Kansas Contractor License: No State License, So Wichita, Johnson County and Kansas City KS Rules Apply
Kansas Contractor License: No State License, So Wichita, Johnson County and Kansas City KS Rules Apply
If you are searching for a kansas contractor license, the first answer is that Kansas does not issue one. There is no statewide general contractor, electrician, plumber or HVAC license. Cities and counties license those trades instead, so the license you need depends on the exact city or county where the work happens. This guide explains how that system works, what Wichita, Johnson County and Kansas City, Kansas require, and what to do about kansas contractor license requirements questions for handyman work. It is informational content, not legal or tax advice.
Why Kansas has no statewide contractor license
Kansas has 105 counties and 624 cities. Every incorporated place is legally a city, with no towns or villages. When you ask the state about a contractor license, the Kansas Business Center directory sends you to the City or County Clerk. Each city or county sets its own rules, and a license from one jurisdiction does not carry over to the next. Licenses are not reciprocal.
Kansas does not issue a general business license either. Registering your company with the Kansas Secretary of State is a filing, not a license. For an LLC, the formation document is Articles of Organization, Domestic (Kansas) Limited Liability Company (Form DL), with an $85 filing fee.
A statewide electrician bill, HB 2588, would have created electrician licensing under the State Fire Marshal. It passed the House in 2026 but died in the Senate. Electricians still answer to local licensing, and you should check with the State Fire Marshal before assuming any statewide electrician rule exists.
What the state does require
The state does not license most contractors, but a few state rules still apply to many businesses.
- Roofing: Roofing is the one trade with a state registration. It is handled by the Kansas Attorney General under K.S.A. 50-6,121 et seq. The fee is set by the Attorney General and capped at $500, and registration renews by June 30. Check with the Attorney General for the current fee amount.
- Business tax registration: Register with the Kansas Department of Revenue for any business taxes that apply to you. The registration is free. Retailers register for sales tax through the same department, and the state sales tax rate is 6.5%. Kansas has no franchise tax on LLCs.
- Agency licenses for specific work: A few activities go through state agencies. The Kansas Department of Agriculture licenses pesticide work, so a lawn or pest service that applies pesticides should confirm its KDA requirements before it starts work.
Wichita and Sedgwick County
In Wichita, contractor licensing runs through the Metropolitan Area Building and Construction Department (MABCD). Licenses run two years, and general licenses expire December 31 of even-numbered years. Based on MABCD Form 7, revised 2024, the class fees are:
| License class | Fee |
|---|---|
| Class A | $1,000 |
| Class B | $600 |
| Class C (residential) | $450 |
| Class D (roofing, siding and most trade licenses) | $360 |
Check with MABCD before you apply, because fees change and the current form is the reference for these figures.
Expect these requirements: $300,000 general liability insurance, workers compensation coverage or a waiver, and 12 hours of continuing education when a qualifier renews. Late renewal triggers penalties of 25% and 50%, so put the renewal date on your calendar well before it arrives.
Johnson County
Johnson County licenses contractors for its cities. The county uses Class A, B and C licenses plus trade classes. Applying costs a $100 application fee plus $225 for each license type, and a license is valid for one year.
Overland Park and Olathe require this license for building permits, so a contractor working in either city needs it before pulling a permit. Confirm with Johnson County which other cities in the county rely on its license, because the answer changes city by city.
Kansas City, Kansas
Start with the name. Kansas City, Kansas is not Kansas City, Missouri. They are different cities in different states. Only Kansas City, Missouri has a city earnings tax, so a business in one should not assume the rules of the other.
Kansas City, Kansas charges a trade occupation tax on contractors. The 2025 fees were:
| Trade | 2025 fee |
|---|---|
| Plumber | $267 |
| Electrician | $330 |
| Residential general contractor | $188 |
| Commercial general contractor | $267 |
These are 2025 figures. Confirm the current year's amounts with the Kansas City, Kansas clerk before you budget.
What about a Kansas handyman license?
Searches for a kansas handyman license usually come from people who want to know whether small repair jobs need a license. In our research we did not find a statewide handyman license. None of the state agencies that license trades covers general handyman work, and Kansas has no statewide general contractor license at all.
Whether a city or county requires a license for small jobs, and where handyman work ends and contracting begins, is set locally. Ask the City or County Clerk for the definition they use, get the answer in writing, and check it against the scope of each job. Electrical, plumbing and HVAC work may carry its own local license even on a small job, so confirm that with the local office before you take it on.
Common mistakes
- Treating a state filing as permission to work. Forming an entity or registering for taxes does not license your trade. Kansas has no statewide license for the core trades.
- Carrying a Wichita license into Johnson County or Kansas City, Kansas. Each jurisdiction issues its own license, and none of them are reciprocal.
- Confusing the two Kansas Cities. Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri are separate cities with separate fee schedules and taxes.
- Assuming a state DBA filing exists. Kansas does not register assumed or trade names at the state level. Check city and county requirements instead, and if you need to protect a name, look at the Secretary of State trademark and service mark registration.
Your steps in order
- Identify the city and county where each job sits. The license follows the job site, not your office.
- Call that City or County Clerk and ask which license your trade and class need, and what insurance and testing they require.
- If you are forming a company, file with the Secretary of State. An LLC files Articles of Organization (Form DL) for $85. A corporation files Articles of Incorporation, Domestic (Kansas) Corporation (Form AI), also for $85.
- Name a resident agent. Kansas calls this role the resident agent. It must be an individual, a business registered in Kansas, or the entity itself, at a Kansas street address where the agent can be regularly present. A PO box is not allowed.
- Calendar the Information Report. It is biennial, not annual, and costs $90 online by April 15. An LLC formed in an even year reports in each succeeding even year. A corporation reports in the odd or even year matching the year it was formed.
- Register with the Kansas Department of Revenue for any taxes that apply, and with the Attorney General if you do roofing work.
- Buy the insurance your city or county requires before you apply. In Wichita that means $300,000 in general liability coverage.
- Confirm each permit and license with the local office before the crew starts work.
Official resources
- Kansas Secretary of State business services: sos.ks.gov/business/business.html
- Kansas Department of Revenue business page: ksrevenue.gov/business.html
- Kansas Department of Revenue sales tax permit: ksrevenue.gov/busregistration.html
- Kansas Small Business Development Center: kansassbdc.net
- SBA Wichita district office: sba.gov/district/wichita
This guide is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Fees, deadlines and rules change, so confirm every figure with the agency or clerk named here before you rely on it. For complex situations, such as working across several cities, forming a new entity, or understanding how a license affects your taxes, talk with a qualified attorney or CPA.