K.S.A. » Chapter 21
Kansas Statutes Annotated

K.S.A. § 21-6203 (2026)

Disorderly conduct

✓ current as of May 2026
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21-6203. Disorderly conduct. (a) Disorderly conduct is one or more of the following acts that the person knows or should know will alarm, anger or disturb others or provoke an assault or other breach of the peace:

(1) Brawling or fighting;

(2) disturbing an assembly, meeting or procession, not unlawful in its character; or

(3) using fighting words or engaging in noisy conduct tending reasonably to arouse alarm, anger or resentment in others.

(b) Disorderly conduct is a class C misdemeanor.

(c) As used in this section, "fighting words" means words that by their very utterance inflict injury or tend to incite the listener to an immediate breach of the peace.

History: L. 2010, ch. 136, § 181; July 1, 2011.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 16 cases (12 in the last 5 years), 2018–2026 · leading case: Youngblood v. Qualls, 308 F. Supp. 3d 1184 (D. Kan. 2018).
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Youngblood v. Qualls, 308 F. Supp. 3d 1184 (D. Kan. 2018). · cites it 6× “Kansas's current disorderly conduct statute, K.S.A. § 21-6203, has been in effect since 2011 and expressly states that it applies to "fighting words.”
State v. Stevenson, 478 P.3d 781 (Kan. Ct. App. 2020). “Disorderly conduct as defined in K.S.A. 2019 Supp. 21-6203 is not a lesser included offense of criminal threat as defined in K.”
City of Wichita v. Griffie, 544 P.3d 776 (Kan. 2024). · cites it 2× “But Kansas courts interpreting statutes often look to dictionaries to explain the ordinary meaning of common words.”
State v. Saucedo, 446 P.3d 491 (Kan. 2019). “See K.S.A. 2018 Supp. 21-6203. Nonetheless, while Washington's intent element is narrower than in Oregon, in some aspects it is still broader than the Kansas burglary statute because K.”
State v. McIntosh (Kan. Ct. App. 2025). · cites it 5× “There was not sufficient evidence that McIntosh's statements to the officer were "fighting words" to convict him of disorderly conduct. A person is guilty of disorderly conduct if they use "fighting words .”
Jones v. Boeckman (D. Kan. 2021). · cites it 4× “See K.S.A. § 21-6203(a). Thus, every reasonable juror would find that McDiffett had probable cause to arrest Plaintiff for disorderly conduct.”
Kennon v. Ashley (D. Kan. 2025). · cites it 4× “K.S.A. § 21-6203. Notably, if speech alone is supporting a conviction for disorderly conduct, then Kansas requires the speech be fighting words.”
State v. Florez (Kan. Ct. App. 2021). · cites it 3× “) Below that language, the State listed the charge as "Disorderly Conduct" under K.S.A. 2017 Supp. 21-6203(a)(1), a class C nonperson misdemeanor.”
City of Wichita v. Griffie (Kan. Ct. App. 2022). · cites it 2× “21-4101(c)—was 9 later amended by the Legislature and replaced with K.S.A. 21-6203 in response to the ruling in Huffman, which found that the phrase "[u]sing offensive, obscene, or abusive language" must be construed as meaning solely "fighting words" in order to survive…”
Pino v. Medicalodges, Inc. (D. Kan. 2023). · cites it 2× “On November 8, 2021, the charge was amended to Disorderly Conduct, a Class C Misdemeanor, in violation of K.S.A. § 21-6203(a)(3). On February 14, 2022, Plaintiff accepted a Diversion Agreement offered by the Jackson County Attorney on the Disorderly Conduct charge.”
State v. Love (Kan. Ct. App. 2020). “21-5813, and disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor violation of K.S.A. 2016 Supp. 21-6203. The district court later sentenced 2 Love to a prison term of 12 months and placed him on probation for 12 months for the criminal damage to property conviction, reflecting a standard…”
State v. Young (Kan. Ct. App. 2021). “21-5924(b)(1); and disorderly conduct, in violation of K.S.A. 2018 Supp. 21-6203(a)(3), a class C nonperson misdemeanor.”
Show all 16 citing cases →
— K.S.A. § 21-6203(a) — 2 cases
Youngblood v. Qualls, 308 F. Supp. 3d 1184 (D. Kan. 2018). “Kansas's current disorderly conduct statute, K.S.A. § 21-6203, has been in effect since 2011 and expressly states that it applies to "fighting words.”
Jones v. Boeckman (D. Kan. 2021). “See K.S.A. § 21-6203(a). Thus, every reasonable juror would find that McDiffett had probable cause to arrest Plaintiff for disorderly conduct.”
— K.S.A. § 21-6203(a)(1) — 2 cases
State v. Florez (Kan. Ct. App. 2021). “) Below that language, the State listed the charge as "Disorderly Conduct" under K.S.A. 2017 Supp. 21-6203(a)(1), a class C nonperson misdemeanor.”
Jones v. Boeckman (D. Kan. 2021). “See K.S.A. § 21-6203(a). Thus, every reasonable juror would find that McDiffett had probable cause to arrest Plaintiff for disorderly conduct.”
— K.S.A. § 21-6203(a)(3) — 7 cases
City of Wichita v. Griffie, 544 P.3d 776 (Kan. 2024). “But Kansas courts interpreting statutes often look to dictionaries to explain the ordinary meaning of common words.”
Pino v. Medicalodges, Inc. (D. Kan. 2023). “On November 8, 2021, the charge was amended to Disorderly Conduct, a Class C Misdemeanor, in violation of K.S.A. § 21-6203(a)(3). On February 14, 2022, Plaintiff accepted a Diversion Agreement offered by the Jackson County Attorney on the Disorderly Conduct charge.”
State v. Young (Kan. Ct. App. 2021). “21-5924(b)(1); and disorderly conduct, in violation of K.S.A. 2018 Supp. 21-6203(a)(3), a class C nonperson misdemeanor.”
State v. Taylor (Kan. Ct. App. 2021).
State v. Jameson (Kan. Ct. App. 2022).
— K.S.A. § 21-6203(b) — 2 cases
Youngblood v. Qualls, 308 F. Supp. 3d 1184 (D. Kan. 2018). “Kansas's current disorderly conduct statute, K.S.A. § 21-6203, has been in effect since 2011 and expressly states that it applies to "fighting words.”
Kennon v. Ashley (D. Kan. 2025). “K.S.A. § 21-6203. Notably, if speech alone is supporting a conviction for disorderly conduct, then Kansas requires the speech be fighting words.”
— K.S.A. § 21-6203(c) — 2 cases
State v. McIntosh (Kan. Ct. App. 2025). “There was not sufficient evidence that McIntosh's statements to the officer were "fighting words" to convict him of disorderly conduct. A person is guilty of disorderly conduct if they use "fighting words .”
State v. Murrow (Kan. Ct. App. 2026).
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