Kansas Statutes Annotated

K.S.A. § 22-4908 (2026)

Petition for relief from registration; procedure; elements of proof; expungement

✓ current as of May 2026

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22-4908. Petition for relief from registration; procedure; elements of proof; expungement. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b), a drug offender who is required to register under the Kansas offender registration act may file a verified petition for relief from registration requirements if the offender has registered for a period of at least five years after the date of parole, discharge or release, whichever date is most recent, or, if not confined, five years from the date of conviction or adjudication.

(b) An offender who is required to register pursuant to K.S.A. 22-4906(k), and amendments thereto, because of an out-of-state conviction or adjudication may not petition for relief from registration requirements in this state if the offender would be required to register under the law of the state or jurisdiction where the conviction or adjudication occurred. If the offender would no longer be required to register under the law of the state or jurisdiction where the conviction or adjudication occurred, the offender may file a verified petition pursuant to subsection (a).

(c) Any period of time during which an offender is incarcerated in any jail or correctional facility or during which the offender does not substantially comply with the requirements of the Kansas offender registration act shall not count toward the duration of registration required in subsection (a).

(d) (1) A verified petition for relief from registration requirements shall be filed in the district court in the county where the offender was convicted or adjudicated of the offense requiring registration. If the offender was not convicted or adjudicated in this state of the offense requiring registration, such petition shall be filed in the district court of any county where the offender is currently required to register. The docket fee shall be as provided in K.S.A. 60-2001, and amendments thereto.

(2) The petition shall include:

(A) The offender's full name;

(B) the offender's full name at the time of conviction or adjudication for the offense or offenses requiring registration, if different than the offender's current name;

(D) the offense or offenses requiring registration;

(E) the date of conviction or adjudication for the offense or offenses requiring registration;

(F) the court in which the offender was convicted or adjudicated of the offense or offenses requiring registration;

(G) whether the offender has been arrested, convicted, adjudicated or entered into a diversion agreement for any crime during the period the offender is required to register; and

(H) the names of all treatment providers and agencies that have treated the offender for mental health, substance abuse and offense-related behavior since the date of the offense or offenses requiring registration.

(3) The judicial council shall develop a petition form for use under this section.

(4) When a petition is filed, the court shall set a date for a hearing on such petition and cause notice of the hearing to be given to the county or district attorney in the county where the petition is filed. Any person who may have relevant information about the offender may testify at the hearing.

(5) The county or district attorney shall notify any victim of the offense requiring registration who is alive and whose address is known or, if the victim is deceased, the victim's family if the family's address is known. The victim or victim's family shall not be compelled to testify or provide any discovery to the offender.

(6) The county or district attorney shall have access to all applicable records, including records that are otherwise confidential or privileged.

(e) (1) The court may require a drug offender who is petitioning for relief under this section to undergo a risk assessment.

(2) Any risk assessment ordered under this subsection shall be performed by a professional agreed upon by the parties or a professional approved by the court. Such risk assessment shall be performed at the offender's expense.

(f) The court shall order relief from registration requirements if the offender shows by clear and convincing evidence that:

(1) The offender has not been convicted or adjudicated of a felony, other than a felony violation or aggravated felony violation of K.S.A. 22-4903, and amendments thereto, within the five years immediately preceding the filing of the petition, and no proceedings involving any such felony are presently pending or being instituted against the offender;

(2) the offender's circumstances, behavior and treatment history demonstrate that the offender is sufficiently rehabilitated to warrant relief; and

(3) registration of the offender is no longer necessary to promote public safety.

(g) If the court denies an offender's petition for relief, the offender shall not file another petition for relief until three years have elapsed, unless a shorter time period is ordered by the court.

(h) If the court grants relief from registration requirements, the court shall order that the offender be removed from the offender registry and that the offender is no longer required to comply with registration requirements. Within 14 days of any order, the court shall notify the Kansas bureau of investigation and any local law enforcement agency that registers the offender that the offender has been granted relief from registration requirements. The Kansas bureau of investigation shall remove such offender from any internet website maintained pursuant to K.S.A. 22-4909, and amendments thereto.

(i) An offender may combine a petition for relief under this section with a petition for expungement under K.S.A. 21-6614, and amendments thereto, if the offense requiring registration is otherwise eligible for expungement.

History: L. 1993, ch. 253, § 24; L. 1994, ch. 107, § 6; L. 1997, ch. 181, § 13; L. 1999, ch. 164, § 34; L. 2001, ch. 208, § 15; L. 2011, ch. 95, § 8; L. 2012, ch. 149, § 7; L. 2022, ch. 83, § 4; May 12.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 12 cases (4 in the last 5 years), 1996–2024 · leading case: State v. Wilkinson, 9 P.3d 1 (Kan. 2000).

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State v. Wilkinson, 9 P.3d 1 (Kan. 2000). · cites it 5× “K.S.A. 22-4908 provides the opportunity for a hearing to relieve the offender from the responsibility of further registration, but only after he or she has registered.”

State v. Myers, 923 P.2d 1024 (Kan. 1996). · cites it 3× “As an example, does every 18 year old (or 16 or 17 year old prosecuted as an adult) who has a voluntary sexual relationship with a 15 year old, is convicted of one of the above crimes, and is registered as a “sex offender” pose a sufficient risk of reoffense that the registered…”

Lile v. Simmons, 143 F. Supp. 2d 1267 (D. Kan. 2001). · cites it 2× “See K.S.A. § 22-4908. 4 . In support of his arguments regarding the In-House Risk Assessment, plaintiff argues that certain procedural protections also should be provided in his MDT Assessment.”

State v. Divine, 246 P.3d 692 (Kan. 2011). · cites it 5× “The State responded that the district court lacked jurisdiction to address the issue because Divine was statutorily required to register because of the conviction, rather than as a condition of probation.”

State v. Reider, 67 P.3d 161 (Kan. Ct. App. 2003). · cites it 3× “The former statute, K.S.A. 2000 Supp. 22-4908 provided that all sex offenders must register for 10 years for their first convictions.”

Doe v. Thompson, 373 P.3d 750 (Kan. 2016). · cites it 2× “Moreover, that flaw is accentuated by KORA's prohibition in K.S.A. 2011 Supp. 22-4908: "No person required to register as an offender pursuant to the Kansas offender registration act shall be granted an order relieving the offender of further registration under the act.”

State v. Hand (Kan. Ct. App. 2021). · cites it 6× “" K.S.A. 22-4908. Although the prohibition may have been designed to preclude "early release" of a KORA registrant for good behavior or demonstrable rehabilitation, its broad language reaches and negates Hand's request for equitable relief.”

State v. Scott, 947 P.2d 466 (Kan. Ct. App. 1997). “At sentencing, Scott maintained that the KSORA was punitive in nature, that the public access provision constituted cruel or unusual punishment, that the KSORA violated his procedural due process rights, and that K.S.A. 22-4908 was vague because the term “rehabilitated” was not…”

State v. Baker (Kan. Ct. App. 2024). · cites it 2× “22-4908, which provides, in relevant part: "(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), a drug offender who is required to register under the Kansas offender registration act may file a verified petition for relief from registration requirements if the offender has registered for…”

State v. Stuart (Kan. Ct. App. 2024). “Finally, Stuart contends that the KORA—specifically K.S.A. 22-4908—violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution because it allows some offenders to petition to remove themselves from the registry while others are unable to do…”

State v. Springsteen (Kan. Ct. App. 2024). “Finally, Springsteen argues that KORA—specifically K.S.A. 22-4908—violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution because the statute allows some offenders to petition to remove themselves from the registry and others cannot do…”

Hemby v. Hannigan, 7 F. App'x 889 (10th Cir. 2001). “See Kan.Stat.Ann. § 22-4908. This claim is also without merit.”

— K.S.A. § 22-4908(a) — 2 cases

State v. Wilkinson, 9 P.3d 1 (Kan. 2000). “K.S.A. 22-4908 provides the opportunity for a hearing to relieve the offender from the responsibility of further registration, but only after he or she has registered.”

State v. Baker (Kan. Ct. App. 2024). “22-4908, which provides, in relevant part: "(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), a drug offender who is required to register under the Kansas offender registration act may file a verified petition for relief from registration requirements if the offender has registered for…”

— K.S.A. § 22-4908(b) — 1 case

— K.S.A. § 22-4908(d) — 1 case

State v. Divine, 246 P.3d 692 (Kan. 2011). “The State responded that the district court lacked jurisdiction to address the issue because Divine was statutorily required to register because of the conviction, rather than as a condition of probation.”

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