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Kansas Gun Control Laws

Created by FindLaw's team of legal writers and editors | Last updated June 20, 2016

The Second Amendment right to bear arms is an important, yet controversial, right. Many gun rights advocates praise Kansas for the many laws it has implemented in the past several years, from the 2006 Personal and Family Protection Act that permits residents to apply for concealed carry licenses to allowing school districts to decide if employees can carry concealed weapons.

Conversely, according to some critics, Kansas gun control laws are far too lax. In 2015, for instance, a law was passed allowing Kansas residents to carry a concealed firearm without a permit or training. The Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence gave Kansas gun laws an “F” grade because, among other issues, it doesn't  require:

  • Firearms dealers to get a state license
  • Background checks for gun sales between individuals
  • Gun owners to register their firearms or report lost or stolen guns
  • A limited number of guns that can be purchased at one time, NOR
  • There is no permitting requirement for a concealed firearm
  • Permit local law enforcement to deny a concealed carry permit

All of these gun laws are intended to make the state safer while still permitting gun ranges, hunting, and other recreational gun use.

School Employees Carrying Guns

One of the recent changes in Kansas gun law is that school districts can permit employees to carry concealed weapons on campus. However, the biggest insurer of Kansas school districts said it can’t cover schools that carry guns, as the risk is too high. The implications are enormous because of the likelihood of accidentally gun shootings resulting in workers’ compensation claims or large wrongful death settlements, in the tragic event a student is injured or killed. School districts have to weigh the chances a gun-toting maniac is going to target their school with the risk a gun may accidentally fall into the hands of a young child or special needs student, not mature enough to handle the weapon.

Kansas Gun Laws

The table below details the main gun control laws in Kansas.

Code Sections Kansas Statutes Chapter 21, Article
Chapter 75, Article 7c: Firearms
Illegal Guns Guns that are prohibited in Kansas include:
  • Shotguns with barrels less than 18 inches
  • Automatic weapons
  • Handgun cartridges with plastic-coated bullets with cores of less than 60% lead by weight
  • Silencers
  • Spring gun traps
Waiting Period There is no waiting period in Kansas.
Minimum Age Kansas doesn’t prohibit children from buying and owning guns. However, minors under 18 can’t possess guns with a barrel less than 12 inches, unless attending a gun safety course, target shooting at a legal range, hunting, using the gun in an organized competition, or kept at his or her home under the control of the parent or legal guardian who grants permission to have the gun.
Who Can’t Have Guns? A number of different groups can’t own guns in Kansas, specifically:
  • Both addicted to and an unlawful user of a controlled substance
  • Mentally ill persons subject to involuntary commitment
  • Person convicted of felonies specified under the criminal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon statute can be denied gun ownership if they have been convicted within the last 5 or 10 years, depending on the crime, the longer wait is generally for crimes against persons or non-person crimes where the offender had a gun during the crime
School Gun Laws You can’t have a firearm on or near any K-12 school grounds, unless you’re a cop or n employee carrying a gun with permission of the district. It’s a class B misdemeanor offense that can be punished by at most six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Concealed Carry As of July 1, 2015, there are no permitting or training requirements for carrying a concealed firearm.

Keep in mind that it’s illegal to carry a firearm into capitol buildings, the governor’s home or grounds, any county courthouse (unless local authorities permit), or any state-owned buildings will signs clearly saying guns are prohibited. You also can’t carry the gun to a jail, a polling place on election day, a school or college, a mental health center, a public library, a place of worship, etc. which all should have a sign up somewhere clearly informing you not to bring in your gun.

Note: State laws are revised regularly. If you have questions, you should contact an experienced criminal defense lawyer or conduct your own legal research to verify these gun laws, especially if you’re concerned about your legal right to own a gun. You may want to ask your lawyer about getting your criminal record expunged.

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