Kansas
Vehicle Resource Center
Known for its aircraft industry and as the face of the Wizard of Oz, most Americans are familiar with Kansas. However, few consider the level of effort that residents must go through to maintain proper driver's licenses and meet state regulations for legally owning a vehicle. Residents must follow strict regulations and guidelines to retain the right to drive and own vehicles.
Ownership and Maintenance
Owning a vehicle in Kansas requires meeting regulations and renewing licenses and documents often. Learn about these annual tasks via this ownership and maintenance section.
Kansas rarely requires its residents to have vehicle inspections performed. There are no annual safety or emissions inspections. VIN inspections are rarely required, but only during the following situations.
Kansas is one of the few states in the US that takes a no-fault approach to vehicle insurance. This means every vehicle owner must hold the proper liability insurance and that the insurance coverage is used to cover the costs of all accidents the vehicle is involved in, no matter who is at fault for the crash. Residents are expected to maintain insurance coverage that meets the minimum requirements for the state.
Kansas Insurance Minimum Requirements
Insurance must provide all the following coverages to meet the state's minimum requirements.
Liability
Personal Injury Protection
Since Kansas is a no-fault state, all vehicle owners must have personal injury protection.
Uninsured
Protection must be obtained to cover the liabilities of any uninsured individuals involved in the accident as well.
Vehicle owners can learn more about the state's insurance requirements from the Kanas Auto Insurance page provided by the Kansas Insurance Department.
Each year, Kansas residents must pay property taxes on their vehicles. This process can rapidly be completed by working with the County Treasurer's Office. Use the supplied tax statement and an approved payment method to cover the year's property taxes. Keep the receipt from the transaction to use during the registration renewal.
Learn more about Kansas vehicle property taxes from this Johnson County page.
A Kansas driver's license is valid for six years for individuals between 21 and 65, and anyone over 65 must renew their license once every four years. Residents who wish to drive must continue to renew their licenses before they expire. The renewal process is simple and can be completed up to one year before the license is set to expire.
Provide the Proper Identification
When renewing a standard Kansas driver's license, specific pieces of identification are required. Drivers should provide a driver's license, identification card, or Learner's Permit. They must also provide proof of their residence in Kansas using canceled mail, a change of address form, a utility bill, or a lease agreement. See this checklist offered by the Kansas Department of Revenue for more information.
Offer Documents for Real ID
When obtaining a Real ID rather than the standard ID, additional documentation is required. Residents must supply the following.
Additional data about which forms of identification work to meet the above requirements is available in the Kansas Department of Revenue checklist here.
Get a Vision Exam
Each resident must pass a vision exam before renewing their driver's license. The exam can be conducted at an eye doctor's location, provided the state's vision form is filled out. If the driver does not get a vision form, a vision exam will be provided at the Driver's License Renewal office.
Visit a Driver's License Renewal Office
With all the required documentation at hand, it's time to visit a Driver's License Renewal Office. Head to the nearest office, provide all the required documents, have a vision test performed, or supply the finished vision test report completed by an eye doctor, and pay to obtain the renewed driver's license. The office will provide a temporary license, and the new license will be sent via mail to the address listed on the license.
License Renewal
A standard Kansas driver's license comes with a $4 per year renewal fee. That means a standard license costs $32 to renew. Individuals over 73 years old will pay less because their licenses expire more frequently. After 73, the license expires a year sooner each year until it expires once every two years after age 78.
Get more Kansas license fee specifics from the government fee schedule.
Registration Renewal
Registration renewal fees are highly variable in Kansas and are based on the type of vehicle and its year. Vehicle owners can see their renewal fee on their notice, or they can contact their local treasurer's office to ask about the total fee for renewal.
Registration Renewal
Registration renewals cost between $39 and $49 annually, and they may come with some additional small fees.
Driver's License Renewal
Class C driver's licenses cost $12 every four years or $18 every six years. There are different fees for other classes of licenses and identification cards. Get more information about these fees from the License Renewal Schedule page for Riley County.
Annual Property Taxes
Each year, property taxes for a vehicle shift. Owners must talk with their County Treasurer's Office to get updated tax information, or they can wait for a tax renewal statement and use the amount provided on it.
Buying & Selling
Buying or selling a vehicle in Kansas is a straightforward process, but certain laws must be followed when going through the process. Learn the proper steps buyers and sellers must go through to legally transfer a vehicle.
Remove the License Plate
Before allowing the buyer to take the vehicle, the seller should pull off the old license plate. The plate must be returned to the County Treasurer's Office, or it can be transferred to a new vehicle instead.
Provide the Title and Certificate of Origin
Each vehicle titled in Kansas should come with a state title as well as a Manufacturer's certificate of origin. Both documents are required for the buyer to title and register the vehicle in their name. Sellers must provide both documents and sign them over to the buyer so they can visit a County Treasurer and successfully title and register the vehicle.
Research the Vehicle
No vehicle should ever be purchased without a complete understanding of its features and its history. This is why it's recommended that buyers obtain a Vehicle History Search or a License Plate Lookup from GoodCar. Each of these services provides an in-depth look at the vehicle's ownership history, any title brands on the vehicle, odometer readings, the features and specifications of the vehicle, and open recalls that may be on the vehicle. This data can give buyers confidence that the vehicle is right before they make the purchase.
Fill Out an Electronic Title Sales Agreement
A 60-day permit that acts as a registration for the purchased vehicle can be obtained immediately after the purchase using an Electronic Title Sales Agreement form from the state. This form is easy to obtain, but the seller must fill the document out to make it usable. The buyer must provide the form during the vehicle purchase and get the seller to input their data. With a fully signed form, it's easy to obtain a temporary registration from a substation for between $8.00 and $10.00. This will serve until a paper title is sent out within the 60-day period.
Ensure the New Vehicle
Before a title and registration can be obtained for the purchased vehicle, the buyer must have an active insurance policy on it. The buyer should work with a Kansas insurer to get the minimum liability and no-fault coverage on the vehicle. Once coverage is obtained, it can be presented at the time of titling and registration to get the necessary paperwork.
Bring the Registration for Another Vehicle if Transferring a Plate
Many buyers sell their current vehicle and transfer the plate from it to another. To do this, bring the registration from the previous vehicle to the County Treasurer. The registration will be used as proof to effectively transfer the plate into the name of the new vehicle.
Bring the Current Mileage
Along with all the other paperwork mentioned above, the buyer should also know the current mileage on the vehicle. Bring this information on a piece of paper. The mileage should also be listed on the title, and some of the other paperwork should be completed during the sale of the vehicle.
Register and Title the Vehicle
Visit a County Treasurer and obtain a title and registration for the new vehicle using the documents listed above. The buyer will need a valid Photo ID along with all the other documents, as well as a payment method to cover all the fees that come with titling and registering a new vehicle.
Learn more about the steps buyers must take when purchasing a vehicle from the Kansas Department of Revenue here.
Obtain a License Plate
When titling and registering a new vehicle, the Treasurer's Office will provide a temporary paper plate for use. This plate has the same design as the final plate that will be sent in the mail and can be used to drive legally until it arrives.
When purchasing a vehicle in Kansas, there are many fees and required paperwork. The buyer is expected to pay these fees.
Registration and Titling
There is a title fee of $10.00 as well as a transfer fee of $6.50. Buyers should expect to pay a $4.00 Modernization fee, as well as extra fees for Law Enforcement that amount to $2.00 and $1.25.
The registration itself comes with a fee of between $42.50 and $52.50, and there are required taxes that must be paid at the same time.
Sales Tax
A sales tax rate of 6.5% is applied to the purchase of a vehicle, and many local counties apply a 2% rate on top of that figure. Prepare to pay this rate when registering the vehicle with the County Treasurer.
More details about titling and registration fees are available at the Kansas County Treasurers Association website.
Laws and Regulations
Drivers should understand the vehicle laws of the state. Below are some essential laws owners and drivers should understand.
Kansas has primary seat belt laws for all passengers in the front seats of vehicles, which means drivers can be pulled over if anyone up front is spotted without an appropriate seat belt. Passengers over 14 can be ticketed for failure to wear a seat belt themselves, and all children under the age of 8 are expected to be secured in an appropriate booster seat.
Car Seat Regulations
Children under eight must be fastened in the proper car seat.
The regulations above are the minimum requirements, and children can often remain safely in their seats for longer. Use the guidelines on the seats themselves to decide when to transition children to the next seat style for optimum safety.
Additional information about seat belt and car seat laws is available via the Salina Kansas government webpage here.
DUI, or driving under the influence of alcohol, is a serious offense in Kansas. Drivers caught driving with enough alcohol in their systems are subjected to significant fines, license suspensions, and potential imprisonment or community service orders.
Drivers will be charged with a DUI if they are found driving with a BAC (blood alcohol concentration) of 0.08 or higher. A driver's BAC is verified by giving them a breathalyzer test. Drivers who are charged with a DUI face steeper penalties if anyone is injured because of their condition or if children under the age of 14 are involved.
Get more details about Kansas DUI laws and penalties via this Kansas DUI Laws guide page.
In Kansas, any vehicle under 12,000 pounds that has been owned for one year or less and is still under the manufacturer's warranty period is protected by the state's Lemon law. The law states that vehicles must not be unsafe to drive or suffer serious value decreases because of defects they came with from the manufacturer.
If a vehicle suffers from serious manufacturer defects, the manufacturer has a few opportunities to repair the issues before the vehicle is considered a lemon.
To be considered a lemon, one of the following conditions must be met:
If the conditions are met, the vehicle is deemed a lemon, and the manufacturer is responsible for refunding the purchase price or replacing the vehicle.
Get more information about the state's Lemon Laws from the Consumer Affairs page on Kansas Lemon Laws.
Useful Things to Know
Being an effective driver in Kansas means meeting the state's laws while traveling and also keeping up with all the paperwork. Maintaining a legal vehicle and driver's license can be difficult without the proper guidance, but the information provided above should help with most of those tasks. Use the data resources below for additional information relevant to drivers.
Find Services Based on County
Kansas motor vehicle services are provided by the County Treasurer's office. Residents can quickly identify the local office and visit that location for help with registration, titling the vehicle, driver's license tasks, and more. Kansas County Services Directory
Access the Kansas Driving Handbook Online
Each Kansas resident and person interested in moving to Kansas should have access to the state's driving handbook. This book explains the most important laws, essential driving procedures, and more. Use the book to brush up on driving laws and to prepare for the written driver's license exam. Online Kansas Driving Handbook
Locate the Nearest EV Charging Station
The number of Kansas vehicle owners obtaining electric vehicles increases each year. These owners can benefit by knowing the locations of nearby charging stations. Use this search tool to find Kansas EV charging stations as well as stations in other states. Kansas EV Charging Station Search Tool
Explore Kansas Traffic Accidents and Fatalities
Becoming familiar with all the accidents that occur throughout the state of Kansas is an excellent way to learn about the risks of driving and to prepare to drive more safely. In 2021, a total of 57,598 accidents were reported throughout the state of Kansas, and those accidents resulted in 424 known fatalities. Get a more in-depth understanding of Kansas car accident statistics from GoodCar.
Get the Latest Kansas Vehicle Information with GoodCar
Kansas vehicle owners owe it to themselves to have the most up-to-date information about state laws, maintenance requirements, recalls, and more. Refer to this useful resource for residents looking for help and GoodCar's VIN Check and license plate lookup tools for help getting additional information about specific vehicles.