Kansas Contractor License Bond
What it is & who requires it
Contractors working in Kansas cities that license them. The first thing to establish is which kind of jurisdiction you are in, because Kansas divides sharply and the division does not follow city size in the way you would expect. There is no state contractor license and no state license bond, so everything is local. In much of the state — Arkansas City, Winfield, Emporia, Goodland, McPherson, and Kansas City, Kansas — a city license carries a bond, and in the smaller cities one bond commonly covers every trade class the city recognizes at a single sum. But the two largest credential systems in Kansas require insurance and no bond at all: Johnson County runs a single county-wide program covering the Kansas City suburbs with eleven license classes, and Topeka licenses sixteen classes of its own. A contractor moving between the two halves of the state should expect the paperwork to change shape, not just the number. Where a county program exists, the cities inside it generally do not issue their own contractor licenses, so the credential and the bond question are both answered at the county.
Obligee: Kansas cities and counties that license contractors. Citation: Municipal and county codes; no state contractor licensing act. Examples: Arkansas City ch. 14; Winfield § 18-38; Emporia App. E § 31; Goodland § 4-327; McPherson § 18-516; Unified Government §§ 8-157, 8-319, 8-382. Contrast: Johnson County Code ch. 18 (11 license classes, no bond); Topeka Municipal Code ch. 5.63 (16 license classes, § 5.63.020 Insurance).
Bond amount
Set by the obligee — the exact amount is confirmed automatically when you start your bond in our portal, or call 317-942-0549.
How to get it
This bond is individually underwritten, so it is not issued instantly. Request a quote and a licensed producer follows up to walk you through it.
Request a bond quote
Tell us about the bond and the project. A licensed producer follows up — these bonds are individually underwritten, so they are not issued instantly.
Term & renewal
Term: Set locally — most Kansas cities that bond contractors require the bond kept in force for as long as the contractor works in the city, rather than posted per job.
Renewal: With the local license, which in Kansas is commonly annual and occasionally biennial.
Filing
Filed with the licensing city or county. No figure appears here because Kansas has no statewide requirement to state — the sums found in the municipal codes range widely and, more importantly, several of the largest licensing bodies impose no bond at all. Two practical points carry across the state. First, insurance is almost always required in addition to any bond rather than instead of it, so a certificate does not discharge a bonding requirement in the cities that bond. Second, read the imposing section rather than the license checklist: Kansas codes are inconsistent about whether a stated number is a penal sum or a minimum, and the same city can do both — Goodland fixes its electrical contractor bond at a principal sum while writing its plumbing and sign bonds as not-less-than minimums. Separately from any license, a contractor who is not a Kansas resident may owe the state a tax bond under the Nonresident Contractors Act before starting a contract.
Source
This bond requirement is corroborated by multiple public sources; Kansas cities and counties that license contractors sets the exact amount, which we confirm when you start your bond.
Related Kansas bonds
Frequently asked questions
- Who requires the Kansas Contractor License Bond?
- It’s required by Kansas cities and counties that license contractors (Municipal and county codes; no state contractor licensing act. Examples: Arkansas City ch. 14; Winfield § 18-38; Emporia App. E § 31; Goodland § 4-327; McPherson § 18-516; Unified Government §§ 8-157, 8-319, 8-382. Contrast: Johnson County Code ch. 18 (11 license classes, no bond); Topeka Municipal Code ch. 5.63 (16 license classes, § 5.63.020 Insurance)). Contractors working in Kansas cities that license them. The first thing to establish is which kind of jurisdiction you are in, because Kansas divides sharply and the division does not follow city size in the way you would expect. There is no state contractor license and no state license bond, so everything is local. In much of the state — Arkansas City, Winfield, Emporia, Goodland, McPherson, and Kansas City, Kansas — a city license carries a bond, and in the smaller cities one bond commonly covers every trade class the city recognizes at a single sum. But the two largest credential systems in Kansas require insurance and no bond at all: Johnson County runs a single county-wide program covering the Kansas City suburbs with eleven license classes, and Topeka licenses sixteen classes of its own. A contractor moving between the two halves of the state should expect the paperwork to change shape, not just the number. Where a county program exists, the cities inside it generally do not issue their own contractor licenses, so the credential and the bond question are both answered at the county.
- How much is the Kansas Contractor License Bond?
- Set by the obligee — the exact amount is confirmed automatically when you start your bond in our portal, or call 317-942-0549.
- How do I get the Kansas Contractor License Bond?
- This bond is individually underwritten, so it is not issued instantly. Request a quote and a licensed producer follows up to walk you through it.
- What is the term?
- Set locally — most Kansas cities that bond contractors require the bond kept in force for as long as the contractor works in the city, rather than posted per job. Renewal: With the local license, which in Kansas is commonly annual and occasionally biennial.
- Is this bond insurance for me?
- No. It protects the obligee and the public — not you. If a valid claim is paid, you repay the surety.
- How is this requirement verified?
- This bond requirement is corroborated by multiple public sources. The obligee sets the exact amount, which we confirm automatically when you start your bond in the portal or with a producer.
