(a) The application for a license pursuant to this act shall be completed, under oath, on a form prescribed by the attorney general and shall only include:

(1) (A) Subject to the provisions of subsection (a)(1)(B), the name, address, social security number, Kansas driver’s license number or Kansas nondriver’s license identification number, place and date of birth, a photocopy of the applicant’s driver’s license or nondriver’s identification card and a photocopy of the applicant’s certificate of training course completion; (B) in the case of an applicant who presents proof that such person is on active duty with any branch of the armed forces of the United States, or is the dependent of such a person, and who does not possess a Kansas driver’s license or Kansas nondriver’s license identification, the number of such license or identification shall not be required;

(2) a statement that the applicant is in compliance with criteria contained within Kan. Stat. Ann. § 75-7c04, and amendments thereto;

(3) a statement that the applicant has been furnished a copy of this act and is knowledgeable of its provisions;

(4) a conspicuous warning that the application is executed under oath and that a false answer to any question, or the submission of any false document by the applicant, subjects the applicant to criminal prosecution under Kan. Stat. Ann. § 21-5903, and amendments thereto; and

(5) a statement that the applicant desires a concealed handgun license as a means of lawful self-defense.

(b) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (i), the applicant shall submit to the sheriff of the county where the applicant resides, during any normal business hours:

(1) A completed application described in subsection (a);

(2) an amount of $32.50 payable to the sheriff of the county where the applicant resides for the purpose of covering the cost of taking fingerprints pursuant to subsection (c);

(3) if applicable, a photocopy of the proof of training required by Kan. Stat. Ann. § 75-7c04(b)(1), and amendments thereto; and

(4) a full frontal view photograph of the applicant taken within the preceding 30 days.

(c) (1) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (i), the sheriff, upon receipt of the items listed in subsection (b), shall provide for the full set of fingerprints of the applicant to be taken and forwarded to the attorney general for purposes of a criminal history records check as provided by subsection (d). In addition, the sheriff shall forward the application to the attorney general. Notwithstanding any provision in this section to the contrary, an applicant shall not be required to submit fingerprints for a renewal application under Kan. Stat. Ann. § 75-7c08, and amendments thereto.

(2) The sheriff of the applicant’s county of residence or the chief law enforcement officer of any law enforcement agency, at the sheriff’s or chief law enforcement officer’s discretion, may participate in the process by submitting a voluntary report to the attorney general containing readily discoverable information, corroborated through public records, which, when combined with another enumerated factor, establishes that the applicant poses a significantly greater threat to law enforcement or the public at large than the average citizen. Any such voluntary reporting shall be made within 45 days after the date the sheriff receives the application. Any sheriff or chief law enforcement officer submitting a voluntary report shall not incur any civil or criminal liability as the result of the good faith submission of such report.

(3) All funds retained by the sheriff pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be credited to a special fund of the sheriff’s office which shall be used solely for the purpose of administering this act.

(d) Each applicant shall be subject to a state and national criminal history records check which conforms to applicable federal standards, including an inquiry of the national instant criminal background check system for the purpose of verifying the identity of the applicant and whether the applicant has been convicted of any crime or has been the subject of any restraining order or any mental health related finding that would disqualify the applicant from holding a license under this act. The attorney general is authorized to use the information obtained from the state or national criminal history record check to determine the applicant’s eligibility for such license.

(e) Within 90 days after the date of receipt of the items listed in subsection (b), the attorney general shall:

(1) (A) Issue the license and certify the issuance to the department of revenue; and

(B) if it is impractical for the division of vehicles of the department of revenue to issue physical cards consistent with the requirements of this act and the attorney general has determined that the conditions for such impracticality have existed for at least 30 days, the attorney general shall issue an authorization document in accordance with Kan. Stat. Ann. § 75-7c03(d), and amendments thereto; or

(2) deny the application based solely on: (A) The report submitted by the sheriff or other chief law enforcement officer under subsection (c)(2) for good cause shown therein; or (B) the ground that the applicant is disqualified under the criteria listed in Kan. Stat. Ann. § 75-7c04, and amendments thereto. If the attorney general denies the application, the attorney general shall notify the applicant in writing, stating the ground for denial and informing the applicant the opportunity for a hearing pursuant to the Kansas administrative procedure act.

(f) No person who is issued a license or has such license renewed shall be required to pay a fee for the cost of the license or renewal except as otherwise provided in subsection (b) for the purpose of covering the cost of taking fingerprints.

(g) (1) A person who is a retired law enforcement officer, as defined in Kan. Stat. Ann. § 21-5111, and amendments thereto, shall be: (A) Exempt from the required completion of a handgun safety and training course if such person was certified by the Kansas commission on peace officer’s standards and training, or similar body from another jurisdiction, not more than eight years prior to submission of the application; and (B) required to comply with the criminal history records check requirement of this section.

(2) Proof of retirement as a law enforcement officer shall be required and provided to the attorney general in the form of a letter from the agency head, or their designee, of the officer’s retiring agency that attests to the officer having retired in good standing from that agency as a law enforcement officer for reasons other than mental instability and that the officer has a nonforfeitable right to benefits under a retirement plan of the agency.

(h) A person who is a corrections officer, a parole officer or a corrections officer employed by the federal bureau of prisons, as defined by Kan. Stat. Ann. § 75-5202, and amendments thereto, shall be: (1) Exempt from the required completion of a handgun safety and training course if such person was issued a certificate of firearms training by the department of corrections or the federal bureau of prisons or similar body not more than one year prior to submission of the application; and (2) required to comply with the criminal history records check requirement of this section.

(i) A person who presents proof that such person is on active duty with any branch of the armed forces of the United States and is stationed at a United States military installation located outside this state, may submit by mail an application described in subsection (a) and the other materials required by subsection (b) to the sheriff of the county where the applicant resides. Provided the applicant is fingerprinted at a United States military installation, the applicant may submit a full set of fingerprints of such applicant along with the application. Upon receipt of such items, the sheriff shall forward to the attorney general the application.