Restrictions | Kansas Concealed Carry

Weapon Restrictions for Concealed Carry in Kansas

Criminal Carrying of a Weapon

Kansas law defines specific weapons and conduct that constitute criminal carrying, regardless of concealed carry status. (K.S.A. 21-6302)

Prohibited weapons (carrying is always illegal):

• Bludgeons, sandclubs, metal knuckles, or throwing stars
• Billy, blackjack, slungshot, or any other dangerous/deadly weapon or instrument of like character (when concealed on one's person)
• Tear gas or smoke bombs/projectors, or any object containing a noxious liquid, gas, or substance, carried on one's person or in any vehicle with intent to use unlawfully
• A shotgun with a barrel less than 18 inches, or any firearm capable of discharging automatically more than once by a single function of the trigger (severity level 9, nonperson felony)

Age restriction:

• Persons under 21 years of age may not carry any pistol, revolver, or other firearm concealed on their person, except when on their own land, in their own abode, or in their fixed place of business. (K.S.A. 21-6302(a)(4) - class A nonperson misdemeanor)
• This restriction does not apply to persons holding a valid provisional license under K.S.A. 75-7c03 or a valid out-of-state concealed carry permit recognized in Kansas. (K.S.A. 21-6302(d))

Exemptions from criminal carrying provisions:

• Law enforcement officers and persons summoned to assist them
• Wardens, superintendents, directors, security personnel, and keepers of detention institutions (while acting within scope of authority)
• Members of the armed services, reserve forces, or Kansas National Guard (while in performance of official duty)
• Persons in compliance with the National Firearms Act (26 U.S.C. § 5801 et seq.)

Magazine Capacity

Kansas has no laws restricting the ammunition capacity of magazines.

Prohibited Persons - Firearm Possession Restrictions

State Law: Criminal Possession by Convicted Felons (K.S.A. 21-6304)

Kansas imposes graduated firearm prohibition periods based on the nature of the conviction:

Note: Because the 3-year prohibition under (a)(2) begins running only after the sentence is fully satisfied (not from the conviction date), the total elapsed time from conviction to eligibility will be longer - typically the length of the sentence served plus 3 years. For example, a person convicted of a qualifying person felony who serves 2 years of probation would become eligible approximately 5 years after the conviction date (2 years on probation + 3 years post-discharge).

Important: Expungement of a prior felony conviction generally has no effect on firearm prohibition periods. Under K.S.A. 21-6614(k), the 3-year, 10-year, or lifetime prohibitions remain intact even if the conviction has been expunged or pardoned before the prohibition period expires.

Multi-jurisdiction analysis: Convicted felons from another jurisdiction must satisfy two levels of state compliance - the convicting jurisdiction's law and K.S.A. 21-6304 - before eligibility is restored.

Federal Prohibitions (18 U.S.C. § 922(g) & (n))

The following persons are prohibited from shipping, transporting, possessing, or receiving firearms or ammunition under federal law:

• Persons convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment exceeding one year (essentially any felony)
• Fugitives from justice
• Unlawful users of or persons addicted to controlled substances (including marijuana)
• Persons adjudicated as mentally defective or committed to a mental institution
• Persons discharged from the armed forces under dishonorable conditions
• Persons who are illegally or unlawfully in the United States
• Persons who have renounced U.S. citizenship
• Persons subject to a qualifying domestic restraining order
• Persons convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence (MCDV) - this applies even if the statute of conviction does not contain the word "domestic" or list domestic relationships, per U.S. v. Hayes, 555 U.S. 415 (2009) (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9))
• Persons under indictment for a crime punishable by imprisonment exceeding one year (includes active diversion programs in Kansas) (18 U.S.C. § 922(n))

Petition for Relief of Firearm Prohibitions (K.S.A. 75-7c27)

An individual who has been adjudicated as a mentally ill person subject to involuntary commitment, or who is prohibited under 18 U.S.C. § 922(d)(4) or (g)(4), may petition a court of competent jurisdiction in Kansas for relief from firearm disabilities. The court must find clear and convincing evidence that:

1. The petitioner will not be likely to act in a manner dangerous to public safety; and
2. Granting relief would not be contrary to the public interest.

Granted petitions are submitted to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation for entry into state and federal databases. (Enacted L. 2011, ch. 100, § 1)

Private Property & Building Restrictions

Signage and Posting Requirements (K.S.A. 75-7c10(a))

Concealed carry shall not be prohibited in any building unless the building is conspicuously posted with signage in accordance with rules and regulations adopted by the Kansas Attorney General.

Violation: Carrying in a properly posted building is not a criminal offense but may result in denial of entry to or removal from the premises. (K.S.A. 75-7c10(f)(1))

Liability Protections (K.S.A. 75-7c10(c))

• A private entity that provides adequate security measures and posts proper signage is not liable for wrongful acts relating to concealed handguns.
• A private entity that does not provide adequate security and allows concealed carry is also not liable for wrongful acts relating to concealed handguns.

Employer/Employee Restrictions

Kansas law distinguishes between private and public employers regarding concealed carry restrictions:

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

• May prohibit employees from carrying concealed handguns while on the premises of the employer's business or while otherwise engaged in the duties of employment.
• May NOT prohibit an employee from storing their handgun in the employee's private vehicle, even if the vehicle is parked on the employer's premises.
• Note: "Building" under this act does not include any structure or area designated for parking of motor vehicles. (K.S.A. 75-7c10(h)(2))

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

• May restrict concealed carry by employees only if the building has adequate security measures at all public access entrances and is conspicuously posted with proper signage. (K.S.A. 75-7c20(c))
• May NOT restrict an employee who is legally qualified from carrying a concealed handgun while engaged in duties outside of the employer's place of business, including while in a vehicle. (K.S.A. 75-7c10(e))
• Public employers are not liable for negligent acts of employees carrying concealed handguns that are not carried in the course and scope of employment. (K.S.A. 75-7c10(e))

Institutional Employee Carry Permissions (K.S.A. 75-7c10(d))

The governing body or chief administrative officer of the following institutions may permit any legally qualified employee to carry a concealed handgun in any building, even if that building is conspicuously posted:

1. Unified school districts
2. Postsecondary educational institutions
3. State or municipal-owned medical care facilities
4. State or municipal-owned adult care homes
5. Community mental health centers
6. Indigent health care clinics

Disclosure of Concealed Carry Handgun License (CCHL) Status

• Municipal employers are prohibited from requiring employees to disclose whether they hold a CCHL and from creating or maintaining a record of employees who have a CCHL. (K.S.A. 75-7c23)
• State employers are not prohibited from requiring disclosure of CCHL status.

Public Building Restrictions (K.S.A. 75-7c20)

General Rule

Concealed carry cannot be prohibited in public areas of state or municipal buildings unless the building provides:

1. Adequate security measures - defined as electronic equipment (metal detectors, wands, etc.) and armed personnel at public entrances to detect and restrict weapons; gun lockers or similar storage may also be provided. (K.S.A. 75-7c20(m)(1))
2. Conspicuous signage - approved by the governing body or chief administrative officer, posted in accordance with K.S.A. 75-7c10.

Both conditions must be met to prohibit concealed carry.

Buildings Permanently Exempt from Carry (K.S.A. 75-7c20(k))

Concealed carry may be prohibited without adequate security measures in:

1. Buildings on the grounds of the Kansas State School for the Deaf or the Kansas State School for the Blind
2. State or municipal-owned medical care facilities (K.S.A. 65-425)
3. State or municipal-owned adult care homes (K.S.A. 39-923)
4. Community mental health centers (K.S.A. 19-4001 et seq.)
5. Indigent health care clinics (K.S.A. 65-7402)
6. Buildings owned/leased by the KU Hospital Authority or within the Wyandotte County health care district

State Capitol (K.S.A. 75-7c20(m)(7)(B))

The State Capitol is excluded from the definition of "state or municipal building" - concealed carry provisions of K.S.A. 75-7c20 do not apply to the Capitol.

Courtrooms (K.S.A. 75-7c20(h))

The chief judge of each judicial district may prohibit concealed carry in courtrooms and ancillary courtrooms, provided adequate security measures and proper signage are in place.

Corrections, Jails, and Law Enforcement Facilities (K.S.A. 75-7c20(g))

Corrections facilities, jails, and law enforcement agencies may prohibit carry (concealed or unconcealed) in secure areas. Areas outside secure areas that are readily accessible to the public remain subject to the general rule.

Restricted Access Entrances (K.S.A. 75-7c20(d))

Authorized personnel (employees and approved non-employees) who enter through a restricted access entrance may carry into buildings that are otherwise posted. Non-employees seeking restricted access authorization must:

• Obtain approval from the chief law enforcement officer, governing body, or chief administrative officer
• Be issued a photo identification card
• Execute a notarized affidavit acknowledging weapon regulations
• Submit to background checks (CCHL holders are exempt from additional criminal records checks)

Law Enforcement Exemptions (K.S.A. 75-7c20(l))

Qualified law enforcement officers (active and retired meeting K.S.A. 75-7c22 requirements) may carry concealed handguns into any state or municipal building, subject only to courtroom restrictions imposed by the chief judge.

CCHL License Suspension and Revocation (K.S.A. 75-7c07)

• The Attorney General shall revoke a license if the holder becomes ineligible under K.S.A. 75-7c04. Revocation remains in effect pending any appeal.
• A license is suspended (not revoked) when the holder is charged with an offense or subject to a proceeding that could render them ineligible; it is reinstated upon favorable final disposition.
• Upon issuance of a restraining order that would prohibit licensure, the county sheriff must immediately notify the Attorney General, who shall immediately suspend the license. The license is reinstated upon cancellation of the order.
• A CCHL remains valid for 90 days after a licensee moves out of Kansas, provided the licensee notified the Attorney General in writing and the new state recognizes the Kansas license.

Recent Legislation: HB 2052 (2025)

House Bill 2052 was signed into law on April 2, 2025. Among its provisions, it amended (did not repeal) K.S.A. 75-7c04, 75-7c05, 75-7c07, 75-7c08, and 75-7c22. Notable changes include the new surrender-on-suspension/revocation rule at K.S.A. 75-7c07(d), updated LEO definitions in K.S.A. 75-7c22, and the formal mechanism for transitioning a provisional CCHL (18-20) to a standard CCHL at age 21.

Key Statutes Referenced