STATE LICENSE
NoneSee what applies
No Kansas agency issues a general contractor license. Instead, K.S.A. 12-1556 through 12-1558 tell cities and counties how to license general, building, and residential contractors if they choose to: a locality that uses the state-designated examinations must require a 75% passing score, and a certificate of competency from a designated exam is valid in every other Kansas city or county that licenses contractors, without retesting. A locality may use its own exam instead, but that license is then valid only inside its borders unless a reciprocal agreement exists.
In practice the big markets all license. Johnson County's Contractor Licensing division issues Class A (General), B (Building, up to three stories), and C (Residential) licenses at $225 per type per year plus a $100 application fee; MABCD licenses Classes A–D for Wichita and Sedgwick County with a $300,000 general liability minimum; Lawrence runs its own city license. None of these GC classes covers electrical, plumbing, HVAC, or fire protection work, and roofing on its own needs the Attorney General's roofing registration.
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
Kansas delegates contractor licensing entirely to local government. K.S.A. 12-1557 makes a certificate from a state-designated exam portable among licensing jurisdictions; K.S.A. 12-1558 lets a locality use its own exam (valid only locally absent a reciprocal agreement) and adopt its own codes, inspections, and fees. Johnson County licenses for its participating cities, MABCD covers Wichita and Sedgwick County, and Lawrence licenses inside its city limits.
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.
Kansas leaves contractor licensing to cities and counties. Check the jurisdiction of every job: a Johnson County license does not cover a Wichita permit, and MABCD says it does not reciprocate.
Pass a state-designated exam at 75% and your certificate of competency is valid proof in any other Kansas jurisdiction that licenses contractors (K.S.A. 12-1557(b)) — though each still charges its own license fee.
A GC whose roofing work exceeds 50% of the project cost, or who sells door to door, needs the Attorney General's roofing registration (K.S.A. 50-6,122).
A practical sequence for a new general contracting 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) · K.S.A. 12-1556 still designates 1992-era ICBO / Block and Associates exams for general contractors; how localities reconcile that with the ICC exams they actually require was not confirmed · Lawrence general contractor class scopes, fees, and exam requirements (city guide not retrieved)
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.