Kansas Concealed Weapon Charges

Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson signed Senate Bill 306 into law, which became effective on July 1, 2010. Carrying a concealed weapon became legal when the Kansas legislature passed the Personal and Family Protection Act in 2006. The Right to Carry Reform Bill has made sweeping changes to the concealed carry laws, including lowering the price of obtaining a permit.

Kansas Weapon Laws

When Senate Bill 306 was passed, some of the most important changes regarding concealed weapons include the following:

• Allows non-resident military dependents to apply for a permit
• State residents can carry concealed with their old permit until a new one is issued
• Disqualifying factors are only those outlined in federal law
• Lowers the penalty for carrying in prohibited areas
• Permit fees lowered to $132.50
• No fingerprints are required for permit renewal

All new applicants must successfully complete an eight-hour firearms safety course, and permits are valid for four years.

Kansas Concealed Weapon Violations

While the recent legislation made Kansas gun laws more liberal, they also made changes regarding where concealed weapons are permitted. The places considered off limits include the following:

• Any place where an activity has been declared as a common nuisance
• Police, sheriff or highway patrol station
• Jail or any detention facility
• All courthouses and courtrooms
• Polling places on election day
• Where any type of government committee is meeting
• Professional athletic event
• Establishments that primarily serve alcohol
• All schools, including colleges and universities
• Places where child exchanges take place
• All mental health facilities
• Any place prohibited by state or federal law, such as tribal land
• City hall
• Day care or preschool facility
• All public libraries
• Churches and temples

The concealed weapons violations in Kansas are outlined below:

What Plea to Enter

The laws in Kansas regarding which places a concealed weapon can be carried continue to change. If you have been charged with carrying a weapon in a prohibited place, the judge may let you off easy. However, anyone with a prior criminal record may be sentenced to a much harsher penalty. Convicted felons who are found carrying a concealed weapon will be facing felony charges. All defendants have the right to be tried by a jury, but most criminal cases end through a plea agreement. If the prosecutor is willing to let you plead to a lesser offense, this may be your best choice. By pleading innocent, this will give the defendant time to get legal counsel and decide what to do next. Accepting a plea bargain can happen at any time during the criminal justice process.

Getting Legal Help From a Kansas Criminal Defense Attorney

Defendants who have been charged with illegally carrying a concealed weapon could have their entire case thrown out if officers conducted an illegal search and seizure. An experienced criminal defense attorney may be able to get this type of evidence suppressed. Anyone who is facing criminal charges should hire a skilled attorney to defend their constitutional rights.