Kansas trade license reciprocity

How local licensing works. Kansas issues no personal electrician license. K.S.A. 12-1526 lets any county or city that requires electrician licensure administer the K.S.A. 12-1525 standard exams (ICC, IAPMO, Prometric), with a 75% minimum, uniform fees, two years of field experience under a certified electrician for a journeyman certificate (one year may be trade school of at least 930 program hours), and 12 hours of CE every two years. The resulting certificate of competency is valid in every licensing jurisdiction in Kansas without further examination, subject to each jurisdiction's experience check and fees. K.S.A. 12-1527 allows local alternative exams, but licenses earned on them stop at the jurisdiction line.

Sedgwick County and Wichita (MABCD). The Metropolitan Area Building and Construction Department issues journeyman electrician certificates to applicants with one year of field experience plus one year of electrical trade school, or two years of field experience (documented on company letterhead), who score 75% on ICC exam 558 or KGH Journeyman Electrician (565/KGX for residential only). New certificate $35; two-year term; renewal $35 with six trade-specific and six general CEUs. 'MABCD does not reciprocate with state testing, only those exams listed are approved for Sedgwick County', so an out-of-state journeyman must show one of the listed ICC scores (Block, Experior, Prometric, ICC and IAPMO testing facilities are recognized).

Johnson County (Olathe, Overland Park, Lenexa, Shawnee and other participating cities). Johnson County Contractor Licensing issues company licenses only, including the Class DE Electrical license ($100 application plus $225 per license type), qualified by a Qualifying Individual who passed the ICC Standard Master Electrician exam (554/KGD). There is no county journeyman license.

Kansas City, Kansas (Unified Government of Wyandotte County). Building Inspections licenses trade masters, who must hold a master's license (Prometric testing arranged through the department), and requires a city occupational tax license for contractors and subcontractors; the published pages do not describe a journeyman license, its fees or any reciprocity.

Lawrence. Planning and Development Services certifies journeyman electricians with two years of practical field experience (engineering degree counts 2.5 years, vocational training one year) who pass the K.S.A. standard exam with 75%; exam application $50, license $20, renewal $10, six hours of CE per year. A certificate of competency from another Kansas jurisdiction is the accepted standard for licensure.

Out-of-state holders. No Kansas jurisdiction found publishes a reciprocity agreement with another state. An out-of-state journeyman who has already passed an ICC journeyman exam (Kansas Standard or, where the jurisdiction allows, national) can submit that score with experience documentation; anyone else takes the ICC/Prometric exam through the local sponsoring jurisdiction and then benefits from statewide portability of the certificate.

How local licensing works. Kansas has no state master electrician license. K.S.A. 12-1526(f) requires applicants for a master certificate to have held a valid journeyman certificate for at least two years, and 12-1525 designates the ICC, IAPMO and Prometric master exams (75% minimum). A master certificate of competency earned on a standard exam is accepted for licensure in any other Kansas county or city without re-examination; a license based on a local alternative exam is valid only in that jurisdiction unless a reciprocal agreement exists (12-1527).

Sedgwick County and Wichita (MABCD). Master electrician certificate: current electrical journeyman certificate plus two years of field experience as a certified journeyman, and a 75% score on ICC 554, KGD, F16, G16 or T16 Master Electrician. New certificate $35, two-year term, renewal $35 with six trade and six general CEUs. An electrical contractor license additionally needs a qualified person holding the master certificate, $300,000 general liability insurance naming MABCD, and 12 hours of CE per renewal; trade contractor licenses expire December 31 of odd years. MABCD states it does not reciprocate with other jurisdictions or with state testing.

Johnson County. The county licenses electrical contractors (Class DE, electrical services only) rather than individual masters. The company's Qualifying Individual must show a passing score on the ICC Standard Master Electrician exam (554 or KGD, Pearson VUE); the county accepts equivalent ICC, Prometric, ETS-subsidiary and IAPMO exams and may recognize ICC National exams with a verified score of 75% or higher. Fees: $100 application plus $225 per license type ($325 for one new license), $225 renewal, $75 late fee; eight hours of CE per classification per year for the Qualifying Individual.

Kansas City, Kansas (Unified Government). Code sec. 8-158: no one may work as a master electrician without a Unified Government master electrician's license. Applicants must be 21 and document one year of experience planning, laying out and supervising electrical installations plus three additional years under a licensed electrical contractor or master electrician, at least two of them in commercial or industrial work; an approved post-high-school electrical course earns up to two years' credit. Testing is through Prometric via the Building Inspection division; fees and reciprocity are not published.

Lawrence. Master electrician certification requires four years of practical field experience or two years as a journeyman, verified by notarized employer statements, and a 75% score on the K.S.A. standard exam ($50 exam application); license $20, renewal $10, six hours of CE per year. Certificates of competency from other Kansas jurisdictions are accepted.

Out-of-state masters. No interstate reciprocity is published anywhere in Kansas. A master who already passed an ICC master exam elsewhere should present the score (Sedgwick County lists the national ICC 554/F16/G16/T16 exams; Johnson County will consider ICC National scores of 75%+) with experience documentation; otherwise the ICC or Prometric master exam must be taken through a sponsoring Kansas jurisdiction, after which the certificate is portable statewide.

How local licensing works. The Kansas HVAC licensing act (K.S.A. 12-1540 to 12-1544) does not create a state license or board; it standardizes what counties and cities do if they license. Journeyman and master HVAC mechanics qualify by passing the ICC, IAPMO or Prometric standard mechanical exam with 75% (K.S.A. 12-1541, 12-1542), a journeyman needs two years of field experience (one year creditable from a 930-hour trade-school program) and a master needs a journeyman certificate held two years or four years of field experience. A certificate of competency based on a standard exam must be accepted by every other licensing county or city without additional examination, while a license based on an alternative local exam is valid only where issued (K.S.A. 12-1543). Each jurisdiction still requires its own application, fee and continuing education (12 hours biennially or 6 annually, half code education).

Sedgwick County and Wichita (MABCD). Issues mechanical journeyman certificates ($35) to applicants with one year of field experience plus one year of mechanical trade school, or two years of field experience, who score 75% on ICC K9G/559 Journeyman Mechanical or the IAPMO journeyman exam. MABCD states it 'does not reciprocate with state testing'; only the listed exams are accepted. Renewal requires three trade-specific and three general CEUs.

Johnson County (Olathe, Overland Park, Lenexa, Shawnee and other cities). Licenses only contractors. A Class DM license 'shall entitle the holder thereof to perform only HVAC, mechanical, and refrigeration services' and is qualified by a qualifying individual who has passed the ICC Standard Master Mechanical exam (556/KGL); there is no journeyman license, so an HVAC technician works as an employee of a Class DM contractor. Fees are $100 application plus $225 per license type; general liability insurance and workers' compensation (or a notarized waiver) are required.

Kansas City, Kansas (Unified Government of Wyandotte County). Building Inspections requires trade masters, including mechanical, to carry a master's license and offers Prometric master testing; the page does not publish a journeyman mechanical requirement, experience rules or fees.

Topeka. Development Services licenses mechanical journeymen (comprehensive or sheet metal) and masters under TMC 5.63.080. Applicants show a 75% score on the Standard Air Conditioning Journeyman, Standard Sheet Metal Journeyman or Standard Unlimited Air Conditioning Master exam from Block, NIA-Block, Experior, Thomson-Prometric or Prometric, submit a notarized time-in-trade form and pay a $50 trade board review fee; the initial license is free, renewal is annual (December 14) with six hours of continuing education, three in the trade. The code allows registration of individuals holding a trade license from another jurisdiction whose requirements comply with the section.

Lawrence. Planning and Development Services certifies Journeyman Mechanical (two years of field experience), Residential Mechanical and Sheet Metal licensees; applicants pay $50 to apply for the exam, must score 75%, and then pay $20 for the license; six hours of continuing education a year. A certificate of competency issued under the Kansas statutes is the accepted standard for licensure.

Out-of-state holders. None of these jurisdictions publish reciprocity with another state's journeyman HVAC license. A technician arriving from another state should expect to document experience and either present a qualifying ICC, IAPMO or Prometric mechanical exam score or sit that exam, then apply in each jurisdiction where they will work; Topeka's registration for equivalent out-of-jurisdiction licenses is the only published exception and is applied at the city's discretion.

How local licensing works. K.S.A. 12-1540 defines a master heating, ventilation and air conditioning mechanic as a person qualified to plan, lay out and supervise the installation and repair of mechanical HVAC systems, and K.S.A. 12-1542 lets a county or city issue a master certificate of competency only to someone who has held a journeyman certificate for two years or has four years of field experience and scores 75% on the ICC, IAPMO or Prometric standard master exam (K.S.A. 12-1541). That certificate is valid proof of competency for licensure in any other licensing county or city without retesting; a license based on an alternative local exam is good only in the issuing jurisdiction (K.S.A. 12-1543). Each jurisdiction charges its own fee and requires 12 hours of continuing education biennially or 6 annually. Contracting is licensed separately by each jurisdiction and generally requires a master-level qualifying individual.

Sedgwick County and Wichita (MABCD). Mechanical master certificate ($35): must hold a mechanical journeyman certificate plus two years of field experience as a journeyman, or have four years of field experience, and score 75% on ICC K9L/556 Master Mechanical or the IAPMO master exam. MABCD 'does not reciprocate with state testing'. Contractors are licensed separately by MABCD.

Johnson County. Does not license individuals. The master-level credential is the qualifying individual of a Class DM (HVAC, mechanical and refrigeration) contractor license, who must present a verifiable ICC Standard Master Mechanical (556/KGL) score of 75% or higher; the contractor pays $100 application plus $225 per license type ($225 annual renewal, $75 late) and carries general liability and workers' compensation insurance.

Kansas City, Kansas (Unified Government). Trade masters, including mechanical, must carry a master's license from Building Inspections, obtained through Prometric master testing; experience rules and fees for mechanical are not published on the page.

Topeka. Mechanical masters must meet the K.S.A. 12-1542 requirements and show a 75% score on the Standard Unlimited Air Conditioning Master exam from Block, NIA-Block, Experior, Thomson-Prometric or Prometric, with a notarized time-in-trade form and a $50 trade board review fee; six hours of continuing education a year (three in the trade), licenses expire December 14. TMC 5.63.080 lets the city register holders of trade licenses from other jurisdictions with equivalent requirements. A master must be the designated master for a licensed contractor to pull permits.

Lawrence. Master Mechanical license ($20) after certification: four years of practical field experience or two years as a journeyman (an engineering degree substitutes for 2.5 years and a vocational-technical program for one year), $50 exam application fee, 75% passing score, six hours of continuing education a year; a master may become a mechanical contractor under Chapter V, Article 15.

Out-of-state holders. No Kansas jurisdiction publishes reciprocity for another state's master HVAC license. The practical route is to present or earn a passing ICC, IAPMO or Prometric master mechanical score (Standard Master Mechanical 556/KGL is accepted by Johnson County and MABCD), document the required experience, and apply in each jurisdiction, then obtain the local contractor license if the master will pull permits.

How local licensing works. Kansas has no state plumbing license, board or application. Under K.S.A. 12-1508 to 12-1509 a county or city that licenses plumbers must accept only the ICC, IAPMO or Prometric standard plumbing exams (and may ask no other questions), require a 75% passing score, verify two years of field experience under a licensed journeyman or master (one year of which may be a trade-school program of at least 930 hours), set one uniform exam and license fee for all applicants, and require 12 hours of continuing education biennially or six annually with half in code education. A journeyman certificate of competency issued on a standard exam 'shall be valid proof of competency for licensure, without additional examination, in any county or city of the state', and the receiving jurisdiction must issue its own certificate for its uniform fee (K.S.A. 12-1509(b)-(c)). The Attorney General has opined that a city may not use home-rule power to add licensing requirements beyond the act (AG Op. 1999-42). Medical gas piping additionally requires ASSE Series 6000 certification (K.S.A. 12-1509(g)). Nothing in the act addresses licenses from other states.

Sedgwick County and Wichita (MABCD). Requires every journeyman plumber working in Wichita or unincorporated Sedgwick County to hold an MABCD trade certificate. Plumbing journeyman: one year of field experience plus one year of plumbing trade school, or two years of field experience (documented on company letterhead with a description of the work), and a 75% or better score on ICC K9R Plumbing with Gas, ICC 560 Journeyman Plumber with Gas or the IAPMO journeyman exam; submit Form 19A with the official passing letter, transcripts and experience proof and pay $35. Certificates run two years and renew for $35 with three trade-specific and three general CEUs per year (12 per cycle), with penalty hours if expired. MABCD no longer sponsors exams; candidates test through Pearson VUE (ICC) or IAPMO. Out-of-state treatment: 'MABCD does not reciprocate with state testing, only those exams listed below are approved for Sedgwick County.' An out-of-state journeyman license is not accepted as a substitute; the applicant needs a passing ICC K9R/560 or IAPMO score (many states' ICC national journeyman plumber exams are the same 560 series, but MABCD requires the official letter naming the exam) and documented hours.

Johnson County (Olathe, Overland Park, Lenexa, Shawnee and the other cities in the county program). Johnson County Contractor Licensing issues contractor licenses only; there is no journeyman plumber license. Plumbing work is done by a company holding a Class DP Plumbing Contractor license ($100 application plus $225 per license type, $225 annual renewal, $75 late fee from Feb. 1) whose qualifying individual has passed the ICC Master Plumbing with Gas exam (557/KGF). A journeyman arriving from another state works as an employee of a licensed DP contractor without any personal county license. Applications include the ICC passing certification or approved alternative education, liability and workers' compensation certificates, and can take up to 10 days. V art. 17 'Electrical, Mechanical and Plumbing Trade Licensing'; the Unified Government's Building Inspection trade licensing and Prometric testing program). What ports is (1) a passing score on an ICC, IAPMO or Prometric standard journeyman plumber exam, documented by an official letter, and (2) verifiable field experience of at least two years. With those, the applicant obtains a certificate from the first Kansas jurisdiction they work in and can then be licensed in any other Kansas county or city without retesting under K.S.A. 12-1509(b), paying each jurisdiction's fee and meeting its CE.

How local licensing works. There is no state plumbing board. K.S.A. 12-1508 designates the ICC, IAPMO and Prometric standard exams for 'plumbing contractors and master and journeyman plumbers', and K.S.A. 12-1509 lets a county or city issue a master certificate of competency only after verifying that the applicant has held a valid journeyman certificate for at least two years or has at least four years of field experience, and has scored 75% on the standard master exam. That certificate 'shall be valid proof of competency for licensure, without additional examination, in any county or city of the state which requires licensure of plumbers'; each jurisdiction issues its own certificate for a uniform fee and requires 12 hours of continuing education biennially or six annually, half in code. Contracting (pulling permits and running a plumbing business) is licensed separately by each jurisdiction and generally requires a master-level qualifying individual plus insurance. The act is silent on out-of-state licenses; AG Op. 1999-42 says cities may not add licensure requirements beyond the act.

Sedgwick County and Wichita (MABCD). Plumbing master certificate ($35, Form 19A): must hold a plumbing journeyman certificate plus two years of field experience as a journeyman, or have four years of field experience, and score 75% or better on ICC K9F Master Plumber with Gas, ICC 557 Master Plumber with Gas or the IAPMO master exam, documented by an official passing letter. Certificates are good for two years and renew for $35 with three trade-specific and three general CEUs each year. MABCD 'does not reciprocate with state testing'; approved testing bodies are Block, Experior, Prometric, ICC and IAPMO, and MABCD no longer sponsors its own exams. Plumbing contractors are licensed separately by MABCD Contractor Licensing. Out-of-state treatment: an out-of-state master license is not accepted in lieu of the exam; a qualifying ICC 557-series or IAPMO master score plus documented experience is.

Johnson County. Does not license individuals. The master-level credential is the qualifying individual (QI) of a Class DP Plumbing Contractor license, who must present a verifiable passing score on ICC Master Plumbing with Gas (557/KGF); the county 'may be able to recognize ICC National exams if it can be verified to have a 75% or higher score.' The company pays a $100 application fee plus $225 per license type ($325 for one DP license), renews annually for $225 ($75 late fee from Feb. 1), and files general liability insurance, workers' compensation or a notarized waiver, and a Kansas Certificate of Good Standing if applicable; new applications are filed in person or by mail. A trade contractor's designated master must complete six hours of continuing education a year (three in the trade); licenses renew by December 14, fees are not prorated, and applications include the ICC passing certification or approved alternative education plus insurance and workers' compensation certificates (or a notarized exemption affidavit). V art. The applicant should obtain an official ICC (557/K9F/KGF series) or IAPMO master plumber passing letter (retesting through Pearson VUE or IAPMO if the origin exam was a state-specific test), document two years as a journeyman or four years of field experience, and apply to the first Kansas jurisdiction where they will work; under K.S.A. 12-1509(b) that certificate then supports licensure in every other Kansas county or city without another exam. A contractor license, insurance and, in Johnson County, a company-level Class DP license are separate requirements.

How local licensing works. Every Kansas contractor license is issued by a city or a county, and the license belongs to the company rather than to the person; the company names a qualifying individual or qualifying party who supplies the examination result or degree, and losing that person usually inactivates the license. Two state statutes shape what the jurisdictions may ask. K.S.A. 12-1557 caps the examination at the designated standard test, sets the passing score at 75 percent, and makes the certificate of competency from that test valid for licensure 'without additional examination' in any other Kansas county or city that licenses contractors. K.S.A. 12-1558 lets a jurisdiction use a different examination instead, but a license granted on a non-standard examination does not authorize work outside that jurisdiction 'except when authorized by reciprocal agreement between the political subdivisions involved' - so the only contractor reciprocity Kansas law contemplates is between Kansas cities and counties, never with another state. None of the jurisdictions below gives any credit for a contractor license issued outside Kansas.

Johnson County (Overland Park, Olathe, Lenexa, Leawood, Shawnee and the rest of the county). Johnson County Contractor Licensing, a division of Planning, Housing and Community Development, issues and tracks eleven license types for the whole county. Building permits are issued by Johnson County Building Codes in the unincorporated county and by each city elsewhere, and the county's own application states the rule plainly: '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.' The residential class is Class C, which 'shall entitle the holder thereof to construct, remodel, repair, and demolish single-family or duplex residences and buildings accessory thereto', including framing, roofing, swimming pool construction, non-structural remodeling and repairs, but not HVAC, plumbing, electrical or fire protection work, which need the separate DM, DP, DE and DF or DFA licenses. Qualification is ICC exam 552 or KGC, Standard Residential Building Contractor, 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. The company must designate a qualifying individual who works at least 30 hours a week for it, 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 named as certificate holder and 30 days' notice of any reduction, plus workers' compensation with $100,000 employer's liability or a notarized waiver if there are no employees. A Certificate of Good Standing is needed from the Secretary of State where the company is registered. Fees are a $100 application fee plus $225 per license type, so a single new license is $325; renewal is $225 per type with a $75 late fee from February 1. New applications cannot be filed online. Licenses are valid for one year. 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 it serves, and its position on outside credentials is explicit: 'MABCD does not reciprocate with other jurisdictions.' The residential general class is Class C - Residential, and there is also a Class D Residential Maintenance license; general contractor licenses run two years and expire on December 31 of each even year, with a grace period to January 31. The qualified person must produce 'a copy of Kansas Standard ICC exam' with a score of 75 percent or better, and must file an ICC test release form if the examination was taken outside Kansas. Two-year license fees are $1,000 for Class A, $600 for Class B, $450 for Class C Residential and $360 for Class D Residential Maintenance, roofing, siding, roofing and siding, swimming pool, wrecking, cell tower, fire sprinkler and 'not otherwise classified'; a new application costs an extra $50, and late renewal adds 25 percent in February and 50 percent after that. The filing also needs liability insurance of at least $300,000 naming MABCD as certificate holder in the exact company name, a workers' compensation certificate or a notarized waiver, an auto certificate or a notarized waiver, a Certificate of Good Standing from the Kansas Secretary of State unless the applicant is a sole proprietor, a qualified person declaration page, a company officers signature page and a letter authorizing the qualified person to bind the company in contracts. Roofing applicants must show their Kansas Attorney General roofer registration number. 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 works differently from the rest of the state: it does not run a competency license for builders. 'General contractors and subcontractors are required to obtain a city occupational tax license (Business License) if working within Wyandotte County', which is 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 Prometric or equivalent standard examination and administered through the Neighborhood Resource Center. A remodeler or homebuilder working in Kansas City, Kansas therefore registers and pays the occupational tax rather than qualifying a person, and makes sure the electrical, mechanical and plumbing scope is performed by licensed masters. Building Inspection and the License Department are both at 4601 State Avenue, Indian Springs Marketplace; Building Inspection (913) 573-8620.

Topeka. The Development Services Division 'is responsible for issuing all contractor and trade licenses in the City of Topeka', and 'all trades are required to be licensed and pull permits to work in City of Topeka.' The residential class is Class C, qualified by ICC exam 552, the Kansas Standard Residential Building Contractor examination, at 75 percent or better; Class B uses exam 551 and Class A exam 550. Topeka will also accept results from Prometric, Thomson-Prometric, Experior, NAI-Block and Block at 75 percent or better, subject to review, or an official transcript for at least 30 hours of coursework from an accredited school in construction science, engineering or architecture, in which case the degree holder becomes the qualifying party and must work for the company full time. The application is filed with 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, all naming City of Topeka Development Services, 620 SE Madison Unit 6, as certificate holder; processing takes up to ten days. Class A, B and C holders need eight hours of continuing education a year, licenses renew by December 14 each year, fees are not prorated, a lapse in the insurance certificate costs $30 to reinstate after a 30-day grace period, and an unreported address change costs $10. Roofers must supply their Kansas Attorney General roofer registration certificate number before Topeka will license them. The city does not publish its general contractor license fee online - ask Development Services on 785-368-3905 for the current amount before applying.

Lawrence. Chapter 5, Article 15 of the City Code requires a Lawrence contractor license before anyone may 'undertake or perform any action in the City for which a Building Permit is required.' The residential class is Class C, Residential Contractor, covering any permitted work 'on any detached dwelling or duplex'; Class B covers structures up to three stories and Class A everything. Class C needs two years of qualifying experience performing Class C work, or a valid Class D license plus four years as a licensed Class D contractor, and experience claims must be verified by a licensed contractor, building official, architect or engineer. Competency is shown by a certificate of competency from a nationally recognized testing institution of the kind contemplated by K.S.A. 12-1556, by a bachelor's degree in engineering, architecture or construction science, or 'an equivalent Contractor License from another jurisdiction with whom the City has an existing and valid reciprocity agreement' - the ordinance provides for such agreements but names none, so ask Building Inspections whether one covers your jurisdiction before relying on it. Fees are a $75 application fee for each applicant and each qualifying party plus a $75 annual license fee. Insurance is commercial general liability of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence including completed operations, written by a Kansas-licensed insurer, plus workers' compensation. The Building Official decides within 30 days. The license is company-held, each qualifying party must be a principal or an employee working more than 30 hours a week, and any change of company name, ownership or qualifying party voids the license and requires a new one. Renewal needs eight hours of construction-related continuing education a year for every qualifying party, all delinquent fees paid and all inactive open permits closed or extended. Separate Class E licenses cover mechanical, plumbing, electrical and fireplace work, and those trades also need certified master or journeyman tradespeople. (785) 832-7700.

Everywhere else. Kansas has hundreds of other cities and counties, each free to license builders, to license only the trades, or to require nothing beyond a permit and proof of insurance. Find the building department with jurisdiction over the address and ask before you bid. Two obligations follow you across the whole state whatever the local answer: register with the Kansas Attorney General before providing roofing services for a fee unless you qualify as an exempt general contractor, and hold or employ the right trade credentials for any electrical, plumbing or mechanical work.

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.