State insurance guide
Kansas Business Insurance Guide 2026
Kansas decides who needs workers' compensation with a $20,000 annual payroll test, excluding family wages, rather than a headcount. Auto liability minimums and paid leave rules follow, each with its official source.
Explore Kansas requirements
Open the state requirements checklistKansas uses a payroll test rather than a headcount: the workers' compensation act applies unless the employer's total gross annual payroll was $20,000 or less in the preceding calendar year and is reasonably expected to stay at $20,000 or less in the current year, with family members' wages excluded (Kansas Statutes Annotated § 44-505 (Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes)).
Auto liability policies must carry at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury and $25,000 for property damage (K.S.A. 40-3107 (Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes)). According to NCSL's table, there is no state paid family leave or disability insurance program to fund.
We checked each official source on October 3, 2026. Treat this as general information and confirm with the linked agencies how each rule applies to you.
Shopping for business insurance in Kansas? Request coverage help
Workers' compensation
Who must carry it: Payroll over $20,000 (prior year or expected current year), excluding family wages (Kansas Statutes Annotated § 44-505 (Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes)).
Exemptions and exclusions
K.S.A. 44-505 also excludes agricultural pursuits, qualified real estate agents working as independent contractors, and firefighters who are members of a firemen's relief association whose governing body has filed an election to except them (K.S.A. 44-505). Covered employers secure compensation through an authorized insurer, self-insurance or a qualified group-funded pool (K.S.A. 44-532).
The agency to ask is the Kansas Department of Labor, Division of Workers Compensation. The workers' compensation guide covers what a policy pays, and the workers' comp calculator works through payroll, rate and modifier figures you enter.
Auto liability minimums
The minimum auto liability coverage in Kansas:
- Bodily injury liability: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident
- Property damage liability: $25,000 per accident
- In force: for policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2017
- Source: K.S.A. 40-3107 (Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes)
Personal injury protection benefits are also required (K.S.A. 40-3107 (Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes)). Ask your insurer whether these also apply to your commercial and fleet policies.
Commercial and for-hire vehicles can face different or higher federal or state requirements, and leases, lenders and clients can ask for more; see our commercial auto guide.
Paid leave and disability insurance
According to NCSL's table, last updated November 7, 2025 (NCSL: state family and medical leave laws), cross-checked on October 3, 2026 with the U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau, Kansas has no state paid family and medical leave insurance program and no state temporary disability insurance program.
Because legislatures can create programs, as Virginia did in 2026 (Code of Virginia § 60.2-801), check with the Kansas Department of Labor before relying on this for a future Kansas payroll year.
Other requirements to check
In Kansas, licenses, leases and client contracts can add their own insurance or bond conditions, such as minimum general liability limits; track each one with the certificate of insurance checklist and compare states in the requirements-by-state guide.
Where to verify
- Workers' compensation: Kansas Department of Labor, Division of Workers Compensation
- Auto liability minimums: K.S.A. 40-3107 (Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes)
- Paid leave and disability insurance: NCSL state family and medical leave laws and the U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau
Before you call, the state requirements checklist lists the questions to ask. For a PolicyBenchmark follow-up about your Kansas business, request coverage help.
Frequently asked questions
Does Kansas count employees to decide who needs workers' compensation?
No, Kansas uses payroll. The act applies unless total gross annual payroll was $20,000 or less in the preceding calendar year and is expected to stay at $20,000 or less this year, leaving out wages paid to family members. A business with no prior-year payroll applies the same $20,000 estimate to the current year. The agency to ask is the Kansas Department of Labor, Division of Workers Compensation.
Are Kansas's auto minimums enough for business vehicles?
Kansas's minimums are $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury and $25,000 for property damage (K.S.A. 40-3107 (Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes)). That is the legal floor, not a measure of what a business needs, and commercial and for-hire vehicles can face different or higher federal or state requirements.
Does Kansas require employers to pay into a paid leave program?
Not according to NCSL's table, last updated November 7, 2025: Kansas has no state paid leave or temporary disability insurance program for private employers (NCSL). Confirm before planning a future payroll year.
About this article
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- PolicyBenchmark Editorial Team
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This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute insurance advice. Always consult with a licensed insurance professional before making coverage decisions.