Kansas has no statewide electrician license. Cities and counties license electricians under K.S.A. 12-1525 to 12-1528. Here is how Wichita, Johnson County and Topeka run it, the ICC exams, the fees and the master rule for companies.
Kansas does not issue a statewide electrician license. Cities and counties license electricians under a short state law, K.S.A. 12-1525 and the sections that follow it, which names the standard exams and sets the 75 percent passing score, the experience floor and the continuing education floor for every local office that licenses electricians. You apply where you work: the MABCD for Wichita and Sedgwick County, Johnson County Contractor Licensing for Olathe, Overland Park and the other participating Johnson County cities, Development Services in Topeka, and so on.
For the business side of Kansas licensing, start with our Kansas contractor license guide, and for every other state see how to get a contractor license in each state.
At a glance No statewide license: cities and counties license electricians under K.S.A. 12-1525 to 12-1528. Journeyman: two years of field experience; up to one year can be trade school of at least 930 program hours. Master: a journeyman certificate held for at least two years. Exams: ICC, IAPMO or Prometric standard exams; 75 percent or better; ICC Kansas exams are $115 at Pearson VUE. Continuing education: at least 12 hours every two years, six of them code education.
Kansas Has No Statewide Electrician License
Kansas has no state electrical board. Instead, K.S.A. 12-1525 names the standard exams, and K.S.A. 12-1526 tells any county or city that chooses to license electricians how it must do it. A town that does not license electricians is not required to, so the rules you face depend on the permit office where the job sits.
The state law sets the floor that every licensing office shares. Each office must adopt rules for grading, require a minimum score of 75 percent, charge a uniform exam fee, and require at least 12 hours of continuing education every two years (or six hours a year), with at least six of those hours in code education.
The statute also sets experience. Under K.S.A. 12-1526(e), before issuing a journeyman or residential certificate, the office must verify documented proof of at least two years of field experience, meaning work under the direct supervision of a journeyman, residential or master certificate holder, or trade related schooling. The subsection reads: "No more than one year of the requirement may be satisfied by trade related schooling. Schooling shall consist of a minimum of 930 program hours documented by a certificate of completion."
Under K.S.A. 12-1526(f), a master certificate requires documented proof of a valid journeyman certificate held for at least two years.
A statewide license came close in 2026. HB 2588 would have created statewide electrician licensing by the State Fire Marshal and repealed K.S.A. 12-1525 and 12-1526. It passed the House 113 to 9 on February 19, 2026, cleared the Senate Commerce Committee, and then died on Senate General Orders; the Legislature's bill page lists its status as died. Local licensing under K.S.A. 12-1525 to 12-1528 remains the law.
| Statute | What it does |
|---|---|
| K.S.A. 12-1525 | Names ICC, IAPMO and Prometric as the standard exams |
| K.S.A. 12-1526 | 75% score, CE, experience, portable certificates |
| K.S.A. 12-1527 | Lets a city or county use other exams, valid locally |
| K.S.A. 12-1528 | No engineering practice without an engineering license |
How a Certificate Travels Between Kansas Cities
K.S.A. 12-1526(b) sets two conditions. A certificate of competency is valid proof of competency for licensure, without additional examination, in any Kansas county or city that licenses electricians only when the holder both passed an exam designated by K.S.A. 12-1525 and completed the experience required by subsections (e) and (f). The new county or city must issue its certificate to an applicant who presents that certificate of competency and shows the experience was met, and it charges its own uniform fee.
Under K.S.A. 12-1526(c), every new license issued on a designated exam must carry a notation naming the testing agency and the specific test, and a license renewed on completed continuing education must carry a notation verifying that completion; those licenses are valid in any other county or city that requires examination and licensure of electricians. Under K.S.A. 12-1526(d), a person certified or licensed before July 1, 1989, on a standard exam with a local passing score of at least 70 percent is not required to retest to renew.
Local offices still apply their own lists. MABCD states that it does not reciprocate with other jurisdictions and approves only the exams on its own list, so bring the official passing letter for a listed exam.
The exception is in K.S.A. 12-1527. A city or county may test with other exams, but a license earned that way is good only inside that jurisdiction unless the offices involved sign a reciprocal agreement. If you plan to work in more than one Kansas market, test on a standard exam.
Who Issues Electrical Licenses in the Largest Kansas Markets
The four offices below cover Wichita and Sedgwick County, the Johnson County cities, Topeka and Kansas City, Kansas. Each one publishes its own forms, fees and terms.
| Market | Licensing office | Individual license | Company license |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wichita, Sedgwick County | MABCD | Journeyman, master | Electrical trade contractor |
| Johnson County suburbs | Johnson County Contractor Licensing | QI must pass KGD | Class DE Electrical Contractor |
| Topeka | Development Services Division | Apprentice, journeyman, master | Trade contractor |
| Kansas City, Kansas | Unified Government Building Inspection | Trade master license | Ask Building Inspection |
Market notes
- MABCD requires trade certificates to work in Sedgwick County and the City of Wichita, and it licenses contractors for the small cities in its jurisdiction too. See the MABCD trade certificate page.
- Johnson County licenses contractors for 16 participating jurisdictions: De Soto, Edgerton, Fairway, Gardner, Leawood, Lenexa, Merriam, Mission, Mission Hills, Olathe, Overland Park, Prairie Village, Roeland Park, Shawnee, Spring Hill and unincorporated Johnson County. See the Johnson County application instructions.
- Topeka Development Services issues all contractor and trade licenses in the city. See Topeka contractor information.
- Kansas City, Kansas requires trade masters to carry a master's license with Building Inspections. See the Unified Government trade licensing page.
- Everywhere else (Manhattan, Lawrence, Louisburg and smaller towns): call the city's building or permit office before you bid. Kansas law lets each one decide whether to license electricians at all.
Wichita and Sedgwick County: The MABCD Ladder
The Metropolitan Area Building and Construction Department (MABCD) requires journeyman and master electricians, plumbers and mechanical tradespeople to hold a trade certificate to work in Sedgwick County and the City of Wichita. Its ladder shows how a Kansas office applies the state law.
Journeyman electrician (MABCD). You need one year of field experience plus one year of electrical trade school, or two years of field experience documented in hours on company letterhead with a detailed description of the work. You also need a score of 75 percent or better on an approved ICC exam: 558 Journeyman Electrician or KGH Journeyman Electrician, or 565 or KGX Residential Electrician for residential only work.
Master electrician (MABCD). You need the electrical journeyman certificate, two years of field experience as a certified journeyman, and 75 percent or better on an approved ICC master exam: 554, KGD, F16, G16 or T16 Master Electrician.
What to bring. MABCD asks for a copy of your test results, your trade school transcripts if you used school hours, proof of field experience on company letterhead, the completed Trade Certificate application and the $35 fee. It requires official letters of passing that show the specific exam.
Testing. MABCD no longer sponsors its own exams, and all exams must come from its approved list. Its approved testing facilities are Block, Experior, Prometric, ICC (through Pearson VUE) and IAPMO. Certificates are good for two years.
Johnson County: Electrical Contractor License and the Qualifying Individual
Johnson County's program licenses companies. An electrical company working in the participating cities needs a Class DE Electrical Contractor license, which entitles the holder to perform only electric services.
The license rests on a Qualifying Individual (QI). For Class DE, the QI proves qualification with the ICC Kansas Standard Master Electrician exam (Exam ID KGD) at 75 percent or better; the county may also consider an ICC national exam if the score and the content outline can be verified. Johnson County's application requires the company to have at least one full-time employee, working at least 30 hours a week on the licensed work, designated as the QI.
The QI must complete at least eight hours of approved continuing education per license type each year for the company to renew. If the company fails to keep a QI, the license is inactivated and permits are not issued. Each QI signs a notarized agreement acknowledging that the company's license rests on their credentials.
Johnson County also requires general liability coverage of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and, when the company has employees, workers' compensation with $100,000 employer's liability; a company without employees files a notarized waiver. Licenses are valid for one year, and new applications go in person or by mail to the office in Olathe.
Topeka and Kansas City, Kansas
Topeka. Development Services licenses apprentices, journeymen and masters, and all trades must be licensed to pull permits in the city. Journeyman and master applicants show a 75 percent passing score and a notarized time in trade form. Apprentices must be licensed and work under a journeyman or master at an electrical ratio of one to one.
Topeka licenses renew each year by December 14 to avoid late fees. A trade contractor's designated master or journeyman needs six hours of continuing education a year, three of them in the trade, and processing can take up to 10 days.
Kansas City, Kansas. The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas requires trade masters to carry a master's license with its Building Inspection division. Ask that office for the current application before you bid.
The Kansas Electrical Exams
MABCD and Johnson County rely on the ICC Kansas Standard exams, delivered by Pearson VUE. Topeka lists Block, Experior and Prometric exams and accepts an ICC exam with a notarized time in trade form, and Kansas City, Kansas posts an application for Prometric master testing. The ICC Kansas candidate bulletin, published August 20, 2026, lists two series: the K series, written to the 2017 National Electrical Code, and the older numbered series, written to the 2014 code. Each electrical exam is open book.
| Exam | Questions | Time limit | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| KGH Journeyman Electrician | 80 | 4 hours | $115 |
| 558 Journeyman Electrician | 80 | 4 hours | $115 |
| KGD Master Electrician | 100 | 5 hours | $115 |
| 554 Master Electrician | 100 | 5 hours | $115 |
| KGX Residential Electrician | 60 | 3 hours | $115 |
| 565 Residential Electrician | 60 | 3 hours | $115 |
Exam notes
- Which series to take. Check your office's list first. MABCD accepts 558, KGH, 565 and KGX for journeyman and residential work and 554, KGD, F16, G16 and T16 for master; Johnson County names KGD for Class DE.
Fees and Renewal Terms by Office
Local certificate fees are modest; the $115 exam fee is more than any individual certificate fee below. The table lists what each office publishes today. The ICC exam fee is paid to Pearson VUE, separate from these.
| Credential | Office | Fee | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Journeyman or master certificate | MABCD | $35 | Two years |
| Master license | Topeka | $103 | Renews by Dec. 14 yearly |
| Journeyman license | Topeka | $53 | Renews by Dec. 14 yearly |
| Apprentice license | Topeka | $33 | Renews by Dec. 14 yearly |
| Class DE new license | Johnson County | $100 application + $225 | One year |
| Class DE renewal | Johnson County | $225 ($75 late from Feb. 1) | One year |
Fee notes
- MABCD charges the same $35 at renewal; its electrical trade contractor licenses expire December 31 of every odd year. Source: MABCD contractor licensing.
- Topeka fees come from its master, journeyman and apprentice application; the city issues no refunds and does not prorate. Its contractor page adds that the first license issued after a city sponsored Prometric exam is at no charge, with renewal fees due each December 14.
- Johnson County charges $225 for each license type a company holds. Source: Johnson County license types and fees.
Continuing Education and Late Renewals
State law sets the continuing education floor: at least 12 hours every two years or six hours a year, with at least six hours every two years (or three a year) in code education.
MABCD applies that rule directly. Every journeyman and master completes three trade specific CEUs and three general CEUs each year, 12 CEUs per two year certificate, and the hours must be finished by the expiration date with no exceptions. MABCD does not receive completion certificates from providers, so you bring the originals when you renew.
If an MABCD certificate lapses, extra hours are added on top of the 12:
| Renewed after expiration | Added CE hours |
|---|---|
| January 1 to March 31 | None (grace period) |
| April 1 to June 30 | 1.5 hours |
| July 1 to August 31 | 3 hours |
| September 1 to December 31 | 4.5 hours |
| After December 31 | See the MABCD section chief |
If your certificate lapsed more than a year ago, call MABCD before you schedule classes; anything after December 31 is decided by staff.
The Licensing Steps in Order
- Pick the office. Find the city or county that licenses electrical work where you will work.
- Log two years of field experience. Work under the direct supervision of a journeyman, residential or master electrician, or count up to one year of trade school of at least 930 program hours. Document hours on company letterhead.
- Pass the journeyman or residential exam. Register for a standard exam your office accepts (ICC Kansas exams through Pearson VUE at MABCD and Johnson County) and score 75 percent or better.
- Apply for the journeyman certificate. Submit the application, passing letter, experience proof and the local fee.
- Hold the journeyman certificate for two years. Keep your continuing education current.
- Pass the master exam. KGD or 554 are the common choices; confirm your office's list.
- License the company. File the electrical contractor or trade contractor application with insurance certificates, Secretary of State good standing and the master or QI named on it.
- Renew on time. Complete CE before expiration and renew on the office's calendar.
From Master Electrician to Electrical Contractor
A journeyman or master certificate proves that a person is qualified. Running an electrical contracting business is a separate license, and each of the three programs above ties that license to a named credential holder. Our national electrical contractor licensing guide covers the business side in depth, and the journeyman vs. master electrician breakdown explains which credential offices accept.
MABCD. A new trade contractor license needs the master's trade certificate and test results, a Qualified Person Declaration Page, and a letter from an officer or the partners stating that the qualified person may "bind the company in contracts." It also needs at least $300,000 in general liability naming MABCD as certificate holder, workers' compensation and auto certificates (or notarized waivers), and Secretary of State good standing.
Johnson County. The Class DE license needs a Qualifying Individual who passed the KGD master exam and works for the company full time, at least 30 hours a week. Topeka. The trade contractor packet includes a Master Verification Form.
This is where a qualifying agent comes in. A qualifying agent is a licensed master electrician who joins the company as a full-time W-2 employee, supervises its electrical work, and qualifies the company as the qualified person or QI of record. The Licensing Company, led by founders Marshall Schofield and Jeremiah Jaskulski, has built its practice around placing that kind of genuine, full-time credential holder. Learn what a qualifying agent is, or go straight to hiring a qualifying agent if your Kansas company needs a master electrician on staff.
Building out other trades too? See the Kansas general contractor license guide, the Kansas plumbing license guide and the Kansas HVAC license guide, or every state we cover.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Kansas have a statewide electrician license? No. Kansas cities and counties license electricians under K.S.A. 12-1525 to 12-1528, which set the standard exams, the 75 percent score, the experience rules and the continuing education. A 2026 bill to create a statewide license, HB 2588, died in the Legislature.
Where do I get an electrician license in Kansas? From the office where you will work: the MABCD in Wichita and Sedgwick County, Johnson County Contractor Licensing in Olathe, Overland Park and the other participating cities, and Development Services in Topeka. In a smaller town, call the city's permit office.
How do I become a master electrician in Kansas? Earn a journeyman certificate with two years of field experience and a standard exam, hold it for at least two years, then pass a master exam such as KGD or 554 with 75 percent or better. Your local office then issues the master certificate.
How much is the Kansas master electrician test? The ICC Kansas master exams (KGD and 554) cost $115 through Pearson VUE. Each has 100 questions, a five hour limit and is open book. The local certificate fee is separate, such as $35 at MABCD or $103 for a Topeka master license.
What documentation is needed for a Kansas electrician license? At MABCD, bring your official passing letter, trade school transcripts if you used school hours, field experience documented in hours on company letterhead, the Trade Certificate application and the $35 fee. Other offices ask for similar proof; Topeka uses a notarized time in trade form.
Do Kansas cities honor each other's electrical certificates? Yes, when the certificate was earned on a standard exam named in K.S.A. 12-1525 and you met the experience rules in K.S.A. 12-1526(e) and (f); another Kansas city or county that licenses electricians must then issue its certificate without a new exam. You still apply, show your experience and pay that office's fee. A license earned on a local exam is valid only in that jurisdiction unless the offices have a reciprocal agreement.
My certificate expired. How do I get it back? At MABCD, renewing between January 1 and March 31 after expiration adds no hours, and later renewals add 1.5 to 4.5 hours of CE on top of the 12. After December 31 of that year, the section chief decides. Other offices set their own late rules, so call first.
My company needs a master electrician but the owner is not one. What now? The company can still license by naming a master electrician as its qualified person or QI. The standard solution is to hire a licensed master electrician as a full-time W-2 qualifying agent who supervises the work; Johnson County, for example, requires the QI to work at least 30 hours a week for the company.
Talk to a Kansas Licensing Specialist
Business owners who need a Kansas electrical license without a master on staff: that is the gap a qualifying agent fills.
Call The Licensing Company at 615-219-2110 to talk through your Kansas markets, or start with hiring a qualifying agent. Because Kansas licenses electricians locally, confirm every requirement with the office where you will work before you apply.
Sources
All retrieved 2026-09-28.
- Kansas Revisor of Statutes, K.S.A. 12-1525
- Kansas Revisor of Statutes, K.S.A. 12-1526
- Kansas Revisor of Statutes, K.S.A. 12-1527
- Kansas Revisor of Statutes, K.S.A. 12-1528
- Kansas Legislature, HB 2588 (2026 session)
- MABCD, Master and Journeyman Trade Certificates
- MABCD, Contractor Licensing
- Johnson County Contractor Licensing, New License and License Types
- Johnson County, New Application Instructions (rev. 1/08/26)
- Johnson County, New License Application (rev. 1/08/26)
- City of Topeka, Contractor Information
- City of Topeka, Master, Journeyman and Apprentice License Application
- Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, Trade Licensing
- International Code Council, Kansas Contractor/Trades Examination Bulletin (August 20, 2026)
Disclaimer: This article is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice, licensing guidance, or an offer of services. Licensing requirements vary by jurisdiction. For specific compliance questions, contact The Licensing Company for a confidential consultation.