The patch is described as follows:
The east is represented by a rising sun, in the right-hand corner of the seal; to the left of it, commerce is represented by a river and a steamboat; in the foreground, agriculture is represented as the basis of the future prosperity of the state, by a settler's cabin and a man plowing with a pair of horses; beyond this is a train of oxwagons, going west; in the background is seen a herd of buffalo, retreating, pursued by two Indians, on horseback; around the top is the motto, "Ad astra per aspera" which means "To the stars through difficulties", and beneath a cluster of thirty-four stars.

The Story of The Kansas Highway Patrol:
"The Kansas Highway Patrol is basically a traffic enforcement organization.  It really had its beginning in 1933 as a force of ten motor vehicle inspectors.  In 1937, it was reorganized into a Highway Patrol.  Duties and responsibilities today remain much as they were originally defined in 1937, but the Patrol has of course grown in size and with the times and now uses the latest modern equipment and techniques in its enforcement programs.  The Patrol motto of "Service-Courtesy-Protection" still signifies its manner of operation."