder becomes ineligible under K.S.A. 75-7c04 and must suspend a license while a charge or proceeding that could trigger ineligibility is pending. Revocation takes effect during any appeal and is not stayed by the court.

When a court issues a restraining order that would prohibit license issuance under K.S.A. 75-7c04(a)(2), the sheriff must notify the AG immediately. The AG suspends the license within 24 hours and reinstates it on proof the order has been canceled, if the license has not otherwise expired.

HB 2052 (effective April 2, 2025) added a hard surrender rule: on suspension or revocation, the licensee must surrender the physical card or the K.S.A. 75-7c03(d) authorization document to the Division of Motor Vehicles, which destroys it. After a suspension ends, the AG issues a new authorization document for the remainder of the original license term.

Common Questions

Do I need a CCHL to carry concealed in Kansas if I am 21? No. Kansas has been a permitless carry state since July 1, 2015. You still need to be lawful to possess a firearm under federal and Kansas law. The CCHL adds reciprocity, school-zone exemption under federal law, and certain location access; it does not gate carry inside Kansas for adults 21 or older.

Can a non-resident apply? No, with two exceptions: active duty military stationed in Kansas, and dependents of an active duty servicemember stationed in Kansas. Out-of-state residents who carry in Kansas must do so on the basis of permitless carry (if 21+ and federally lawful) or a non-Kansas CCHL recognized under reciprocity.

Where exactly do I file? The sheriff's office of your county of residence. Not the Attorney General. Not a KDOR station. Not a different county's sheriff. There are no exceptions to the county-of-residence rule. (K.S.A. 75-7c05(b); AG FAQ).

What if I have a criminal history? You can apply, but disclose everything truthfully. The background check finds expunged items even though disclosure is no longer required. Federal prohibitions can flow from misdemeanors that do not look "domestic" on their face. If you have any battery, assault, or disorderly conduct involving force against a person with a qualifying relationship, talk to a private attorney before paying for training. The CCLU cannot screen eligibility over the phone.

Can I apply if I have a medical marijuana card from another state? No. Possession of a medical marijuana card supports a finding of unlawful drug use under federal law (27 C.F.R. 478.11; 21 U.S.C. 802) and is a federal firearm prohibitor under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3), which disqualifies you under K.S.A. 75-7c04(a)(2).

What happens if I am denied? The AG sends a written denial stating the ground. You have a right to a hearing under the Kansas Administrative Procedure Act. Final agency action is reviewable in Shawnee County or your county of residence under the Kansas Judicial Review Act. (K.S.A. 75-7c07(a)).

What if I lose my license? Mail the OAG a $15 cashier's check, personal check, or money order with a notarized statement explaining the circumstances of the loss. (K.S.A. 75-7c06).

Statutory Reference Table

Concealed Carry Licensing Unit: (785) 291-3765. The CCLU answers procedural questions but does not give individualized legal advice.