Johnson County Kansas Contractor License: Who Needs It, Which Cities Accept It and How to Apply

If you plan to do building, electrical, plumbing, roofing or other trade work in Johnson County, you will hear about the Johnson County Kansas contractor license early. This guide explains who needs it, how the cities use it, what the county requires and what it costs. It reflects public agency information verified on October 23, 2026. For the county's final word on any application, contact Johnson County Contractor Licensing directly.

Informational only. This guide is not legal or tax advice. Licensing rules, fees and city requirements change. Confirm anything that affects a bid, a permit or a filing with the agency named, and talk with a licensed attorney or CPA about your entity, insurance and tax questions.

Kansas has no statewide contractor license

Kansas does not license general contractors, electricians, plumbers or HVAC technicians at the state level. Those licenses come from cities and counties. Kansas has 105 counties and 624 cities, and every incorporated place is legally a city, so there are no towns or villages to sort out. Each city or county sets its own rules, which is why the same job can need different paperwork on opposite sides of a city line.

Kansas also has no general statewide business license. Filing your company with the Kansas Secretary of State creates or maintains your legal entity, but that filing is not a license. Registering with the Kansas Department of Revenue for the taxes that apply to you is free. Other trades are licensed agency by agency, so for most Johnson County contractors the county license is the one that matters.

Who needs a Johnson County contractor license

Johnson County Contractor Licensing is a division of Planning, Housing and Community Development, located at 111 S Cherry St, Suite 1000, Olathe, Kansas. It issues 11 license types that are shared across the county's cities. Each city decides whether it requires the county license, and three of them currently require it for building permits: Lenexa, Overland Park and Olathe. If your work is in one of those cities, plan on holding the license before you pull a permit.

Do not assume the rule covers every job in every city. Some cities make exceptions for smaller work, and residential fences are a common example. Ask the city building department about the specific permit you need, not just the county.

The 11 license types

Code	License type
A	General
B	Building (up to three stories)
C	Residential
DE	Electrical
DF	Fire protection
DFA	Fire alarm
DM	Mechanical
DP	Plumbing
DR	Roofing
DS	Swimming pool
DW	Wood framing

Each code is a separate license with its own fee, so apply only for the types your work requires. Roofing needs extra attention. Roofers must also register with the Kansas Attorney General, and the county also issues a roofing type (DR). Roofers should confirm both requirements before bidding.

Which cities accept it, and where to check

The county's license types are shared across its cities, but acceptance is a city decision. In practical terms:

• Lenexa, Overland Park and Olathe: the county license is required for building permits.
• Other Johnson County cities: ask the city clerk or building department whether the county license satisfies its permit and business rules.
• Unincorporated areas: confirm with the county whether the license applies to your job location.

The county has no general business license. If a city requires a business license from you, that comes from the city, so ask the city clerk. Do not expect the county license to cover it.

Watch the state line. Kansas City, Kansas is a separate city in Wyandotte County. Kansas City, Missouri is in another state with its own licensing rules, and a Johnson County license does not carry over to Missouri work. Kansas City, Missouri is also the only one of these cities with a city earnings tax, which matters if you have employees who work on both sides of the line.

Johnson County has 636,906 residents, about 21 percent of Kansas's 2,970,606 people. Seven of the state's 20 largest places are in the county, according to Census figures.

What the county license does not cover

The Johnson County license is a trade license. It is not a business license, a sales tax permit or an entity filing. Those are separate steps, and some cities require their own. Kansas also has no state-level DBA filing, so if you operate under a trade name, check city and county requirements for that name.

Requirements to get licensed

• A qualifying individual. Each license type needs a qualifying individual who holds the education or passes the exam for that type. The qualifier's credentials must match the license you are applying for.
• General liability insurance. Provide proof of coverage on the county's ACORD form.
• Workers compensation or a notarized waiver. Provide workers compensation coverage or a notarized waiver. Confirm with the county which option fits your business.
• Secretary of State good standing certificate, if applicable. If your business is an LLC or corporation, the county may require a certificate showing good standing with the Kansas Secretary of State. Check your status first with the Secretary of State business search.

Entity basics for LLCs and corporations

To form an LLC, file Articles of Organization, Domestic (Kansas) Limited Liability Company (Form DL), for $85. To form a corporation, file Articles of Incorporation, Domestic (Kansas) Corporation (Form AI), also for $85. Both entity types file a biennial Information Report, not an annual one. The report costs $90 and is due every two years by April 15. An LLC formed in an even year reports in each succeeding even year, and one formed in an odd year reports in odd years. A corporation reports in the odd or even year matching its formation year.

Kansas calls the registered agent a resident agent. The resident agent must be an individual, a business registered in Kansas, or the entity itself. The registered office must be a Kansas street address where the agent can be regularly present, and it cannot be a PO box. Update the resident agent or registered office whenever the name or address changes. Kansas has no LLC franchise tax, and an LLC is a pass-through entity for state income tax.

Fees

A new license costs a $100 application fee plus $225 for each license type. Here is what that looks like for common combinations:

Scenario	New license cost
One type (for example, Class C only)	$325 ($100 plus $225)
Two types (for example, C and DP)	$550 ($100 plus $450)
Three types (for example, C, DP and DM)	$775 ($100 plus $675)

Licenses are valid for one year. Renewal costs $225 per type, and a late fee of $75 per type applies starting February 1. Confirm the exact renewal due date with the county when you apply, because this guide does not state a verified renewal deadline beyond the February 1 late-fee date.

How to apply

1. Confirm the city rule. Find out whether the city where your job sits requires the county license for the permit you need.
2. Choose your license types. Select only the codes your work requires, since each one carries its own fee.
3. Line up your qualifying individual. Confirm that the person's education or exam matches each type you are applying for.
4. Gather insurance paperwork. Include your general liability proof on the ACORD form and either workers compensation proof or a notarized waiver.
5. Get your Secretary of State good standing certificate, if applicable. Do this for LLCs and corporations when it applies to your entity.
6. Submit in person or by mail. New applications are not taken online. Submit the completed application, paperwork and fee to Johnson County Contractor Licensing, 111 S Cherry St, Suite 1000, Olathe, Kansas, or call 913-715-2233 before you go.
7. Pull your city permits. Once licensed, apply for permits in the cities that require the county license.

This guide does not have a verified processing time for new county licenses. Ask the division when you call, and plan your bids around that answer rather than a guess.

Renewal and staying compliant

Renew each year at $225 per license type, before the February 1 late-fee date. Keep your general liability proof and workers compensation or waiver current, since the county needs them on file for each license. Keep your Kansas entity record accurate too, including your resident agent and registered office, because the Secretary of State requires updates when the name or address changes.

Other Kansas registrations contractors often need

• Kansas Department of Revenue: business tax registration is free at ksrevenue.gov/business.html. Sales tax permits are handled through the business registration page. The state sales tax rate is 6.5 percent.
• Kansas Secretary of State: entity filings, good standing checks and the business search are at sos.ks.gov/business/business.html.
• Kansas Small Business Development Center: for business planning help, visit kansassbdc.net.

When to get professional help

Talk with an attorney before you sign subcontracts, take on liability-heavy work, or form a new entity to hold your license. Talk with a CPA about payroll, sales tax and Kansas income tax, especially if you have employees, work across the Missouri line or your business is taxed as a corporation. The county license process itself is straightforward, but the entity, insurance and tax decisions behind it deserve a professional review for your situation.

This guide is informational only and is not legal or tax advice. For the current application and fee schedule, contact Johnson County Contractor Licensing at 913-715-2233.