Law / United States / Kansas
Unlawful acts concerning computers (Kansas's computer-crime statute)
A citation is an address, not a summary. The first part names the law; what follows narrows it to the exact section, article or paragraph.
In force.
A computer misuse rule binding public and private bodies.
As of 6 September 2026.
What it requires
- Do not knowingly access, or attempt to access, a Kansas-connected computer, computer system, social networking website, computer network, or computer software, program, documentation, data, or property without authorization; paragraph (a)(5) criminalizes bare unauthorized access or an attempt at it alone, even without any intent to defraud, damage, or exceed authorization.
- Do not knowingly and without authorization disclose a password, code, or other means of access to a computer, computer network, social networking website, or another person's personal electronic content.
- Nothing in this statute's own text exempts ordinary, non-disruptive automated access to a publicly available page from the authorization requirement, and no Kansas case confirms how that access is treated in a scraping context.
If you get it wrong
Criminal exposureYes
Criminal exposure note
A severity level 8 nonperson felony for knowing unauthorized damage, alteration, destruction, copying, disclosure, or taking possession, for the same conduct in excess of authorization, or for a fraud scheme (subsections (a)(1) through (a)(3)), rising to a severity level 5 nonperson felony where the victim's monetary loss exceeds $100,000; a class A nonperson misdemeanor for unauthorized disclosure of access credentials (subsection (a)(4)) or for bare unauthorized access or an attempt at it with no further intent element (subsection (a)(5)).
What this law does
Drafted with AI from the cited sources under the direction of UnGovr staff. UnGovr holds editorial responsibility for this page.
Subsection (a) lists five ways to commit the offense. Paragraphs (1) through (3) require an added element: knowing, unauthorized damage, modification, alteration, destruction, copying, disclosure, or taking possession of a computer, computer system, computer network, or other property (paragraph 1), a fraud scheme (paragraph 2), or the same conduct as paragraph (1) but done in excess of authorization rather than without it (paragraph 3).
Paragraph (4) criminalizes knowingly and without authorization disclosing a password, code, or other means of access to a computer, computer network, social networking website, or personal electronic content.
Paragraph (5) separately criminalizes knowingly and without authorization accessing, or attempting to access, any computer, computer system, social networking website, computer network, or computer software, program, documentation, data, or property, with no further intent element beyond knowledge and lack of authorization, a bare unauthorized-access offense standing on its own.
A violation of paragraphs (1) through (3) is a severity level 8 nonperson felony, rising to a severity level 5 nonperson felony where the victim's monetary loss exceeds $100,000; a violation of paragraph (4) or (5) is a class A nonperson misdemeanor. It is a defense to a paragraph (1) through (3) prosecution that the property or services were appropriated openly and avowedly under a claim of title made in good faith.
When LexLint raises it
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Read the law
official Kansas Statutes Annotated text, Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes