Kansas Business License

If you need information on how to start or grow a business, then the Kansas Small Business Development Center (Kansas SBDC) is a great resource that you can use for advice or guidance. Reviewing your business plan, exploring and developing your business idea, and meeting with a lender are all things you may need to do if you start or grow a business, and the Kansas SBDC will help you with it all. You may also need to use confidential business counseling services or join free online training sessions to help you in your entrepreneurial journey, and the Kansas SBDC website will help you with that as well.

The Kansas SBDC is part of a country-wide network of small business development centers. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), which has a district office in Kansas City, lists resources, news, and upcoming events for small business owners on its website. The SBA also publishes an annual Small Business Resource Guide that is Kansas-Specific. It can be downloaded from the SBA website.

Unlike some states, Kansas doesn't have a general business license that is required by the state. In fact, there are some businesses in Kansas that don't need a license at all, while other businesses need multiple licenses or permits. These mandatory licenses and permits are considered "regulatory." Regulatory licenses and permits may be necessary for businesses regarding the following fields:

1. The environment
2. Health and safety
3. building and construction

That list is not exhaustive, however, because there is a vast number of regulatory licenses and permits that are necessary for a variety of business ventures.

Different state agencies issue different licenses and permits. Check the Common Business licenses / Permits Section of the Kansas.gov website if you need help figuring out which regulatory permits or licenses may be needed for your business. The section of the Kansas.gov website lists dozens of the most common licenses and permits.

Some required licenses are issued locally. These requirements can vary by city or county. For example, Wichita, Kansas, has its own unique business licensing rules. You can learn more information about which licenses or permits are needed in your business's city or county of operation by checking the city's or county's websites. Under state or federal law, some businesses are exempt from local licensing requirements.

Along with obtaining required licenses or permits, some legal forms of business such as limited liability companies (LLCs) and corporations are required to also file records with the state. Corporations, LLCs, and some other types of businesses must file organizational documents with the Kansas Secretary of State (SOS). You can learn more details about this by visiting the Kansas Business Center website. The SOS sponsors the Kansas Business Center.

In Kansas, members of many professions or occupations need to be licensed by the State. The Common Business Licenses / Permits section of the Kansas.gov website keeps a list of some of these professions and occupations. You can learn more information about these professions or occupations by finding them on the list and clicking them. In most cases, you will then be taken to a webpage for the relevant state regulatory board. That webpage will include the necessary information about licensing requirements. Some occupations, like physician or attorney, aren't included listed. If your profession or occupation isn't on the list, search on the Internet to find the state licensing information you need.

Many business owners don't operate their businesses under their names. Instead, they give their business a separate name. Some businesses, such as corporations and LLCs, may have multiple names. This may be because they were originally registered with the state under one name then later operated under a second name. Depending on where your business is located and how your business is structured, the second business name may be called an assumed name, a trade name, or a fictitious name. This second name may also be called a DBA which stands for "doing business as". Kansas doesn't provide a way to register assumed business names. It also doesn't have any statutes that require or permit registering assumed names.

Trademarks, trade names, and service marks have their own legal definitions. Trademarks, trade names, and service marks are all used to uniquely identify goods (products), services, or businesses. They distinguish products, services, or businesses from their competitors. Service marks and trademarks can be registered with the state; this is separate from federal registration. To learn more information about the similarities and differences between trademarks, trade names, and service marks, go to the Trademark/Service Mark section of the Secretary of State website.