Kansas does not issue a single statewide general contractor license, so most contractors are licensed by the city or county where they work, and those local licenses usually require proof of workers compensation. The one statewide construction registration is for roofers, who register with the Kansas Attorney General and must show both liability and workers comp coverage. Whatever your trade, once your payroll passes the state's 20,000 dollar line, workers comp is mandatory regardless of any license.
Who this is for: Kansas contractors and tradespeople sorting out what a license requires versus what the state requires, including general contractors, roofers, electricians, HVAC, and plumbers.
The short version
- Kansas has no statewide general contractor license; you register or license with each city or county.
- Electrical, plumbing, and HVAC trades are generally licensed locally, so check the city or county.
- Roofers register statewide with the Kansas Attorney General and must show liability and workers comp coverage.
- Local contractor licenses commonly require proof of workers comp and general liability.
- Workers comp is required once your payroll passes 20,000 dollars a year, independent of any license.
Licensing is mostly local, with one statewide exception
Unlike states with one statewide contractor board, Kansas leaves most contractor licensing to local government. Cities and counties set the licensing requirements for construction and contracting businesses, and trade licenses for electrical, plumbing, and HVAC work are generally administered locally too, so the rules in Wichita may differ from the next county over. The notable statewide exception is roofing: under the Kansas Roofing Contractor Registration Act, anyone who contracts to install, repair, or replace roofing must register with the Kansas Attorney General.
| Requirement | How Kansas handles it |
|---|---|
| General or building contractor license | No statewide license; register or license with each city or county where you work |
| Electrical, plumbing, and HVAC | Generally licensed locally, so check the city or county |
| Roofing registration | Statewide, with the Kansas Attorney General under the Roofing Contractor Registration Act |
| Workers compensation | Required once your payroll passes 20,000 dollars a year; local licenses commonly require proof |
| General liability | Not a general state mandate, but local licenses and the roofing law require it |
What the roofing registration asks for
The statewide roofing registration has specific insurance requirements. To register with the Attorney General, a roofing contractor must submit a certificate of liability insurance of not less than 500,000 dollars, along with proof of workers comp coverage that is satisfactory under the Workers Compensation Act, or an affidavit of exemption or self-insurance if that is how the business is set up. The same proofs are required when you renew. Some sources quote a higher liability figure as market practice, but the statutory floor is 500,000 dollars, so confirm what your registration and your customers actually require.
Workers comp is the constant
Whatever your trade and wherever you work, one rule does not change: once your payroll passes 20,000 dollars a year, Kansas requires workers comp under the Act, and no local license waiver overrides that. A solo contractor with no employees who only needs a certificate to satisfy a license, a roofing registration, or a general contractor can buy a low-payroll policy, sometimes called a ghost policy, built around the owner. It produces the proof of coverage others ask for and covers the owner's own injuries. When you hire crew whose wages carry you over the line, that policy has to grow to cover them.
A Wichita HVAC example
Illustrative, not a quote. A Wichita HVAC contractor applies for a local contractor license and finds the city wants proof of workers comp and general liability. He has one installer on payroll earning over the line, so comp is mandatory anyway, and the same policy produces the certificate the city needs. When he takes on roofing work as well, he registers statewide with the Attorney General and shows the required 500,000 dollar liability coverage and his comp. We line up the comp and general liability so his paperwork clears the first time. See our workers comp for HVAC contractors page.
Real questions Kansas owners ask
Does Kansas have a statewide contractor license?
Not for general contracting. Kansas licenses most contractors locally, through the city or county where you work, so you may need to register in more than one jurisdiction. Roofing is the main trade with a statewide registration.
What insurance do I need for a Kansas contractor license?
It varies by jurisdiction, but local licenses commonly require proof of workers comp and general liability. Confirm the exact list with the city or county issuing your license before you apply.
How do roofers register in Kansas?
Roofers register statewide with the Kansas Attorney General under the Roofing Contractor Registration Act. Registration requires a certificate of liability insurance and proof of workers comp, or an affidavit of exemption or self-insurance.
How much liability insurance do Kansas roofers need?
The statute sets a floor of a liability certificate of not less than 500,000 dollars for roofing registration. Some sources quote a higher figure as market practice, so confirm what your registration and customers require.
Do I need workers comp to get licensed if I have no employees?
Often you can show you have no employees, or file an affidavit for the roofing registration, instead of a policy. But once your payroll passes 20,000 dollars a year, Kansas requires workers comp whatever the license allowed.
I only need a certificate for a license. What can I buy?
A solo contractor with no employees can buy a low-payroll policy built around the owner, sometimes called a ghost policy. It produces the proof of coverage a license, a roofing registration, or a general contractor asks for.
Does workers comp go away if my license does not require it?
No. A local license waiver never overrides the state law. Once your payroll passes 20,000 dollars a year, Kansas requires workers comp under the Act regardless of what a license form said.
Related Kansas guides
Every Kansas business is set up a little differently. These companion guides answer the same question for other situations, plus the national explainers behind the terms used here.
- Business insurance in Kansas (start here)
- Workers comp: the owner's overview
- I own an LLC: do I need workers comp?
- I'm a sole proprietor: do I need workers comp?
- I own a corporation (C-corp or S-corp): do I need it?
- We're a partnership: do we need workers comp?
- We're a nonprofit: do we need workers comp?
- My workers are 1099: do I still need it?
- Only part-time or seasonal staff: do I need it?
- I only employ family: do I need workers comp?
- Remote or out-of-state staff: do I need coverage?
- What happens if I don't carry workers comp?
- How much does workers comp cost?
- How do I get workers comp (even if turned down)?
- Workers compensation insurance, explained
- What workers comp costs (national guide)
- Hiring your first employee: what changes
- Glossary: ghost policy
- Kansas HVAC workers comp
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Kansas rules and penalty amounts can change, so verify current requirements with the Kansas Department of Labor, Division of Workers Compensation or a licensed advisor before you rely on them. Last updated: July 2026.