Hunting in Kansas: Are Safety Courses Required to Hunt in Kansas? How Do I Pass Classes?

To hunt legally in Kansas, the state's Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism requires that anyone born after July 1, 1957, obtain certification from an approved hunter education course.

These certification courses are provided free of charge potential hunters. There are a few specific and limited exceptions to this requirement.

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1. Exemptions
Anyone under the age of 15 may hunt without a license, provided they're accompanied by and under the direct supervision of a licensed adult hunter age 18 or older. KDWPT also permits the purchase of an apprentice hunting license, which acts as a deferral of the hunter education course. Persons age 16 or older may only purchase an apprentice license twice; after that, the certification course is required. However, some federal lands require a valid hunter education certification regardless of age. In such cases, federal law has precedence regarding Kansas statutes.

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2. Passing
Nonresident hunters can present a course completion certificate from any other state. In the event they are unable to present one, or obtain a duplicate, nonresidents can attend a "crash-course" for a fee of $25. Anyone who has received certification from a National Rifle Association hunter safety course and can present the certificate at a KDWPT licensing office can receive a Kansas duplicate certification at no charge, the state website said. Military personnel and those with concealed carry permits are not exempted from the hunter education requirement.

3. Class Details
For residents needing certification, Kansas offers both a traditional and an internet-assisted format class. The traditional class is a minimum of 10 hours of instruction, usually spread out across two or more days. The Internet-assisted format includes the completion of an online training course with a test at the end, the results of which must be printed out and brought to the field day and testing session portion of the education course. The presentation of this exam certificate counts as four hours of instruction toward the state-mandated total of 10 hours.

This article is for information only. Please check current regulations before hunting.

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