Attorney's Note

Under the Kansas Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
class A misdemeanorup to 1 yearup to $2,500
For details, see Kan. Stat. Ann. § 21-6602
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Terms Used In Kansas Statutes 21-6309

  • Chief judge: The judge who has primary responsibility for the administration of a court but also decides cases; chief judges are determined by seniority.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Residence: means the place which is adopted by a person as the person's place of habitation and to which, whenever the person is absent, the person has the intention of returning. See Kansas Statutes 77-201
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Kansas Statutes 77-201

(a) It shall be unlawful to possess, with no requirement of a culpable mental state, a firearm:

(1) Within any building located within the capitol complex;

(2) within the governor’s residence;

(3) on the grounds of or in any building on the grounds of the governor’s residence;

(4) within any other state-owned or leased building if the secretary of administration has so designated by rules and regulations and conspicuously placed signs clearly stating that firearms are prohibited within such building; or

(5) within any county courthouse, unless, by county resolution, the board of county commissioners authorize the possession of a firearm within such courthouse.

(b) Violation of this section is a class A misdemeanor.

(c) This section shall not apply to:

(1) A commissioned law enforcement officer;

(2) a full-time salaried law enforcement officer of another state or the federal government who is carrying out official duties while in this state;

(3) any person summoned by any such officer to assist in making arrests or preserving the peace while actually engaged in assisting such officer; or

(4) a member of the military of this state or the United States engaged in the performance of duties.

(d) It is not a violation of this section for:

(1) The governor, the governor’s immediate family, or specifically authorized guest of the governor to possess a firearm within the governor’s residence or on the grounds of or in any building on the grounds of the governor’s residence;

(2) the United States attorney for the district of Kansas, the attorney general, any district attorney or county attorney, any assistant United States attorney if authorized by the United States attorney for the district of Kansas, any assistant attorney general if authorized by the attorney general, or any assistant district attorney or assistant county attorney if authorized by the district attorney or county attorney by whom such assistant is employed, to possess a firearm within any county courthouse and court-related facility, subject to any restrictions or prohibitions imposed in any courtroom by the chief judge of the judicial district;

(3) law enforcement officers, as that term is defined in Kan. Stat. Ann. § 75-7c22, and amendments thereto, who satisfy the requirements of either Kan. Stat. Ann. § 75-7c22(a) or (b), and amendments thereto, to possess a firearm; or

(4) an individual to possess a concealed handgun if such individual is not prohibited from possessing a firearm under either federal or state law, and such individual is either: (A) 21 years of age or older; or (B) possesses a valid provisional license issued pursuant to Kan. Stat. Ann. § 75-7c03, and amendments thereto, or a valid license to carry a concealed handgun issued by another jurisdiction that is recognized in this state pursuant to Kan. Stat. Ann. § 75-7c03, and amendments thereto.

(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, any county may elect by passage of a resolution that the provisions of subsection (d)(2) shall not apply to such county’s courthouse or court-related facilities if such:

(1) Buildings have adequate security measures to ensure that no weapons are permitted to be carried into such buildings;

(2) county also has a policy or regulation requiring all law enforcement officers to secure and store such officer’s firearm upon entering the courthouse or court-related facility. Such policy or regulation may provide that it does not apply to court security or sheriff’s office personnel for such county; and

(3) buildings have a sign conspicuously posted at each entryway into such building stating that the provisions of subsection (d)(2) do not apply to such building.

(f) As used in this section:

(1) “Adequate security measures” shall have the same meaning as the term is defined in Kan. Stat. Ann. § 75-7c20, and amendments thereto;

(2) “possession” means having joint or exclusive control over a firearm or having a firearm in a place where the person has some measure of access and right of control; and

(3) “capitol complex” means the same as in Kan. Stat. Ann. § 75-4514, and amendments thereto.

(g) For the purposes of subsections (a)(1), (a)(4) and (a)(5), “building” and “courthouse” shall not include any structure, or any area of any structure, designated for the parking of motor vehicles.