TOPEKA – Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach praises legislators for their actions eliminating the burdensome state fee for Kansans to obtain a concealed carry permit, according to a statement from the AG's office. The measure now goes to the governor for signature.
“Kansans should not have to pay the state a fee in order to exercise a constitutional right. We don’t have to buy a license to exercise our right to speak. Church goers do not pay the state in order to attend church, and lawful gun owners shouldn’t have to pay for the privilege of bearing arms in a manner that is the most common way of carrying in the 21st Century,” Kobach said.
During his run in 2022 for attorney general, Kobach made elimination of the $100 fee charged by the Office of the Attorney General to process the application for a CCL a priority. Today’s vote fulfills that campaign promise, making Kansas the second state in the U.S. to eliminate the CCL fee.
Eliminating the fee also will encourage more Kansans to obtain training and get their CCL. When Kansas became a constitutional carry state, many worried that doing so would reduce the number of people who go through the training to get their CCL. Eliminating the $100 fee will do much to encourage more people to do so. County sheriffs will continue to collect a $32.50 fee for their part in the CCL process.