Kansas Constitution

This version of the Kansas Constitution includes new and revised articles and sections enacted as of July 1, 2025.

Note: To access the Kansas Statutes Annotated which have been authenticated in accordance with the law, see the current printed bound volumes of the Kansas Statutes Annotated and the current printed volumes of the Cumulative Supplement to the Kansas Statutes Annotated as published by the Office of Revisor of Statutes.

• ORGANIC ACT - Act to organize the Territory of Kansas (1854)

•      § 19. Creation of territoral government.
•      § 20. Governor of territory.
•      § 21. Secretary of Territory.
•      § 22. Legislative assembly.
•      § 23. Right to Vote and hold office.
•      § 24. Enactment of laws.
•      § 25. Township, district and county officers.
•      § 26. Holding of office by members of legislature.
•      § 27. Judicary.
•      § 28. Fugitives from justice.
•      § 29. Attorney and marshal of territory.
•      § 30. Officers generally; salaries.
•      § 31. Seat of government.
•      § 32. Delegate to the house of representatives; operation of federal laws.
•      § 33. Public buildings.
•      § 34. Lands.
•      § 35. Judicial districts.
•      § 36. Bonds of officers.
•      § 37. Indians.
• 
  

  Act for Admission of Kansas into the Union (1861)

•      PREAMBLE
•          § 1. Admission; boundaries; Indian title.
•          § 2. Representative.
•          § 3. Force of act; school lands; university lands; public buildings; conditions; taxation.
•          § 4. Judicial district; court officers; cases.
•          § 5. Terms of court.
•      ADMISSION
• 
  

  CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF KANSAS

  Revisor's Note:

  This Constitution was adopted at Wyandotte on July 29, 1859, and was ratified October 4, 1859, by a vote of 10,421 for to 5,530 against. (See Kansas Constitutional Convention, page 671 (1920); see also Laws of Kansas Territory, 1859, ch. 31, § 6, directing the submission to the qualified electors of the territory.)

  For provision for transition from territorial to permanent state government, see §§ 1 through 8 of Schedule following Article 15 of the Constitution.

  For provision for election for ratification or rejection of Constitution, see §§ 9 through 25 of Schedule following Article 15 of the Constitution.

•      ORDINANCE
•          § 1. School sections.
•          § 2. University lands.
•          § 3. Lands for public buildings.
•          § 4. Lands for charitable and benevolent institutions.
•          § 5. Salt springs and mines.
•          § 6. Sale of public lands with certain proceeds to support of schools.
•          § 7. School lands.
•          § 8. Selection of lands.
  
•      PREAMBLE
  
•      BILL OF RIGHTS
•          § 1. Equal rights.
•          § 2. Political power; privileges.
•          § 3. Right of peaceable assembly and to petition government.
•          § 4. Individual right to bear arms; army.
•          § 5. Trial by jury.
•          § 6. Prohibition of slavery.
•          § 7. Religious liberty; prohibiting property qualification for public office.
•          § 8. Habeas Corpus.
•          § 9. Bail; excessive fines; cruel and unusual punishment.
•          § 10. Trial; defense of accused; witness against self; double jeopardy.
•          § 11. Free speech and press; libel.
•          § 12. No forfeiture of estate for crimes.
•          § 13. Treason.
•          § 14. No forced quartering soldiers.
•          § 15. Search and seizure.
•          § 16. No imprisonment for debt.
•          § 17. Property rights of citizens and aliens.
•          § 18. Justice without delay.
•          § 19. Hereditary privileges prohibited.
•          § 20. Powers retained by people.
•          § 21. Right of pubic to hunt, fish and trap wildlife.
  
•      Article 1.—EXECUTIVE
•          § 1. Executive officers; selection; terms.
•          § 2. Eliminated by revision.
•          § 3. Executive power of governor.
•          § 4. Reports to governor.
•          § 5. Governor's duties for legislature; messages; special sessions; adjournment.
•          § 6. Reorganization of state agencies of executive branch.
•          § 7. Pardons.
•          § 8. Eliminated by revision.
•          § 9. State seal and commissions.
•          § 10. Eliminated by revision.
•          § 11. Vacancies in executive offices.
•          § 12. Lieutenant governor.
•          § 13. Eliminated by revision.
•          § 14. Eliminated by revision.
•          § 15. Compensation of officers.
•          § 16. Eliminated by revision.
  
•      Article 2.—LEGISLATIVE
•          § 1. Legislative power.
•          § 2. Senators and representatives.
•          § 3. Compensation of members of legislature.
•          § 4. Qualifications of members.
•          § 5. Eligibility and disqualification of members.
•          § 6. Eliminated by revision.
•          § 7. Eliminated by revision.
•          § 8. Organization and sessions.
•          § 9. Vacancies in legislature.
•          § 10. Journals.
•          § 11. Eliminated by revision.
•          § 12. Origination by either house.
•          § 13. Majority for passage of bills.
•          § 14. Approval of bills; vetoes.
•          § 15. Requirements before bill passed.
•          § 16. Subject and title of bills; amendment or revival of statutes.
•          § 17. Uniform operation of laws of a general nature.
•          § 18. Election or appointment of officers; filling vacancies.
•          § 19. Publication of acts.
•          § 20. Enacting clause of bills; laws enacted only by bill.
•          § 21. Delegation of powers of local legislation and administration.
•          § 22. Legislative immunity.
•          § 23. Eliminated by revision.
•          § 24. Appropriations.
•          § 25. Eliminated by revision.
•          § 26. Repealed.
•          § 27. Impeachment.
•          § 28. Officers impeachable; grounds; punishment.
•          § 29. Eliminated by revision.
•          § 30. Delegations to interstate bodies.


•      Article 3.—JUDICIAL
•          § 1. Judicial power; seals; rules.
•          § 2. Supreme court.
•          § 3. Jurisdiction and terms.
•          § 4. Reporter; clerk.
•          § 5. Selection of justices of the supreme court.
•          § 6. District courts.
•          § 7. Qualifications of justices and judges.
•          § 8. Prohibition of political activity by justices and certain judges.
•          § 9. Eliminated by revision.
•          § 10. Eliminated by revision.
•          § 11. Stricken from article.
•          § 12. Extension of terms until successor qualified.
•          § 13. Compensation of justices and judges; certain limitation.
•          § 14. Eliminated by revision.
•          § 15. Removal of justices and judges.
•          § 16. Savings clause.
•          § 17. Eliminated by revision.
•          § 18. Stricken from article.
•          § 19. Eliminated by revision.
•          § 20. Eliminated by revision.


•      Article 4.—ELECTIONS
•          § 1. Mode of voting.
•          § 2. General elections.
•          § 3. Recall of elected officials.
•          § 4. Eliminated by revision.
•          § 5. Eliminated by revision.


•      Article 5.—SUFFRAGE
•          § 1. Qualifications of electors.
•          § 2. Disqualification to vote.
•          § 3. Eliminated by revision.
•          § 4. Proof of right to vote.
•          § 5. Repealed.
•          § 6. Eliminated by revision.
•          § 7. Privileges of elector.
•          § 8. Eliminated by revision.


•      Article 6.—EDUCATION
•          § 1. Schools and related institutions and activities.
•          § 2. State board of education and state board of regents.
•          § 3. Members of state board of education and state board of regents.
•          § 4. Commissioner of education.
•          § 5. Local public schools.
•          § 6. Finance.
•          § 7. Saving clause.
•          § 8. Eliminated by amendment.
•          § 9. Eliminated by amendment.
•          § 10. Eliminated by amendment.


•      Article 7.—PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS AND WELFARE
•          § 1. Benevolent institutions.
•          § 2. Eliminated by revision.
•          § 3. Eliminated by revision.
•          § 4. Aged and infirm persons; financial aid; state participation.
•          § 5. Unemployment compensation; old-age benefits; taxation.
•          § 6. Tax levy for certain institutions.


•      Article 8.—MILITIA
•          § 1. Composition; exemption.
•          § 2. Organization.
•          § 3. Officers.
•          § 4. Commander-in-Chief.


•      Article 9.—COUNTY AND TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION
•          § 1. Counties.
•          § 2. County and township officers.
•          § 3. Stricken from constitution.
•          § 4. Stricken from constitution.
•          § 5. Removal of officers.


•      Article 10.—APPORTIONMENT OF THE LEGISLATURE
•          § 1. Reapportionment of senatorial and representative districts.
•          § 2. Eliminated by revision.
•          § 3. Repealed.


•      Article 11.—FINANCE AND TAXATION
•          § 1. System of taxation; classification; exemption.
•          § 2. Taxation of incomes.
•          § 3. Transferred and renumbered.
•          § 4. Revenue for current expenses.
•          § 5. Object of tax.
•          § 6. State debts; annual tax; proceeds.
•          § 7. Election on indebtedness.
•          § 8. Borrowing money by state.
•          § 9. Internal improvements; state highway system; flood control; conservation or development of water resources.
•          § 10. Special taxes for highway purposes.
•          § 11. Taxation of incomes; adoption of federal laws by reference.
•          § 12. Assessment and taxation of land devoted to agricultural use.
•          § 13. Exemption of property for economic development purposes; procedure; limitations.


•      Article 12.—CORPORATIONS
•          § 1. Corporate powers.
•          § 2. Liability of stockholders.
•          § 3. Repealed.
•          § 4. Rights of way; eminent domain.
•          § 5. Cities' powers of home rule.
•          § 6. Definition of corporations; suits.


•      Article 13.—BANKS.
•          § 1. Banking laws.
•          § 2. State not to be stockholder.
•          § 3. Eliminated by revision.
•          § 4. Eliminated by revision.
•          § 5. Transferred and renumbered.
•          § 6. Eliminated by revision.
•          § 7. Eliminated by revision.
•          § 8. Eliminated by revision.
•          § 9. Eliminated by revision.


•      Article 14.—CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT AND REVISION
•          § 1. Proposals by legislature; approval by electors.
•          § 2. Constitutional conventions; approval by electors.


•      Article 15.—MISCELLANEOUS.
•          § 1. Selection of officers.
•          § 2. Tenure of office; merit system in civil service.
•          § 3. Lotteries.
•          § 3a. Regulation, licensing and taxation of "bingo" games authorized.
•          § 3b. Regulation, licensing and taxation of horse and dog racing and parimutuel wagering thereon.
•          § 3c. State-owned and operated lottery.
•          § 3d. Regulation of "raffles" authorized.
•          § 4. Repealed.
•          § 5. Statement of receipts and expenditures of public moneys; publication.
•          § 6. Rights of women.
•          § 7. Salaries reduced for neglect of duty.
•          § 8. Location of state capital.
•          § 9. Homestead exemption.
•          § 10. Intoxicating liquors.
•          § 11. Repealed.
•          § 12. Membership or nonmembership in labor organizations.
•          § 13. Continuity of state and local governmental operations.
•          § 14. Oaths of state officers.
•          § 15. Victims' rights.
•          § 16. Marriage.


•           SCHEDULE
•          § 1. Change from a territorial to a state government.
•          § 2. Penalties, forfeitures and bonds.
•          § 3. Officers of territory.
•          § 4. Laws.
•          § 5. Seal.
•          § 6. Offices at capital.
•          § 7. Court records and documents.
•          § 8. Suits and proceedings.
•          § 9. Ratification or rejection of constitution.
•          § 10. Mode of voting on constitution.
•          § 11. First election under constitution.
•          § 12. Persons qualified to vote.
•          § 13. Judges of election.
•          § 14. Oath of judges; clerks.
•          § 15. When polls open.
•          § 16. Poll books.
•          § 17. Count of votes.
•          § 18. Custody of poll books and tally lists.
•          § 19. Canvass of votes; transcript.
•          § 20. State canvassers.
•          § 21. Declaration of result of election.
•          § 22. Copies of constitution for federal authorities.
•          § 23. Proclamation of governor.
•          § 24. County lines.
•          § 25. Homestead provision.


•           RESOLUTIONS


•           List of Amendments and Proposed Amendments to the Kansas Constitution


•           Index of Sections: Constitution of the State of Kansas