Kansas vs Missouri roofing licenses
By KC Roofing Directory
Published · Updated
The state line runs through the middle of this metro, and the two states regulate roofing in entirely different ways. Here is what each side requires, and what a homeowner can actually check.
Key takeaways
- Kansas requires roofing contractors to hold a state registration certificate from the Attorney General before doing roofing work for a fee. One AG lookup covers the whole Kansas side of the metro.
- On the Missouri side there is no single list. In Kansas City, MO, contractor licensing is run by the city's Permits Division, and other Missouri cities set their own rules.
- In Kansas City, MO, a plain reroof (roofing, underlayment, and no more than 32 square feet of decking) needs no permit. More decking, or structural work, brings in permits and licenses.
- A Kansas registration is not an endorsement. The Attorney General says so on the directory itself. It tells you the contractor is compliant, not that the work is good.
- Check the registry status and the date you checked it, then ask for the registration or license number in writing. Our listings show both with source links.
Kansas vs Missouri at a glance
Every cell links to the official page it came from. Checked on 2026-10-15. The Missouri column covers Kansas City, MO only, because Missouri has no statewide roofing list to compare against.
| Question | Kansas | Missouri (Kansas City, MO) |
|---|---|---|
| Who issues it | Kansas Attorney General, Roofing Registration Unit (AG contractor page) | City Planning and Development, Permits Division (KCMO contractor licensing) |
| Statewide or city | Statewide. Required for commercial or residential roofing for a fee in Kansas since July 1, 2013, with narrow exemptions (source) | City. Licensing applies within Kansas City, MO city limits (source) |
| Where to look it up | AG Roofing Registration Directory | KCMO licensed contractor database and business license search |
| When a reroof needs it | Any roofing work for a fee. The registration number must be written on any permit issued for roofing work (source) | No permit for roofing, underlayment and up to 32 sq ft of decking. Over 32 sq ft: permit plus KCMO business license. Structural work: also a Residential Contractors license (source) |
| Renewal | Each fiscal year, due June 30. Not renewed by July 31 means revoked (K.S.A. 50-6,132) | Business licenses expire December 31 each year (source) |
| What it does not prove | Registration is not an endorsement by the Attorney General (source) | The business license search shows current-year licenses only (source) |
Kansas: one statewide registry
Under the Kansas Roofing Registration Act, any person or business providing roofing services for a fee in Kansas must register with the Kansas Attorney General. The AG's directory is public, searchable, and specific: it lists In Good Standing, Exempt, Revoked, Not In Good Standing, Enjoined, voluntary suspensions, and inactive registrations, each of which means something different. Revoked means the contractor may not lawfully provide roofing services in Kansas. Inactive means they told the AG they stopped.
The registry is also an enforcement record, not merely a list. The Attorney General has revoked registrations and obtained court injunctions against contractors who worked unregistered, and the individual court documents are published. A Kansas-side registration is the single most useful check in this metro because one lookup covers every city on the Kansas side, from Overland Park to Kansas City, Kansas.
One honest caveat, straight from the AG: registration is not an endorsement. It means the contractor is on the state's radar and currently compliant, not that the work is good.
Missouri: no state registry, so it is city by city
Missouri has no statewide roofing contractor license or registry. A 2021 bill, SB 326, would have created one at the Department of Commerce and Insurance; it died in committee, and similar bills in the same session failed with it. So on the Missouri side there is no single list to check, and anyone who tells you Missouri licensing is handled at the state level is guessing.
What Missouri does have is municipal licensing. Kansas City, MO issues Residential Building Contractor licenses through its City Planning and Development Department, and the database is searchable. Lee's Summit, Independence, Blue Springs, Raymore, and the other suburbs each set their own requirements through city or county offices. A contractor working in three Missouri suburbs may hold three different municipal registrations, or one.
The practical consequence: on the Missouri side, ask which city will permit the job, then check that city's contractor list. On the Kansas side, check the AG directory once and you are done.
What that means for the two sides of this directory
This is why listings here show two different kinds of standing. Kansas-side contractors carry a Kansas AG status with a registration number and the date we checked it. Missouri-side contractors carry a Kansas City, MO license status where the city license applies, and nothing statewide, because nothing statewide exists. A Missouri listing with no KCMO license is expected when the contractor is based in Lee's Summit or works outside KCMO city limits; the listings say so rather than implying a problem.
The registry standing page has every listed contractor's statuses, dates, and source links in one table. The statuses are transcribed from the registries and never combined into a score, because a Revoked registration and a lapsed one are different facts about a business and flattening them into a badge would hide exactly the part that matters.
Common questions
Do roofers in Missouri need a state license?
No. Missouri has no statewide roofing contractor license or registry. A 2021 bill, SB 326, would have required registration with the Department of Commerce and Insurance, and it died in committee. Oversight in Missouri is municipal: Kansas City, MO licenses residential building contractors through the city, and each suburb handles its own registration.
What does Kansas require of roofing contractors?
Statewide registration with the Attorney General under the Kansas Roofing Registration Act, for anyone providing roofing services for a fee in Kansas. The AG publishes a public directory with each registration's standing and can revoke registrations or seek court injunctions. The AG states plainly that registration is not an endorsement.
What does "Exempt" mean on the Kansas registry?
Some registrants file an affidavit under K.S.A. 50-6,122(e) instead of meeting the standard requirements, usually general contractors whose roofing work is limited to certain circumstances. The registry lists them as Exempt. It is a distinct status, not a lesser version of In Good Standing, and the affidavit limits what they may do.
A contractor told me they are "licensed and insured." What does that mean on the Missouri side?
It depends on the city. In Kansas City, MO it should mean a Residential Building Contractor license you can look up in the city database. In Lee's Summit, Independence, or Blue Springs it means whatever those cities require, which varies. Ask which city will permit the work and check that city's list. On the Kansas side, ask for the AG registration number; it starts with CT and is checkable in the AG directory.
Find a registered roofer in your city
Every listing in this directory shows its Kansas AG status or Kansas City, MO license status with the date we checked it and a link to the source. Listings are alphabetical, never ranked. Pick your city to start:
Kansas side: Kansas City, Mission, Prairie Village, Merriam, Overland Park, Olathe, Shawnee, Lenexa, Leawood
Missouri side: Belton, Blue Springs, Gladstone, Grandview, Liberty, Raymore, Raytown, Kansas City, Lee's Summit, Independence