Kansas has no state license for security guards, armed or unarmed. The Attorney General licenses private detectives, and the law that does it exempts a private patrol operator working on the property it protects (K.S.A. 75-7b03(l)). Cities fill the gap. State law says any city that licenses guards must take their fingerprints, and that every vehicle used for the work must be properly registered (K.S.A. 12-1679).
The three big licensing cities are Wichita, Kansas City (KCK) and Topeka. In all three, a guard who works only for their own employer, on that employer's property, is exempt. The rules below are for guards who work for a security company.
Wichita: a permit for each level of work
Wichita requires a private security permit from the Chief of Police for uniformed security officers who work for a security agency (Wichita Code §§ 3.72.015, 3.72.040). A state private detective license does not replace it. Permits come in levels (§ 3.72.010(13)):
- Temporary basic: you meet the qualifications but haven't finished the basic course. You can do basic duties, but carry no equipment, not even handcuffs.
- Basic: the basic course plus a classroom defensive driving course. Adds vehicle patrol and handcuffs.
- Advanced: the basic and advanced courses. Adds the equipment the Chief of Police has approved in writing.
- A separate electronic control device permit for a Taser, which needs an advanced permit, manufacturer-certified training and your agency's written permission (§ 3.72.285).
Who qualifies (§ 3.72.120):
- 18 or older and able to communicate well with the public and police.
- No felony conviction, and no pending felony charge, diversion or deferred judgment.
- No misdemeanor for weapons, violence or physical force in the last 5 years, and no other misdemeanor in the last 2 years. Diversions you completed, expungements and pardons don't count.
- Juvenile adjudications for acts that would be felonies count for 5 years, or 10 for crimes against a person.
- A mental health condition needs a licensed psychiatrist's or psychologist's opinion that it won't affect your work.
How to apply:
1. Get an intent letter from the security company, with its processing number. 2. Take a drug screen at a licensed lab within 30 days before you apply. It tests for amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cannabinoids, cocaine, opiates and PCP (§ 3.72.130). 3. Call 316-660-3810 for an appointment at the Wichita-Sedgwick County Law Enforcement Training Center, 4310 E. 19th St. N. 4. Bring the new applicant form, your ID, two passport-size color photos taken in the last 30 days, $50 for the city (card only) and $57 for the Kansas Bureau of Investigation records check (money order only). The application includes a full set of fingerprints.
You receive a temporary permit good for 90 days, and you must finish the basic course within those 90 days (§§ 3.72.130(3), 3.72.150). You can get only one temporary permit in any 2-year period.
Keeping it:
- Permits last one year and renew for $40. Once one has been expired for more than 30 days, you pay the new-permit fee and start over (§§ 3.72.160, 3.72.170).
- A permit belongs to one agency. Changing companies means a new intent letter, a new drug screen and $40. Working for two agencies at once needs a second permit and written permission from both (§ 3.72.180).
- When you leave a job, the agency collects your permit and returns it to the police (§ 3.72.190).
- Your outer garment shows the agency name, the word "Security" and your last name. Nothing on your uniform or vehicle can say "police" or suggest a government connection (§§ 3.72.290 to 3.72.310).
- No uniform in a bar or private club unless that business hired you. An outer vest must say "Private Security" front and back and can't hold a gun holster, and a vest designed to be worn under clothing can't be worn on the outside.
- Violations are misdemeanors with a fine of $100 to $2,500 (§ 3.72.340).
Kansas City, Kansas: a 2-year permit
The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City requires a city permit for anyone working as a private security officer for a security business (Code ch. 19, art. V, § 19-109). Licensed private detectives, police and trained reserve officers are exempt (§ 19-110).
Who qualifies (§ 19-115):
- 18 or older.
- No conviction for a felony or a crime of moral turpitude. That list includes drug offenses, prostitution, gambling, indecent exposure and sex offenses.
- No weapons conviction in the last 10 years, and no misdemeanor assault or battery in the last 5.
- No active warrants, no conviction for impersonating an officer, and no permit denied or revoked in the last 5 years.
- If you live outside Kansas, you name a Kansas resident as your agent.
How to apply: go in person to the Records Unit at Police Headquarters, 700 Minnesota Ave., weekdays 8:30 to 11 a.m. or 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Bring the completed application, a letter from a licensed security company saying it will employ you, and a state ID showing your current address. List every conviction, including traffic citations, or the application is denied. The fee is $52, nonrefundable, and includes a copy of your criminal history. You can pay ahead through PayIt on the myWyco app, but allow 24 hours for the payment to process. The police decide within 20 days, and you can appeal a denial to the County Administrator within 10 days (§§ 19-119, 19-121).
Keeping it:
- Permits last 2 years and must be renewed 30 days before they expire. Renewals need a new employer letter (§ 19-124).
- Carry your photo ID card on duty and show it to any officer who asks (§ 19-123).
- Your employer reports you to the police within 24 hours of hiring you. You report any move or job change in writing, any conviction on the disqualifying list, and any felony charge. A felony charge suspends your permit until the case ends (§§ 19-126, 19-130).
- A $500,000 liability policy is required. Your employer's policy covers you, but if you leave, you need your own coverage before you work security again (§ 19-129).
Topeka: a license for every guard
Topeka requires a license from the Chief of Police for every employee, agent or guard of a private security firm, and makes it illegal for a firm to put an unlicensed guard to work (Topeka Code § 5.90.100). Trained police reserve officers are exempt but still pay the fee.
Who is denied (§ 5.90.140):
- Anyone under 18, or convicted of a felony.
- A conviction in the last 10 years for a crime of dishonesty or fraud, a crime involving a firearm, a crime of violence or a controlled substance crime.
- Certain protective orders issued after a hearing, and a civil fraud judgment in the last 10 years.
How it works:
- You can work on a temporary license once your firm gives written notice that it intends to hire you, you apply and pay, and a police check clears you. The police accept or reject it within one working day. It lasts 60 days and can be extended twice (§ 5.90.120).
- As of April 14, 2026, a guard license is $40 and an annual renewal is $30 (Resolution 9790). The ID card is $10 (§ 5.90.170).
- The license expires 12 months from the date you applied (§ 5.10.160). Let it lapse and you apply again as if you never held one (§ 5.90.190).
- Uniformed guards wear the ID card where it can be seen whenever they are on duty.
- Report any disqualifying conviction to your employer, who has 5 business days to tell the police. When you leave, turn in your ID card (§§ 5.90.060, 5.90.140(b)).
- Guard licensing is handled by the police Records Unit: 785-368-9456.
Overland Park, Lawrence and other cities
Overland Park's business code has no guard license; its old section on detective agents and merchant patrolmen is repealed. Lawrence repealed its merchant security article, and chapter 13, article 2 of its code is now reserved. Smaller cities can still license guards, so ask the city clerk or police department where your post is.
Carrying a gun
Kansas has no armed guard license. The Attorney General's firearm permit is only for licensed private detectives (K.S.A. 75-7b17).
- 21 and older: you can carry concealed without a license (K.S.A. 21-6302(a)(4)).
- 18 to 20: concealed carry needs a provisional license (K.S.A. 21-6302(d)). At 21 you can ask the Attorney General to convert it to a standard license.
- The license: issued by the Attorney General and valid for 4 years (K.S.A. 75-7c03). There is no license fee. You pay your county sheriff $32.50 for fingerprints and meet the training requirement (K.S.A. 75-7c05).
- Cities don't regulate guard firearms. Wichita stopped regulating guards' firearms and knives on July 1, 2014, after a state law change, and Kansas City repealed its guard firearms section in 2015.
- Your employer decides. A private employer can ban guns on duty, but it can't ban a handgun kept in your own vehicle, even in the company lot (K.S.A. 75-7c10(b)).
- Posted buildings: a private building can ban concealed carry only with the approved sign at every exterior entrance. Carrying past the sign isn't a crime, but you can be refused entry or removed (K.S.A. 75-7c10).
Pay
The Kansas minimum wage is $7.25, the same as the federal rate (K.S.A. 44-1203). The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 7,150 security guards in Kansas in May 2025, at a median of $17.83 an hour.
Starting a security company
Kansas has no state license for guard companies, but each licensing city does:
- Wichita: an agency license costs $400 the first year and $200 a year to renew, with a $5,000 surety bond. Insurance must cover at least $500,000 per person and $1 million in total for bodily injury, $200,000 and $500,000 for property damage, and $100,000 and $300,000 for false arrest. Owners and officers must be 21 or older. You keep each guard's permit records until a year after they leave (§§ 3.72.050 to 3.72.090).
- Kansas City: the business license lasts one year and is renewed 30 days before it expires. You also need $500,000 in liability insurance, the city occupation tax, and a report on each new hire within 24 hours (§§ 19-125 to 19-129).
- Topeka: $300 for a new firm license and $100 a year to renew. Insurance must cover at least $200,000 per person and $500,000 in total for bodily injury, and $100,000 and $300,000 for property damage (Resolution 9790; § 5.90.150).
How tessura helps
Wichita and Topeka permits renew every year and Kansas City permits every 2 years, and a lapse in any of them means starting over. tessura is free for guards: keep your city permit, carry license and training certificates in the credential wallet and get reminders at 60, 30 and 7 days before each one expires.
tessura is not affiliated with the City of Wichita, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, the City of Topeka, the Kansas Attorney General or any state agency. Rules change, so confirm anything you rely on with the police department in the city where you work.