STATE LICENSE
NoneSee what applies
There is no Kansas electrical board. K.S.A. 12-1525 designates the ICC, IAPMO, or Prometric examinations in effect on July 1, 2008 as the standard tests for electrical contractors and master, journeyman, and residential electricians, and K.S.A. 12-1526 sets the rules any licensing city or county must follow: no questions beyond the designated exam, a 75% passing score, a uniform fee, and continuing education of 12 hours every two years (or 6 a year), at least half of it code.
The payoff is portability: a certificate of competency from the designated exam, with the required experience, is valid proof of competency in every Kansas jurisdiction that licenses electricians without retesting. Journeyman and residential certificates need two years of documented field experience (up to one year by 930+ hours of trade schooling); master certificates need two years as a journeyman. A locality may use its own exam instead, but that license is valid only locally unless a reciprocal agreement exists (K.S.A. 12-1527).
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
The state sets the exam, score, CE, and portability rules; cities and counties decide whether to license and issue the license, permits, and inspections. Johnson County issues the DE electrical license for its participating cities; MABCD issues an Electrical trade license plus master/journeyman trade certificates for Wichita and Sedgwick County; Lawrence licenses inside city limits. A 1999 Attorney General opinion (1999-42) concluded cities may not use home rule to add licensure requirements beyond the statute.
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every Kansas county on file.
Each row names the issuing authority, cost, timeline, citation, and status behind the requirement — verified against the official source.
Published fees from the issuing authorities, as of October 2026. Local permit fees vary by project and jurisdiction — the basis is stated where a flat number does not exist.
A local alternative exam produces a license valid only in that city or county. The designated ICC/IAPMO/Prometric exam produces a certificate every licensing Kansas jurisdiction must accept as proof of competency.
Every licensing jurisdiction must require 12 hours every two years (or 6 a year), at least half code, and may not limit the number of approved providers.
Wichita/Sedgwick County trade licenses expire December 31 of odd years and renew with 12 approved CE hours, six of them code.
A practical sequence for a new electrical contractor in Kansas. Actual agency processing times are noted in the ledger above.
Each item names the issuing authority, cycle, and citation.
Statutory consequences with their citations — not estimates, not “commonly cited” guesses.
Johnson County cities, MABCD (Wichita/Sedgwick County), and Lawrence condition permits on an active local license of the matching class; penalties are set by each local code, not by state statute.
A lien statement on residential property must be filed within four months after the last labor or materials; commercial claims get five months only if a notice of extension is filed within the first four.
Contractors selling to consumers are suppliers under the Kansas Consumer Protection Act; a court may impose civil penalties for each violation, up to $20,000 for willful violation of a court order.
Inside city limits, the city office listed here issues the permit; the county office serves unincorporated areas. Every office links to its official page.
Every fact in this file was checked against these official sources on October 2026.
Pending verification: Which Johnson County cities require the county contractor license — no official county page lists participating cities (Overland Park's requirement is documented in our Johnson County office record) · MABCD and Lawrence license fee amounts for this class (MABCD's licensing page lists no amounts; a 2024 MABCD application form was seen only as a search excerpt) · Attorney General Opinion 1999-42 is cited from the statute annotations; its full text was not read · Whether any Kansas jurisdiction exempts low-voltage work from electrical licensing (no statewide rule found)
General information, not legal advice. Always confirm requirements, deadlines, and forms with the issuing authority before filing or contracting.
Store licenses, permits, policies, and renewal dates in one place.