Kansas Statutes Annotated

K.S.A. § 21-6206 (2026)

Harassment by telecommunication device

✓ current as of May 2026

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21-6206. Harassment by telecommunication device. (a) Harassment by telecommunication device is the use of:

(1) A telecommunications device to:

(A) Knowingly make or transmit any comment, request, suggestion, proposal, image or text which is obscene, lewd, lascivious or indecent;

(B) make or transmit a call, whether or not conversation ensues, with intent to abuse, threaten or harass any person at the receiving end;

(C) make or transmit any comment, request, suggestion, proposal, image or text with intent to abuse, threaten or harass any person at the receiving end;

(D) make or cause a telecommunications device to repeatedly ring or activate with intent to harass any person at the receiving end;

(E) knowingly play any recording on a telephone, except recordings such as weather information or sports information when the number thereof is dialed, unless the person or group playing the recording shall be identified and state that it is a recording; or

(F) knowingly permit any telecommunications device under one's control to be used in violation of this paragraph.

(2) Telefacsimile communication to send or transmit such communication to a court in the state of Kansas for a use other than court business, with no requirement of culpable mental state.

(b) Harassment by telecommunication device is a class A nonperson misdemeanor.

(c) Every telephone directory published for distribution to members of the general public shall contain a notice setting forth a summary of the provisions of this section. Such notice shall be printed in type which is no smaller than any other type on the same page and shall be preceded by the word "WARNING."

(d) As used in this section, "telecommunications device" includes telephones, cellular telephones, telefacsimile machines and any other electronic device which makes use of an electronic communication service, as defined in K.S.A. 22-2514, and amendments thereto.

(e) An offender who violates the provisions of this section may also be prosecuted for, convicted of, and punished for any other offense in K.S.A. 21-5508, 21-5509, 21-5510 or 21-6401*.

History: L. 2010, ch. 136, § 184; L. 2011, ch. 100, § 17; July 1.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 9 cases (5 in the last 5 years), 2014–2026 · leading case: Goings v. Sumner Cnty. Dist. Attorney's Off., 571 F. App'x 634 (10th Cir. 2014).

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Goings v. Sumner Cnty. Dist. Attorney's Off., 571 F. App'x 634 (10th Cir. 2014). “Goings received a summons notifying him of these charges on or about February 1, 2013.”

State v. White, 384 P.3d 13 (Kan. Ct. App. 2016). “21-5415(b), two counts of harassment by telephone in violation of K.S.A. 2013 Supp. 21-6206(a)(1) (B) and (C), and one count of stalking in violation of K.”

State v. Perkins (Kan. Ct. App. 2020). · cites it 5× “Based on this same conduct, the State separately charged Perkins with harassment by telecommunications device in violation of K.S.A. 2018 Supp. 21-6206(a)(1)(C). On October 25, 2018, the district court revoked Perkins' probation and ordered him to serve his 6-month jail term,…”

In re Belcher, 552 P.3d 1213 (Kan. 2024). · cites it 3× “], by threatening to defame him on Facebook if he did not pay her $2,000 (a violation of two Kansas felony statutes, K.S.A. 21-6206 (Harassment by telecommunication device) and K.”

State v. Jamil (Kan. Ct. App. 2026). · cites it 3× “In Perkins, a panel of our court considered whether the evidence at trial was sufficient to convict the defendant of harassment by telecommunications device in violation of K.S.A. 2019 Supp. 21-6206(a)(1)(C). Perkins, 2020 WL 5740893 , at *2.”

Busby v. Hansen (D. Kan. 2023). · cites it 2× “See K.S.A. § 21-6206. But neither of those criminal statutes authorize a private cause of action.”

Riney v. McGuire (Kan. Ct. App. 2020). “Nor does K.S.A. 2019 Supp. 21-6206, which criminalizes certain harassing statements made with a telecommunications device.”

State v. Byrd (Kan. Ct. App. 2021). “Harassment by Telecommunication Device The trial court convicted Byrd of harassment by telecommunication device under K.S.A. 2017 Supp. 21-6206(a)(1)(B), which provides: "Harassment by telecommunication device is the use of: A telecommunication device to: .”

State v. Kerns (Kan. Ct. App. 2024). “It charged him with harassing his ex-wife with a telecommunication device—a Class A nonperson misdemeanor contrary to K.S.A. 21-6206(a)(1)(C). And it charged him with violating the PFS order itself—a class A person misdemeanor contrary to K.”

— K.S.A. § 21-6206(a)(1) — 1 case

— K.S.A. § 21-6206(a)(1)(B) — 1 case

— K.S.A. § 21-6206(a)(1)(C) — 3 cases

State v. Perkins (Kan. Ct. App. 2020). “Based on this same conduct, the State separately charged Perkins with harassment by telecommunications device in violation of K.S.A. 2018 Supp. 21-6206(a)(1)(C). On October 25, 2018, the district court revoked Perkins' probation and ordered him to serve his 6-month jail term,…”

State v. Jamil (Kan. Ct. App. 2026). “In Perkins, a panel of our court considered whether the evidence at trial was sufficient to convict the defendant of harassment by telecommunications device in violation of K.S.A. 2019 Supp. 21-6206(a)(1)(C). Perkins, 2020 WL 5740893 , at *2.”

— K.S.A. § 21-6206(b) — 1 case

In re Belcher, 552 P.3d 1213 (Kan. 2024). “], by threatening to defame him on Facebook if he did not pay her $2,000 (a violation of two Kansas felony statutes, K.S.A. 21-6206 (Harassment by telecommunication device) and K.”

— K.S.A. § 21-6206(d) — 1 case

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