Is a Rhode Island Non-Resident Permit Valid in Kansas?
Yes, but not for every holder. Kansas recognizes a Rhode Island non-resident permit unless you live in Kansas. Kansas also allows permitless carry for adults 21+ if you qualify. Kansas residents are not covered by this recognition, but Kansas's permitless carry from age 21 still applies if they qualify.
Why
- Kansas recognizes valid carry permits from every US state.
- Kansas does not honor an out-of-state permit held by a Kansas resident.
- Kansas allows permitless carry for eligible adults 21+, which extends to visitors who may legally possess a handgun.
K.S.A. 75-7c03: 'a valid license or permit to carry a concealed firearm issued by another jurisdiction shall be recognized in this state, but only while the holder is not a resident of Kansas.' AG guidance states recognition applies to any non-resident holder aged 18 or older.
The permit (Rhode Island)
- Permit
- License to Carry a Concealed Pistol or Revolver (municipal licensing authority, § 11-47-11)
- Issued by
- City or town licensing authority (shall-issue path); Attorney General (discretionary alternative path)
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
- Issued to non-residents?
- Yes — Under § 11-47-11 a person 21+ with a bona fide residence anywhere in the United States who holds a carry license issued by another state or subdivision may apply to a municipal licensing authority; the AG path (§ 11-47-18) is discretionary.
The destination (Kansas)
- Recognition policy
- Honors permits from all states
- Permitless carry
- Yes (21+)
- Duty to inform
- No (present permit on demand)
- Magazine limit
- No state limit
Carry rules in Kansas
Your Rhode Island habits may not match Kansas's law. Check these three areas before you carry there.
- No Kansas statute imposes a proactive duty to inform an officer that you are carrying.
- Kansas sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
- Kansas allows permitless concealed carry from age 21 for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.
- A person 21+ who may lawfully possess a handgun may carry it loaded, openly or concealed, in a vehicle without a license; under-21 concealed carry (including in vehicles) is restricted by K.S.A. 21-6302.
Off-limits places in Kansas
Kansas bans carry in 3 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- Any building conspicuously posted with AG-approved no-firearms signage at its entrances (K.S.A. 75-7c10)
- K-12 school buildings, jails, courthouses and similar public buildings where properly posted
Rhode Island vs Kansas: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Rhode Island into Kansas changes 3 rules: permitless carry (No → Yes (21+)); magazine limit (10 rounds → None); out-of-state permits honored (None → All states).
| Rule | Rhode Island | Kansas |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | No | Yes (21+) |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | 10 rounds | None |
| Out-of-state permits honored | None | All states |
Going the other way, a Kansas non-resident permit in Rhode Island: no such permit issued.
Driving on from Kansas
How a Rhode Island non-resident permit fares in the states bordering Kansas:
Frequently asked questions
- Does Kansas honor a Rhode Island resident permit?
- Recognized — and permitless carry applies. The verdict matches the non-resident permit on this page, but the conditions differ.
- Can a Kansas non-resident permit holder carry in Rhode Island?
- Kansas does not issue non-resident carry permits, so there is no such permit to carry in Rhode Island.
- Where does Kansas publish its official reciprocity list?
- Kansas publishes its recognition policy on an official state page, linked in the sources on this page. That page is the authority — check it shortly before travel, because recognition lists change without much notice.
Official sources
- Kansas AG - Out-of-State License Recognition — accessed 2026-08-08
- K.S.A. 75-7c03 (recognition of out-of-state licenses; provisional licenses) — accessed 2026-08-08
- K.S.A. 21-6302 (criminal carrying of a weapon; under-21 rule) — accessed 2026-08-08
- K.S.A. 75-7c05 (application; residency) — accessed 2026-08-08
- K.S.A. 75-7c10 (posted prohibited buildings) — accessed 2026-08-08
- K.S.A. 75-7c04 (disqualifications; 8-hour handgun safety and training course) — accessed 2026-09-27
- K.S.A. 21-6301 (criminal use of weapons; under-18 handgun possession) — accessed 2026-09-27
- K.S.A. 75-7c08 (license renewal) — accessed 2026-09-27
- RI Attorney General — Pistol Permits (BCI) — accessed 2026-08-08
- R.I.G.L. § 11-47-8 — Carrying of weapons (out-of-state pass-through exception) — accessed 2026-08-08
- R.I.G.L. § 11-47-11 — License or permit to carry concealed (municipal shall-issue, non-resident eligibility) — accessed 2026-08-08
- R.I.G.L. § 11-47.1-3 — Large capacity feeding devices prohibited (10-round limit, eff. 2022-06-20) — accessed 2026-08-08
- RI Attorney General — Concealed-Carry Permit Guidance (AG 2022-01, post-Bruen) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Town of Middletown, RI — Concealed Carry Permits — accessed 2026-09-27
- City of East Providence — Weapons Carry and Permit Package (rev. 04/2019) — accessed 2026-09-27
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-12 (license fee; term) — accessed 2026-09-27