Kansas: State Firearms Laws

(As of July 1994)

Please Note: In addition to state laws, the purchase, sale and (in certain circumstances) the possession and interstate transportation of firearms is regulated by the Gun Control Act of 1968, as amended by the Firearm Owners' Protection Act. Also, cities and localities may have their own firearms ordinances in addition to federal and state laws. Details may be obtained by contacting local law enforcement authorities, and by consulting the State Laws and Published Ordinances--Firearms, available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington D.C. 20402.

Quick Reference Chart

                          Rifles and
                          Shotguns     Handguns
                          _____________________
Permit to Purchase           No          No 
Registration of Firearms     No          No
Licensing of Owner           No          No
Permit to Carry              No          N/A *

 * Permit to carry concealed is not available to civilians. 
   Civilians must carry openly or within limits of statutory 
   exception. See ``Carrying'' provision.

State Constitutional Provision

``The people have the right to bear arms shall for their defense and security; but standing armies in time of peace, are dangerous to liberty, and shall not be tolerated, and the military shall be in strict subordination to the civil power.'' Kansas Bill of Rights Section 4.

Possession

No state permit is required to possess a rifle, shotgun, or handgun.

Possession of any firearm is prohibited to any person who within the preceding 10 years has been convicted of a felony or has been released from imprisonment for a felony and has not had the conviction expunged or been pardoned.

It is unlawful for any person, other than a law enforcement officer, to possess any firearm in or on any school property or grounds upon which is located a building or structure used by a unified school district or an accredited private school.

It is unlawful to possess a firearm within the state capital building, any state legislative office, any office of the governor or office of other state government elected official or any hearing room in which any committee of the state legislature or either house thereof is conducting a hearing. Law enforcement officials carrying out the official duties are exempt from this provision.

It is unlawful for a narcotics addict or habitual drunkard to possess any firearm. It is unlawful for any person, other than a peace officer or other legally authorized person, knowingly to possess a shotgun with a barrel less than 18 inches.

``It is unlawful for persons under 18 to possess a firearm with a barrel less than 12 inches unless such persons are: (1) in attendance at a hunter's or firearms safety course, (2) target shooting at an established range, (3) engaging in an organized competition involving the use of such firearm or participating in or practicing for a performance by an organization exempt from federal income tax pursuant to section (c)(3) of the internal revenue code of 1986 which uses firearms as a part of such performance, (4) hunting or trapping with a valid license, (5) traveling to or from any activity described in (1) through (4) above with the firearm being unloaded, secured and outside immediate access, (6) on real property under control of their parents, legal guardian or grandparent, with permission to possess such firearm or (7) at their parents' or legal guardian's residence with permission to possess such firearm for self-defense.''

Purchase

No state permit is required to purchase a rifle, shotgun, or handgun.

It is unlawful to knowingly sell, give or otherwise transfer any firearm with a barrel less than 12 inches to any person under 18, or to any person who within the preceding 10 years has been convicted of a felony or has been released from imprisonment for a felony and has not had the conviction expunged or been pardoned.

It is unlawful to knowingly sell, give or otherwise transfer any firearm to any habitual drunkard or narcotics addict.

Carrying

It is unlawful for any person to knowingly carry any ``pistol, revolver or other firearm concealed on the person except when on his or her land or in his or her abode or fixed place of business.''

Also exempt from the above prohibition are:

  1. peace officer,
  2. prison keepers acting within the scope of their authority,
  3. watchmen while actually engaged in the performance of their duties of their employment,
  4. licensed hunters or fishermen while engaged in hunting or fishing,
  5. licensed Kansas private detectives or special agents regularly employed by railroads or other corporations to perform full time security or investigative service while actually engaged in the duties of their employment and
  6. the state fire marshall, the state fire marshall's deputies or members of a fire department authorized to carry a firearm, while engaged in an investigation.
It shall be unlawful for any child under the age of fourteen (14) to carry a firearm under eighteen (18) inches in length unless such child is in the company and under the supervision of a person at least eighteen (18) years of age or on the premises of his or her place of residence.

State law permits the open carrying of a handgun, but this is subject to local ordinances which may restrict this practice.

Antiques and Replicas

Kansas state statutes have no provisions on antique or replica rifles, shotguns or handguns. They are treated as ordinary firearms for possession and carrying purposes.

Machine Guns

A machine gun is defined as ``any firearm designed to discharge or capable of discharging automatically more than once by a single function of the trigger.''

It is unlawful knowingly to sell, manufacture, possess, or carry a machine gun. Exempt from this prohibition are: peace officers, prison keepers and military personnel while performing official duty.

Miscellaneous

It is unlawful knowingly to set a spring gun.

It is unlawful to change, alter, remove or obliterate the name of the maker, model, serial number or other identifying mark on any firearm. Possession of such a firearm is prima facie evidence that the possessor has committed the act.

Kansas has enacted a law enabling its residents to purchase rifles or shotguns from licensed dealers in contiguous states, provided the purchase complies with the laws of Kansas and of the state of purchase, and with all federal requirements.

Caution: State firearms laws are subject to frequent change. The above summary is not to be considered as legal advice or a restatement of law. To determine the applicability of these laws to specific situations which you may encounter, you are strongly urged to consult a local attorney. 

                  Compiled by:
        NRA Institute for Legislative Action
              11250 Waples Mill Road
              Fairfax, Virginia 22030

   (c)  1994, NRA Institute for Legislative Action.

NS 01120                              Rev. 7/94 5M