Taking a concealed carry class in Kansas means completing an eight-hour handgun safety and training course taught by an instructor approved by the Kansas Attorney General, then applying for a Concealed Carry Handgun License (CCHL) through your county sheriff. The course itself typically runs about $100, set by the instructor, and the application fee is $32.50. Kansas has allowed permitless concealed carry since 2015, so the class and license are optional, but both carry real benefits that permitless carry does not.
Why Take the Class When Kansas Allows Permitless Carry
After SB 45 took effect in 2015, anyone who can legally possess a firearm in Kansas can carry it concealed without a permit.1Kansas Legislative Research Department. Carrying of Firearms The class and license still matter for two concrete reasons.
The first is reciprocity. Dozens of other states honor a Kansas CCHL, and Kansas in turn recognizes permits from other states for non-residents visiting here.2Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes. Kansas Code 75-7c03 – License to Carry Concealed Handgun Without the license, your right to carry stops at the state line.
The second is federal. The Gun-Free School Zones Act makes it a federal crime to possess a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school unless you hold a license issued by the state where the school zone is located.3Duke Center for Firearms Law. Litigation Highlight: How Permitless Carry Can Expand Federal Sensitive-Place Restrictions In any Kansas town, walking or driving for long without passing within 1,000 feet of a school is nearly impossible. The CCHL provides the exemption.
The license also functions as official proof you have been trained and vetted, which tends to smooth interactions with law enforcement and, for some employers, matters as well.
Who Can Take the Class and Apply
You must be at least 18 to apply. Applicants between 18 and 20 receive a provisional license, labeled as such and valid only within Kansas; it converts to a standard license with full reciprocity when the holder turns 21 or renews after that birthday.4Attorney General of Kansas. Concealed Carry FAQs All licenses are valid for four years from the date of approval.2Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes. Kansas Code 75-7c03 – License to Carry Concealed Handgun
You also have to be a Kansas resident and a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, and you apply through the sheriff of the county where you live. The application cannot be submitted in a different county, and it cannot be mailed in for the initial filing.
The background check will disqualify you if you are a “prohibited person” under federal law — this covers felony convictions, fugitive status, unlawful drug use, certain mental health adjudications, dishonorable military discharge, domestic violence misdemeanor convictions, and some domestic restraining orders, among other categories.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 922 – Unlawful Acts If any of these apply, the Attorney General is required to deny the application, so it is worth confirming your eligibility before paying for the class.
What the Eight-Hour Course Covers
The course has two parts: classroom instruction and a live-fire qualification. In the classroom, you cover Kansas law on concealed carry and the legal use of deadly force, safe storage practices, and the basic mechanical operation of handguns.4Attorney General of Kansas. Concealed Carry FAQs The legal portion is not filler. Kansas rules about where and when you can carry are more nuanced than most people expect, and misunderstanding them can turn a lawful carrier into a defendant.
The live-fire qualification is a 25-round course of fire at three distances:
- 5 rounds at 3 yards, one-handed grip
- 10 rounds at 7 yards, two-handed grip
- 10 rounds at 10 yards, two-handed grip
You have to handle the weapon safely and hit the target consistently. If you fail the range portion, most instructors will let you retake it, though the policy varies by instructor.
When you pass, the instructor issues a certificate of completion. Keep this document. You cannot submit your license application without it.
Finding an Approved Instructor and What It Costs
The class must be taught by an instructor certified by the Kansas Attorney General, or by an NRA-certified instructor whose credentials the AG has recognized as meeting state standards. The AG’s office maintains a list of approved instructors on its website.
Prices are set at the instructor’s discretion but typically run around $100.4Attorney General of Kansas. Concealed Carry FAQs Some instructors include range fees, ammunition, or a rental handgun in that price; others charge separately. Ask before you book. If you do not already own a suitable handgun, confirm the instructor can provide one for the qualification.
Applying for the License After the Class
Once you have the certificate, gather the following and go to your county sheriff’s office in person:
- Your original training certificate
- A current 2×2 inch color photograph, passport-style
- The application form, available from the Kansas Attorney General’s website or the sheriff’s office, filled out in black ink
- A valid Kansas driver’s license or state ID
- $32.50 payable to the sheriff’s office
Effective July 1, 2023, the Attorney General’s own fee was eliminated. The only cost beyond the class is the $32.50 sheriff’s fee for processing and fingerprinting.6Attorney General of Kansas. Concealed Carry Licensing Some older guides and even a few sheriff’s office pages still show a $100 AG fee; that charge no longer applies.
At the sheriff’s office, you are fingerprinted. The office then forwards your paperwork and payment to the Attorney General for the background check.6Attorney General of Kansas. Concealed Carry Licensing
Processing, Approval, and Denial
The Attorney General has up to 90 days to issue the license or send a written denial. Many applications move faster, but 90 days is the legal maximum. Your fingerprints run through the Kansas Bureau of Investigation to check for disqualifying criminal history, outstanding warrants, and other state or federal prohibitions.
If the application is denied, the written notice has to identify the legal basis. You can request a hearing under the Kansas Administrative Procedure Act to challenge it. That matters most when a denial rests on an error in your record or on something that should have been expunged.
Renewing Without Taking the Class Again
Once you have the license, you do not have to repeat the class to renew it, provided you renew on time. The Attorney General’s office mails a renewal notice and form 90 days before expiration. Renewal requires no training course, no fingerprints, and no visit to the sheriff.6Attorney General of Kansas. Concealed Carry Licensing
You complete the form, have it notarized, and send it by certified mail (or hand-deliver it) to the Attorney General’s office in Topeka with a current 2×2 inch photo and a copy of your Kansas driver’s license or state ID. The renewal fee was also eliminated effective July 1, 2023, and there is no late penalty.
Do not take the free renewal as permission to procrastinate. If your license expires and you fail to renew within six months, it is permanently expired, and you have to start over — new class, new certificate, new application, new $32.50 sheriff’s fee.6Attorney General of Kansas. Concealed Carry Licensing