Kansas Concealed Carry Laws

Overview

Kansas is a permitless carry (constitutional carry) state for persons 21 years of age or older. Kansas also issues Concealed Carry Handgun Licenses (CCHLs) for those who wish to obtain one, which provide additional benefits such as reciprocity with other states and exemption from the federal Gun Free School Zone Act.

The governing statutes are found in the Personal and Family Protection Act, K.S.A. 75-7c01 et seq., with regulations at K.A.R. 16-11-1 through 16-11-8.

Permitless (Unlicensed) Concealed Carry

• Effective July 1, 2015, persons who are 21 years of age or older may carry concealed firearms in Kansas without a license, provided they are lawfully permitted to possess firearms.
• This applies to both Kansas residents and non-residents.
• Persons aged 18-20 are not eligible for unlicensed concealed carry and must have a valid CCHL to carry concealed in Kansas.
• Effective July 1, 2023 (per 2023 HB 2058, codified at K.S.A. 75-7c04(a)(3)(A)), persons aged 18 to 20 may carry concealed if they hold a valid provisional concealed carry license issued by the Kansas Attorney General.
• Unlicensed concealed carry is not allowed in a school zone (within 1,000 feet of a K-12 school).
• Unlicensed concealed carry rights in Kansas do not extend to other states. Most other states require a CCHL even if they recognize Kansas licenses by reciprocity.

Concealed Carry Handgun License (CCHL)

License Types

• Standard License: Applicant must be at least 21 years of age (K.S.A. 75-7c04(a)(3)(B)).
• Provisional License: Applicant must be at least 18 years of age (K.S.A. 75-7c04(a)(3)(A)).
• HB 2052 (2025 Session Laws, Chapter 55) provides for a transition from a provisional license to a standard license.

Eligibility Requirements (K.S.A. 75-7c04)

The Attorney General shall not issue a license if the applicant:

1. Is not a resident of the county where the application is made or is not a resident of the state (with exceptions for active duty military and dependents);
2. Is prohibited from shipping, transporting, possessing, or receiving a firearm or ammunition under:
   • 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) or (n)
   • K.S.A. 21-6301(a)(10), (a)(13), or (a)(15) through (a)(18)
   • K.S.A. 21-6304(a)(1) through (a)(4)
3. Does not meet the minimum age requirement for the license type.

Training Requirements

• Applicants must complete an 8-hour handgun safety and training course approved by the Attorney General (K.S.A. 75-7c04(b)).
• Training standards include:
  • Safe storage of handguns
  • Actual firing of handguns
  • Instruction in Kansas laws governing concealed carry and use of deadly force
• Courses must be compatible with the industry standard for basic handgun training for civilians.
• Approved courses include those certified or sponsored by:
  • The Kansas Attorney General
  • The National Rifle Association (NRA)
  • Law enforcement agencies, colleges, or other qualified institutions (if meeting AG standards)
• Instructors must be certified by the Attorney General or by the NRA (if NRA certification meets AG standards). Instructor certification fee: not to exceed $150.
• Training exemption: Applicants with a valid CCHL from another jurisdiction may qualify for exemption if their prior training meets or exceeds Kansas requirements (instruction on laws of self-defense and demonstrated competency in safe handling, storage, and actual firing of handguns) (K.S.A. 75-7c04(c)).

Application Process (K.S.A. 75-7c05)

Applications are submitted to the Sheriff of the county where the applicant resides during normal business hours. The application must include:

1. Name, address, Social Security number, Kansas driver's license or nondriver ID number, place and date of birth
2. Photocopy of driver's license or nondriver ID card
3. Photocopy of certificate of training course completion
4. Statement of compliance with K.S.A. 75-7c04 eligibility criteria
5. Statement that the applicant has been furnished a copy of the act and is knowledgeable of its provisions
6. Statement that the applicant desires a CCHL as a means of lawful self-defense

The application is executed under oath; false answers subject the applicant to criminal prosecution under K.S.A. 21-5903.

Active duty military exception: Military personnel and dependents who do not possess a Kansas driver's license are not required to provide a Kansas license number but must attach a copy of their non-resident driver's license or state-issued ID.

Active Duty Military Personnel

• Non-resident active duty military and their dependents residing in Kansas are eligible to apply for a Kansas CCHL.
• They do not have to surrender their non-resident driver's license to Kansas.
• A Kansas CCHL is only valid while the licensee is a resident of Kansas or stationed in Kansas.
• A valid non-Kansas CCHL is recognized in Kansas for non-residents, provided it is not expired, revoked, or suspended.

License Surrender

Per HB 2052 (2025), a license must be surrendered to the Attorney General upon suspension or revocation.

Reciprocity

• 39 states currently recognize the Kansas CCHL (as noted by the Kansas Attorney General).
• It is the licensee's responsibility to know the laws of any jurisdiction they travel to or through.

Prohibited Locations

Federal Property

• Federal land and federal facilities are governed by federal law. If firearms are prohibited, neither licensed nor unlicensed concealed carry is permitted.

State and Municipal Buildings

• Public (state or municipal) agencies may restrict concealed carry in buildings if adequate security measures (metal detection equipment and armed security guards) and signage are in place at public entrances (K.S.A. 75-7c20).
• On state or municipal-owned public lands (outdoors), concealed carry by licensees cannot be restricted.

Correctional and Law Enforcement Facilities

• Correctional facilities, jail facilities, and law enforcement agencies may prohibit carrying of a handgun (concealed or unconcealed) in any secure area of a building on such premises (K.S.A. 75-7c20(g)).

Courtrooms

• Judicial districts may prohibit concealed carry in courtrooms if adequate security measures and signage are in place (K.S.A. 75-7c20(h)).

Medical and Care Facilities

• State or municipal-owned medical care facilities, adult care homes, and mental health centers may prohibit concealed or unconcealed carry without the requirement for adequate security measures.

K-12 Schools

• Unlicensed concealed carry is not allowed within a school zone (within 1,000 feet of a K-12 school).
• A person with a Kansas CCHL (or valid out-of-state license) is exempt from the federal Gun Free School Zone Act and may travel through a school zone and may be on school grounds, but not in school district buildings.
• K-12 school district buildings may prohibit concealed carry by posting signage at public entrances. They are not required to have adequate security measures (metal detectors/armed guards) to restrict concealed carry.

Universities and Community Colleges

• May restrict concealed carry in campus buildings only if adequate security measures and signage are in place at public entrances.
• If adequate security is not in place, persons 21+ who are lawful to possess firearms may carry concealed. Persons aged 18-20 must have a valid provisional CCHL.
• Concealed carry is legal on the school's grounds (outdoors).

State Capitol Building

• Concealed carry is allowed for persons 21+ (with or without a CCHL).
• Persons aged 18-20 must have a valid CCHL to carry concealed.
• Open carry of a handgun is not allowed in the State Capitol building.

Private Businesses

• May restrict concealed carry if properly posted signage is displayed at entrances.
• If a business is not posted but the owner or employee asks a person to leave, refusal may result in a citation for criminal trespass.

Employer/Employee Provisions

Private Employers (K.S.A. 75-7c10(b))

• May prohibit employees from carrying concealed on the employer's premises or while engaged in duties of employment.
• May not prohibit an employee from storing a handgun in the employee's private vehicle, even if parked on the employer's premises.

Public (State or Municipal) Employers (K.S.A. 75-7c20, 75-7c10(e))

• May restrict concealed carry by employees only if adequate security measures and signage are in place.
• May not restrict a legally qualified employee from carrying concealed while engaged in duties outside the employer's place of business, including while in a vehicle.

Disclosure Requirements

• Municipal employers are prohibited from requiring employees to disclose CCHL status and are prohibited from creating or maintaining records of employees with CCHLs (K.S.A. 75-7c23).
• State employers are not prohibited from requiring disclosure of CCHL status.

2025 Legislative Update: HB 2052

House Bill 2052 was enacted as Chapter 55 of the 2025 Session Laws of Kansas. Key provisions include:

• Updated cross-references in the Personal and Family Protection Act regarding eligibility requirements (K.S.A. 75-7c04)
• Requirement to surrender license to the Attorney General upon suspension or revocation
• Provision for transition from a provisional license to a standard license
• Prohibition on collecting personal information of an off-duty law enforcement officer entering buildings while armed, or requiring such officer to wear identifying items
• Amended statutes: K.S.A. 75-7c07, 75-7c22, and K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 75-7c04, 75-7c05, and 75-7c08

Key Statutes and Regulations

Contact Information

• Concealed Carry Licensing Unit: (785) 291-3765
• Kansas Attorney General's Office: ag.ks.gov

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Federal context

N.Y. State Rifle & Pistol Ass'n v. Bruen (2022). Bruen, 597 U.S. 1 (2022), eliminated "proper cause" / "good cause" discretionary CCW frameworks and required states to apply objective issuance criteria. The decision converted formerly may-issue states to shall-issue. States that were already shall-issue or permitless before Bruen experience the case primarily through its broader historical-tradition test for evaluating subsequent Second Amendment claims.