Notary Public Permit Requirements in Wichita, KS

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC or corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Kansas Department of Revenue — Retailer's Sales Tax License

   Required for all businesses selling tangible personal property or taxable services in Kansas. Kansas charges a 6.5% state sales tax; local jurisdictions may impose additional taxes. Register with the Kansas Department of Revenue.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online)

   Free

   Immediate (online)

1. Kansas Secretary of State — Notary Public Commission

   To become a Kansas notary, apply to the Secretary of State: obtain a notary stamping device, purchase a $12,000 commercial surety bond from a Kansas-licensed insurance company (the insurer completes section C of the NO or NO-S form), take the notary oath before another notary, then upload the completed forms and stamp image and pay the $25 application fee. The $12,000 bond amount has applied to every applicant since January 1, 2022 and must be written for the four-year term of the commission. Kansas also permits remote online notarization under K.S.A. 53-5a21, which requires a separate registration, training certificate and an approved technology provider.

   Official government source

   $25 application fee (and $25 at each four-year renewal), plus the premium on a $12,000 surety bond — you pay the premium, not the face amount. Remote online notarization registration is an additional $20.·The Secretary of State publishes no processing time; the commission is listed online once the application is approved. The stamp, bond and oath must all be completed before filing.

   $25 application fee (and $25 at each four-year renewal), plus the premium on a $12,000 surety bond — you pay the premium, not the face amount. Remote online notarization registration is an additional $20.

   The Secretary of State publishes no processing time; the commission is listed online once the application is approved. The stamp, bond and oath must all be completed before filing.

2. City of Wichita — No General Business License for Most Businesses

   Wichita does not require a general business license. The city's own Business Licenses page states it 'does not require a standard business license for all businesses that operate within the City limits — only for certain businesses,' and lists those categories: adult entertainment, advertising, animals, cemeteries, entertainment, lodging and residential (including Home Occupation and short-term rentals), sales and services (liquor, massage therapy, mobile food vendor, pawnbroker, precious metal dealer, secondhand dealer, tobacco, transient merchant and similar), security, special events, transportation, and wells. Businesses outside those categories need no city business license. Two things this does not cover: contractors and building permits go through MABCD, the joint City of Wichita/Sedgwick County building department, and state occupational licenses (cosmetology, barbering, real estate, insurance) apply regardless of city licensing.

   Official government source

   No fee for business types the city does not license. Published examples for those it does: Home Occupation $35/year, mobile food vendor $350/year per vehicle ($50 per special event per vehicle), massage therapist $75 per 2 years, massage therapy business $200 per 2 years. MABCD trade certificates are $35.·Not applicable for unlicensed business types. Wichita advises about 2 weeks for a Home Occupation renewal and 30 days for massage licenses; MABCD says contractor license review can take up to two weeks.

   No fee for business types the city does not license. Published examples for those it does: Home Occupation $35/year, mobile food vendor $350/year per vehicle ($50 per special event per vehicle), massage therapist $75 per 2 years, massage therapy business $200 per 2 years. MABCD trade certificates are $35.

   Not applicable for unlicensed business types. Wichita advises about 2 weeks for a Home Occupation renewal and 30 days for massage licenses; MABCD says contractor license review can take up to two weeks.

Official Sources

• Kansas Secretary of State

Related Guides