Occupational Licensing in Kansas
Kansas requires a licence for 104 of the 246 occupations the Archbridge Institute tracks, against a national median of 124. It ranks 50 of 51 on their index, where 1 is the most burdensome.
- Licensed occupations
- 104
- With any entry barrier
- 124
- National rank
- #50
- In the West North Central
- #6
Moving to Kansas with a licence
Kansas recognises out-of-state licences with some conditions — graded silver. Universal recognition is the reform that lets someone already licensed elsewhere practise after moving, instead of repeating the training; 28 of the 51 jurisdictions have some version of it.
Licensed here, rarely elsewhere
These are the occupations Kansas licenses that few other jurisdictions do — the clearest sign of where its rules go further than the national norm.
- Psychiatric Technicianlicensed in 4 of 51
- Vehicle Salespersonlicensed in 5 of 51
- Abstractorlicensed in 7 of 51
- Gas Fitter Trainee /Apprenticelicensed in 8 of 51
- Animal Breederlicensed in 10 of 51
Every licensed occupation in Kansas
All 104, alphabetically. Archbridge tracks 246 occupations in total, so anything absent here is either unlicensed in Kansas or outside their list.
- Abstractor
- Acupuncturist
- Addictions/Chemical Dependency Counselor
- Animal Breeder
- Architect
- Asbestos Abatement Worker
- Athlete Agent/Manager
- Athletic Trainer/Sports Trainer
- Attorney
- Audiologist
- Barber
- Behavior Analyst Assistant
- Behavior Analyst/Specialist
- Body Piercing Artist
- Broker (Standard Real Estate)
- Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS)
- Certified Nurse Aide/Assistant
- Certified Nurse Midwife
- Certified Prevention Specialist, CPP, or CPPA
- Certified Public Accountant
- Chiropractor
- Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Cosmetologist
- Cosmetologist Apprentice
- Cosmetology Teacher
- Court Interpreter
- Dental Hygienist
- Dentist
- Dietitian
- Electrologist
- Embalmer
- EMT
- Esthetician
- Esthetician Instructor
- Family-Marriage Therapist/Counselor
- Funeral Director/Mortician
- Funeral Resident Intern
- Gas Fitter Trainee /Apprentice
- General Insurance Agent Manager or Exclusive
- Geologist in Training
- Geologist/Geoscientist
- Hearing Aid Dealer/Hearing Aid Dispensers/Hearing Instrument Specialist
- Hearing Aid Dispenser Trainee/Apprentice
- Insurance Producer
- Investment Advisor
- Landscape Architect
- Lead Abatement Supervisor/Contractor
- Lead Inspector
- Lead Inspector Risk Assessor
- Lead Planner Project Designer
- Level Class II Wastewater Operator
- Level Class III Wastewater Operator
- Level Class IV Wastewater Operator
- Licensed Practical Nurse
- Manicurist
- MD Physician/Surgeon
- Medical Health Physicist
- Medication Technician/Aide /Assistant
- Mortgage Loan Originator
- Nail Technician
- Nail Technician Apprentice
- Nuclear Medicine Technicican
- Nurse Anesthetist
- Nurse Practitioner
- Nursing Home Administrator
- Occupational Therapist
- Occupational Therapist Assistant
- Optometrist
- Parole /Probation Officer
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacy Technician
- Physical Therapist
- Physical Therapist Assistant
- Physician Assistant
- Podiatrist
- Preschool Teacher, except Special Education
- Private Investigator
- Professional Counselor/Professional Clinical Counselor
- Professional Engineer
- Professional Land Surveyor
- Professional Solicitor (Charities)
- Provisional Psychologist
- Psychiatric Technician
- Psychologist
- Public School Administrator
- Public School Principal
- Public School Teacher
- Pyrotechnic Operator
- Radiologic Technologist
- Real Estate Appraiser
- Real Estate Instructor
- Real Estate Salesperson
- Registered Nurse
- Respiratory Therapist/Respiratory Care Practitioner
- Shampoo Assistant
- Social Worker
- Speech Language Pathologist
- Tattoo Artist
- Vehicle Salesperson
- Veterinarian
- Veterinarian Technician
- Wastewater Operator
- Well Driller
- Wildlife Rehabilitator
Where this comes from
The Archbridge Institute's State Occupational Licensing Index 2026, retrieved 2026-09-16. The index records whether an occupation needs a licence — it does not record fees or training hours, so nothing here says what a licence costs or how long it takes. The rank is Archbridge's own and is not part of the FreedomRankings score. Check the relevant Kansas board before acting on any of it.
More on Kansas: its freedom score and rank · school choice · homeschool laws
