- K.S.A. 75-7b20 requires an exam, oral interview, and background investigation - not just a written test.
- Study references split into three domains: Licensing Act, K.A.R. rules, and K.S.A. 21-6302 weapons law.
- Use current citations K.A.R. 16-2-1a and K.S.A. 21-6302; older 16-2-1(a) and 21-6302(d)(3) references are obsolete.
- You get two reexaminations, each within 30 days of a failure notice; a third failure means a 12-month wait.
Quick Facts Snapshot
Before the deep dive, here's the one-page mental model of the Kansas Private Detective License Exam (KS-PD), administered under the Kansas Attorney General's Private Detective Licensing Unit. Bookmark this section - it's the fastest way to refresh your memory the night before test day.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Governing statute | K.S.A. 75-7b20 (exam, oral interview, background check) |
| Scheduling authority | K.A.R. 16-3-1 assigns time/location to the Attorney General |
| Content scope | Private Detective Licensing Act + applicable administrative regulations |
| Initial fee (ordinary/agency employee) | $250 |
| Initial fee (specified agency principal category) | $100 |
| Reexamination allowance | Two attempts, each within 30 days of failure notice |
| License term | 2 years; renewal requires 8 approved CE hours |
For a slower walkthrough of any of these points, pair this cheat sheet with the full KS-PD Study Guide 2026 and the detailed KS-PD Requirements breakdown.
The Three Exam Domains, Fast
The Attorney General's examination is built around three organizing bodies of law. Knowing which domain a question is testing helps you eliminate wrong answers quickly, because each domain has its own vocabulary and citation style.
Domain 1: The Private Detective Licensing Act - K.S.A. 75-7b01 et seq.
This is the foundation: definitions of "private detective," licensing categories, application requirements, financial security, and grounds for denial or discipline.
- Who must be licensed vs. exempt
- Application components: photographs, fingerprints, references, bond/insurance
- Attorney General's enforcement and discipline authority
Domain 2: Kansas Administrative Regulations - K.A.R. 16-1-7 through K.A.R. 16-6-3
These regulations fill in procedural detail the statute leaves open - application forms, examination logistics, and recordkeeping standards agencies must follow.
- K.A.R. 16-2-1a: use this current citation, not the retired 16-2-1(a) form
- K.A.R. 16-3-1: examination/interview scheduling authority
- K.A.R. 16-3-3: related procedural requirements around testing
Domain 3: Criminal Carrying of a Weapon - K.S.A. 21-6302
Because private detectives sometimes work armed or near firearms discussions with clients, the exam tests knowledge of unlawful weapon-carrying provisions.
- Use the current K.S.A. 21-6302 reference
- Discard outdated 21-6302(d)(3) subsection numbering from older prep materials
- Understand how carrying restrictions intersect with licensed detective work
For a domain-by-domain study plan with more nuance, see the KS-PD Exam Domains 2026 Guide. If you're still deciding how much time this requires overall, How Hard Is the KS-PD Exam? walks through the difficulty picture in plain terms.
Legal Citations You Must Have Cold
Because the exam is drawn directly from statute and regulation text, precision matters more here than in many other licensing exams. A short list of citations you should be able to recite without hesitation:
- K.S.A. 75-7b20 - establishes the exam, oral interview, and background investigation requirement
- K.A.R. 16-3-1 - gives the Attorney General authority over exam time and location
- K.A.R. 16-2-1a - current form of the regulation; do not confuse with the old 16-2-1(a) numbering
- K.S.A. 21-6302 - criminal carrying of a weapon, current citation (not the obsolete 21-6302(d)(3) reference)
- K.A.R. 16-1-7 and K.A.R. 16-3-3 - supporting administrative regulations referenced in Domain 2
If any practice question you encounter cites an outdated subsection number, treat that as a signal the source material is stale - not a signal that you misremember the law.
Fees, Timeline & Attempt Limits
Money and timing questions trip up otherwise well-prepared candidates because they assume the fee structure is uniform. It isn't - it depends on license category.
| Category | Initial Fee | Renewal Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary independent detective or agency employee | $250 | $175 |
| Specified agency officer, director, partner, or associate | $100 | $100 |
On attempt limits: candidates get two reexaminations, and each must occur within 30 days after notification of the preceding failure. Fail a third time, and the application is denied outright, with a mandatory 12-month wait before reapplying. That timeline pressure is exactly why a single condensed review - like this cheat sheet - matters as much as deep study. For the full cost picture including bonding and insurance, see KS-PD Certification Cost 2026, and for what actually counts as a passing result, check KS-PD Passing Score 2026.
Key Takeaway
Treat your first attempt as the one that counts. With only two reexaminations allowed and a 30-day window for each, cramming between attempts is not a realistic backup plan - build in a full review before test day using the KS-PD Exam Dates 2026 scheduling guide.
Eligibility Requirements Recap
You can't sit for the exam without clearing the base eligibility bar first. Keep this checklist handy while assembling your application packet:
- At least 21 years old
- U.S. citizen
- High-school diploma or equivalent
- Meets character and background requirements verified through investigation
- Submits required photographs and fingerprints
- Provides at least five qualifying nonrelative references who have known the applicant five years or longer
- Reference certificates are notarized and dated within four months of the Attorney General's receipt of the application
- Financial security of at least $100,000 via bond, liability insurance, or cash deposit (subject to the statutory covered-agency-employee exception)
Miss the four-month notarization window on your reference certificates, and you'll need to redo that paperwork - a completely avoidable delay. A more granular walkthrough of each requirement lives at KS-PD Requirements 2026.
Renewal & Continuing Education
Licenses run on a two-year cycle. Renewal isn't automatic - it requires completing eight approved continuing-education hours before the license expires, plus payment of the applicable renewal fee ($175 ordinary, $100 specified agency-principal category). Build a habit of tracking your CE hours from day one of licensure rather than scrambling near the two-year mark.
One-Week Review Schedule
If you've already completed a full study plan and just need a final tune-up, spread your last week like this - organized around the three domains rather than generic review blocks.
Domain 1 Refresh
- Re-read K.S.A. 75-7b01 et seq. definitions and licensing categories
- Drill application components: bond amounts, references, fingerprints
Domain 2 Refresh
- Confirm current citations: K.A.R. 16-2-1a, 16-3-1, 16-3-3, 16-1-7
- Review scheduling and procedural authority language
Domain 3 Refresh
- Confirm current citation K.S.A. 21-6302, not the retired subsection form
- Review how carrying restrictions apply to licensed detective activity
Full Mix & Rest
- Run mixed practice questions across all three domains
- Recheck fee amounts, attempt limits, and application deadlines
This structure works because it isolates citation memorization by domain instead of mixing all three legal sources in one sitting - a common source of confusion given how similarly K.A.R. and K.S.A. numbering can look. For a longer-range version of this plan, revisit the KS-PD Study Guide.
Common Mix-Ups on the Exam
A handful of predictable errors account for a disproportionate share of missed points. Watch for these specifically:
- Old vs. current citations: K.A.R. 16-2-1(a) and K.S.A. 21-6302(d)(3) are obsolete forms. Current answers use K.A.R. 16-2-1a and K.S.A. 21-6302.
- Fee category confusion: The $250/$175 figures apply to ordinary independent detectives and agency employees; the $100 figures apply specifically to the specified agency officer/director/partner/associate category.
- Reexamination timing: The 30-day reexam window starts from notification of failure, not from your original test date.
- Reference certificate dating: The four-month notarization window is measured from the Attorney General's receipt of the application, not from the notarization date itself.
If you want a broader sense of how these details tend to appear across the full exam, cross-reference the KS-PD Pass Rate 2026 discussion and weigh your overall readiness against Is the KS-PD Certification Worth It? before test day.
FAQ
Per K.S.A. 75-7b20, the examination concerns the Private Detective Licensing Act and applicable administrative regulations, organized into three domains: the Licensing Act itself, Kansas Administrative Regulations (K.A.R. 16-1-7 through 16-6-3), and criminal carrying of a weapon under K.S.A. 21-6302.
You're permitted two reexaminations, each of which must occur within 30 days after notification of the preceding failure. A third failure results in denial and a 12-month restriction before you can reapply.
Initial application fees are $250 for an ordinary independent detective or agency employee, and $100 for the specified agency officer, director, partner, or associate individual-license category.
Yes. You need at least five qualifying nonrelative references who have known you for at least five years, and their reference certificates must be notarized and dated within four months of the Attorney General's receipt of your application.
Licenses are valid for two years. Renewal requires completing eight approved continuing-education hours, plus payment of the applicable renewal fee - $175 for the ordinary category or $100 for the specified agency-principal category.