Kansas · electrician licensing · verified July 2026
Kansas electrician license requirements
The short answer
As of July 2026, Kansas has no statewide electrician license; licensing is done by cities and counties. State law (K.S.A. 12-1526) sets minimum standards that any city or county which chooses to license electricians must follow, including a 75% minimum exam passing score, minimum experience for journeyman/residential certificates, and biennial continuing education. A 2026 bill (HB 2588) to create statewide licensing under the State Fire Marshal died in the 2025-26 session, so licensing remains local.
Do you need a license to work as an electrician in Kansas?
Kansas has no statewide license for electricians. Cities and counties license the trade, so the requirement depends on where you work.
HB 2588 (2025-26 session), which would have enacted a statewide Electrician Licensing Act administered by the State Fire Marshal, passed committees in both chambers but DIED without final passage (verified on the official bill page 2026-07). Johnson County requires electrical contractors to hold its Class DE license and recognizes ICC/Prometric/IAPMO exams. Verify specifics with each jurisdiction.
What licenses does Kansas issue?
No credential for this trade is issued at state level in Kansas; the classes below are issued by cities or counties, and the exact set depends on which one you work in.
Hours are what each class asks for on its own terms. Where a senior class shows fewer than a journeyman, the board is counting time served after the earlier license rather than from the start; the prerequisite column says which.
| License | On-the-job hours | Classroom hours | Exam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice electrician (local registration) | not published | not published | No |
| Journeyman electrician (city/county certificate) | not published | not published | Yes |
| Master electrician (city/county certificate) | not published | not published | Yes |
| Electrical contractor (local license) | not published | not published | Yes |
Source: the governing statute (kslegislature.gov). Verified July 2026.
What exam does Kansas require?
Local competency examination (commonly ICC standardized electrical exams); K.S.A. 12-1526 requires minimum 75% passing score. Administered by Licensing city/county (many use ICC exams).
How often do you renew, and what continuing education is required?
Renewal period: Set by each licensing city/county; state CE standard runs on a 1-2 year cycle
Continuing education: K.S.A. 12-1526 minimum standard for licensing jurisdictions: at least 12 hours biennially (or 6 hours annually), including at least 6 hours biennially of code education
How does the apprenticeship route work?
No statewide licensure, so apprenticeship credit is applied at the city/county level. Under K.S.A. 12-1526, up to 1 of the 2 required years of field experience for a journeyman certificate may be satisfied by 240+ hours of classroom training (which registered apprenticeship-related instruction can supply). Certificates earned via approved testing are portable to other Kansas licensing jurisdictions.
Which states does Kansas have license reciprocity with?
Kansas does not license this trade at state level, so there is no state agreement to publish. Whether an out-of-state license helps is decided by the city, county or contractor board that issues the credential where you intend to work.
How does Kansas compare to neighboring states?
Requirements stop at the state line, which matters if you live near one or expect to move. Here is what the neighboring states ask of the same trade.
| State | Journeyman hours | Licensing model |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas | not published | City or county |
| Colorado | 8,000 | Statewide |
| Missouri | not published | City or county |
| Nebraska | 8,000 | Statewide |
| Oklahoma | 8,000 | Statewide |
Source: state licensing boards. Verified July 2026.
Sources and verification
Every fact on this page traces to one of these
- K.S.A. 12-1526 - Examination and licensure of electricians by cities and counties (Kansas Legislature)
- HB 2588 (2025-26) - Electrician licensing act - bill status page (died)
Last verified July 2026. Found an error? Report it and it will be corrected and logged on the corrections page.
Other states with published requirements for this trade: Maine, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire.
Price the whole path with the license cost estimator, or weigh earning against paying for school with the apprenticeship comparison. Back to electricians overview.
Licensing requirements change between our verification sweeps. This page is informational only, so confirm current requirements with your city or county building department before making decisions. Not legal advice.