Business Licenses & Permits

Operating a business or performing a service in Kansas City, Kansas requires an occupation tax license. Occupation tax licenses are issued by the Business License Division at the Neighborhood Resource Center. Some activities are regulated by ordinance and require an additional application for the regulated license or permit. In most cases, the licensing year begins on January 1st and ends on December 31st. Staff are available for questions, guidance, and assistance. Do not hesitate to contact us at (913) 573-8780.

The filing is for Kansas City KS only. For business activities in Bonner Springs or Edwardsville contact that city direct. There is no separate filing with the county.

Business Application Process

Business from a Commercial Location

If your business is or will be PHYSICALLY located in Kansas City, KS:

  1. You will need to submit a Commercial Zoning Application(PDF, 195KB)  to businesslicense@wycokck.org or dropped off in person or mailed to our office at 4953 State Ave Kansas City, KS 66102.

  2. Once you receive zoning approval you will need to contact our Building Inspection team at (913) 573-8620 to schedule a zoning inspection.

  3. Once you pass your zoning inspection, you will submit the Commercial Occupation Tax Application(PDF, 159KB) to businesslicense@wycokck.org or dropped off in person or mailed to our office at 4953 State Ave Kansas City, KS 66102. Fill out the application to the best of your ability based on the type of business you are conducting.

Business from a Residence

If your business is or will be PHYSICALLY located in Kansas City, KS:

  1. You will need to submit a Home Occupied Zoning Application(PDF, 180KB) (PDF, 16KB)to businesslicense@wycokck.org or dropped off in person or mailed to our office at 4953 State Ave Kansas City, KS 66102.

  2. Once you receive zoning approval you will submit the Home Occupation Tax Application(PDF, 160KB) to businesslicense@wycokck.org or dropped off in person or mailed to our office at 4953 State Ave Kansas City, KS 66102.

We will assign the business licensed number as well as the NAICS code. We are currently operating from the 1997 NAICS codes so the most current classifications won't apply. Once we receive the application, we will enter the information into our system and email you the fee due along with a link to pay online. If you have any questions while filling out the application, please call our office at (913) 573-8780.

Businesses outside of Kansas City, Kansas

Your business is not or will not be physically located in Kansas City, KS:

You will bypass the zoning step and submit the Commercial Occupation Tax Application(PDF, 159KB) to our office at businesslicense@wycokck.org or dropped off in person or mailed to our office at 4953 State Ave Kansas City, KS 66102. Fill out the application to the best of your ability based on the type of business you are conducting.

We will assign the business licensed number as well as the NAICS code. We are currently operating from the 1997 NAICS codes so the most current classifications won't apply. Once we receive the application, we will enter the information into our system and email you the fee due along with a link to pay online. If you have any questions while filling out the application, please call our office at (913) 573-8780.

****If you are an MEP contractor our jurisdiction does NOT require a certificate of insurance for contractors, but we do require a $5,000 surety bond. We will need a signed copy of the bond along with the power of attorney page. These bonds will need to be sent to businesslicense@wycokck.org. Please see the bond types that are require below if you are unfamiliar with what the bond should look like and pertinent information we will need.

Renewal for a Current Business

If you're looking for 2024 renewal invoices, please contact us at (913) 573-8780.

The majority of our licenses are valid from January 1st through December 31st. Renewal notices are mailed the first week of December. The renewal period begins December 1st and runs through the end of February. Delinquent penalties are assessed monthly beginning March 1st. If you have not received your renewal by mid-December, please contact us at (913) 573-8780 and we will forward a copy. If renewals are handled by third party entities, any changes to the record (address, phone, ownership, organizational structure, etc.), will need to be made by the business, or permitted to the third party with the business ownership assigning them as agent, or by power of attorney. This effort is to limit malicious change attempts by competitors, disgruntled staff, or someone wanting to impede a business activity.

Fees

The fees vary depending on the type of license. Some fees are prorated depending on the month in which the license is issued.

Annually Regulated Licenses & Permits

Many businesses that pay occupation taxes are also required to obtain one or more regulatory licenses for the business. Licenses are different from occupation taxes in that certain standards or qualifications have to be met or maintained in order to receive or keep them. Most licenses are revocable if these standards are not upheld. In addition, occupation taxes generally run from January 1st to December 31st of a given year while licenses generally expire one year after issuance. The most common licenses issued by Business Licensing are those for:

Temporary Licenses & Permits

Temporary Licenses and Permits are issued specific for the activity and have requirements that must be met for the issuance of the temporary license.

Related Information

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