Kansas to Minnesota: general contractor license reciprocity

Minnesota's ban on local contractor licensing is narrower than it first looks. Minn. Stat. 326B.835 stops a city, county or township from licensing a contractor who holds a state residential license, but only for the work that license covers. DLI's own FAQ spells out the rest: cities and counties "can require a local license for Certificate of Exemption holders and specialty contractors, and state licensed contractors performing work outside the scope of the state license (for example: Work on city-owned property, such as curb cut-ins or sidewalks, HVAC installation or maintenance, or commercial work)." A commercial builder should therefore ask the building department in each city it will work in whether a local contractor license or registration applies on top of the state construction contractor registration, and should expect the permit desk to ask for the registration number. Local governments may also add a permit surcharge of up to $5 for license verification.

How local licensing works. Contractor licensing in Kansas is entirely local, but it runs on a statewide examination. K.S.A. 12-1556 designates the standard examinations for general, building and residential contractors; these are published today by the International Code Council as the Kansas contractor series, exam ID 550 for the Standard General Building Contractor, 551 for the Standard Building Contractor and 552 for the Standard Residential Building Contractor. K.S.A. 12-1557 requires a licensing city or county to use that examination and 'shall not be allowed to ask further questions not designated on such examination', to prescribe a 75 percent passing score, and to honor the resulting certificate of competency 'without additional examination' - the certificate, in the statute's words, 'shall be valid proof of competency for licensure... in any county or city of the state which requires licensure of such contractors', and the licenses issued on it 'shall be valid in any other county or city which requires examination and licensure of such contractors.' K.S.A. 12-1558 permits a jurisdiction to use an alternative examination, but then the license works only inside that jurisdiction 'except when authorized by reciprocal agreement between the political subdivisions involved.' The plain consequence for someone arriving from another state: pass the Kansas standard examination once and it travels across Kansas; a license from Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska or anywhere else travels nowhere. No jurisdiction below publishes any credit for an out-of-state contractor license.

Johnson County (Overland Park, Olathe, Lenexa, Leawood, Shawnee and the rest of the county). Johnson County Contractor Licensing issues eleven license types for the whole county, and its application sets out the reach: building permits come from Johnson County Building Codes in the unincorporated county and from the city everywhere else, but 'when a building permit is issued in the company/firm's name, the company/firm must comply with Johnson County Contractor Licensing Regulations (Resolution 076-24) and be subject to the jurisdiction of the Johnson County Contractor Licensing Review Board.' Class A 'entitles the company to construct, remodel, repair, and demolish any structure... regardless of occupancy or height', and Class B covers 'all structures not exceeding three (3) stories in height'; neither entitles the holder to perform HVAC, plumbing, electrical or fire protection work, which need the separate DM, DP, DE and DF or DFA licenses, and there are further specialty classes for roofing, swimming pools and wood framing. Qualification is ICC exam 550 or KGA for Class A and 551 or KGB for Class B at 75 percent or better, or a Bachelor of Science or higher in architecture, relevant engineering, construction science or construction management from an ABET or ACCE accredited program; ICC National exams may also be considered at 75 percent where the outline content mirrors the Kansas exam. The company designates a qualifying individual working at least 30 hours a week, and every qualifying individual needs eight hours of approved continuing education a year for the company to renew. Insurance is $1,000,000 combined single limit per occurrence plus $1,000,000 completed operations, with the county as certificate holder, and workers' compensation with $100,000 employer's liability or a notarized waiver. Fees: $100 application plus $225 per license type, so $325 for one type and $550 for two, renewing at $225 per type with a $75 late fee from February 1. Licenses last one year and new applications must be filed on paper. 111 S. Cherry Street, Suite 1000, Olathe; 913-715-2233 option 1.

Wichita and Sedgwick County. The Metropolitan Area Building and Construction Department licenses contractors for unincorporated Sedgwick County, the City of Wichita and the small cities in its jurisdiction, including Andale, Bentley, Cheney, Clearwater, Colwich, Garden Plain, Goddard, Maize, Mulvane and Valley Center, where the MABCD license must be active but permitting starts with the city (and Valley Center requires its own license as well). MABCD states flatly that it 'does not reciprocate with other jurisdictions.' The unlimited class is Class A and the three-story class is Class B; general contractor licenses run two years and expire December 31 of each even year, with a penalty-free grace period to January 31. The qualified person files 'a copy of Kansas Standard ICC exam' at 75 percent or better, with an ICC test release form if the exam was taken outside Kansas, and must be an owner or full-time employee authorized in writing by the owners to bind the company in contracts. Two-year fees are $1,000 Class A, $600 Class B, $450 Class C Residential and $360 for Class D Residential Maintenance and the specialty classes, plus $50 for a new application; late renewal costs 25 percent extra in February and 50 percent after. Also required: liability insurance of at least $300,000 naming MABCD as certificate holder in the exact company name from an insurer accepted by the State of Kansas, workers' compensation and auto insurance certificates or notarized waivers for each, and a Kansas Certificate of Good Standing unless the applicant is a sole proprietor. Review takes up to two weeks. 271 W. 3rd, Suite 101, Wichita; 316-660-1840, by appointment.

Kansas City, Kansas and Wyandotte County. The Unified Government is the outlier among the large Kansas jurisdictions: it runs no general contractor competency license. 'General contractors and subcontractors are required to obtain a city occupational tax license (Business License) if working within Wyandotte County', handled by Business Licensing on (913) 573-8780, while 'trade masters are required to carry a master's license with Building Inspections', earned on a standard examination delivered through Prometric and approved by the Chief Building Inspector. A commercial builder therefore pays the occupational tax, pulls permits, and relies on separately licensed electrical, mechanical and plumbing masters for the licensed trades. Building Inspection and the License Department share the Neighborhood Resource Center at 4601 State Avenue, Indian Springs Marketplace; Building Inspection (913) 573-8620.

Topeka. Development Services issues every contractor and trade license in the city and requires all trades to be licensed before pulling permits. Class A is the Kansas Standard General Building Contractor with unlimited stories, ICC exam 550; Class B is the Kansas Standard Building Contractor up to three stories, ICC exam 551; Class C is residential only, ICC exam 552. All examinations require 75 percent or better, and results from Prometric, Thomson-Prometric, Experior, NAI-Block and Block are also accepted at that score subject to review. An official transcript for at least 30 hours of coursework from an accredited school in construction science, engineering or architecture is an alternative, provided the degree holder is the qualifying party and works for the company full time. The filing includes the application, the exam or educational certification, a qualifying party verification form, the Renovate Right form, a general liability certificate and a workers' compensation certificate or notarized affidavit naming City of Topeka Development Services, 620 SE Madison Unit 6, as certificate holder; allow up to ten days. Class A, B and C licensees need eight hours of continuing education a year, and every license renews by December 14. Fees are never prorated and no refunds are issued. The city does not publish its general contractor license fee online - call Development Services on 785-368-3905 for the current amount.

Lawrence. A Lawrence contractor license is required before undertaking any work in the city for which a building permit is required. Class A, General Contractor entitles the licensee to perform any permitted work in the city, including the Class D specialties; Class B, Building Contractor covers any structure not exceeding three stories from grade, plus non-structural remodeling, tenant finishes and repairs on all buildings. Class A needs six years of qualifying experience performing Class A work, or a valid Class B license plus ten years as a licensed Class B contractor; Class B needs four years, or a Class C license plus six years as a licensed Class C. Experience must be verified by a licensed contractor, building official, architect or engineer. Competency comes from a certificate of competency issued by a nationally recognized testing institution of the kind contemplated by K.S.A. 12-1556, from a bachelor's degree in engineering, architecture or construction science, or from 'an equivalent Contractor License from another jurisdiction with whom the City has an existing and valid reciprocity agreement' - a route the ordinance allows but for which it names no partner, so confirm with Building Inspections before counting on it. Fees are $75 for each applicant and each qualifying party plus a $75 annual license fee. Liability insurance must be at least $1,000,000 per occurrence including completed operations, from a Kansas-licensed insurer, alongside workers' compensation. The Building Official decides within 30 days, and an applicant whose license was revoked anywhere in the past five years is refused. The license is company-held; a change of name, ownership or qualifying party voids it and a new license must be obtained. Renewal takes eight hours of construction-related continuing education a year per qualifying party, payment of all delinquent city fees, and closing or extending inactive open permits. Class E licenses for mechanical, plumbing, electrical and fireplace work are separate and are not covered by a Class A license. (785) 832-7700.

Everywhere else, and what does travel. Any other Kansas city or county may license builders on its own terms. The credential that actually moves around Kansas is the certificate of competency from the designated standard examination, not a license from another state and not the NASCLA Accredited Examination, which no Kansas agency participates in because Kansas has no state contractor agency. Before bidding, identify the building department with jurisdiction over the site and ask what it licenses. Statewide, register with the Kansas Attorney General before providing roofing services for a fee unless the project qualifies for the exempt general contractor carve-out - which requires, among other things, that roofing be no more than 50 percent of the total project cost and that the contractor not sell door to door - and use properly licensed masters for electrical, plumbing and mechanical work.