AG touts campaign promise fulfilled as legislators strip concealed carry fee

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - One of Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach’s campaign promises have been fulfilled as state legislators voted to strip the concealed carry permit fee and sent the legislation to the Governor’s desk for approval.

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach says on Wednesday, April 5, that state legislators voted to eliminate a state fee for Kansans to hold a concealed carry permit. The measure will now go to Governor Laura Kelly’s desk for either her signature of approval or a veto.

“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. Churchgoers 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 2022 run for AG, Kobach said he made the elimination of the $100 fee charged by the AG’s Office to process the application of a CCL a priority. Wednesday’s vote fulfilled that promise and made Kansas the second state in the nation to eliminate the fee.

Kobach indicated that the fee’s elimination would also encourage more residents to get training for their CCL. When the state became a constitutional carry state, many worried doing so would reduce the number of residents who go through the training to get their CCL.

The AG said eliminating the fee will do more to encourage Kansans to get firearms training. He said county sheriffs will continue to collect a $32.50 fee for their part in the CCL process.

The legislation Kobach mentions is House Bill 2412, which would remove state agency fees for concealed carry licenses. The House voted 91-33 to pass the bill in late March and was then passed to the Senate for approval.

Companion legislation was also introduced in the Senate, Senate Bill 250, where it remains in the Committee on Federal and State Affairs.