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Kansas Background Check Laws: What Employers Need to Know
Kansas focuses its added rules on reporting time limits and how criminal history can be used in a hiring decision, relevant across the state's aviation, agriculture, and manufacturing industries, whether you're hiring in Wichita, Overland Park, or Topeka.
Reporting Time Limit and the $20,000 Exception
Kansas caps most adverse items in a consumer report at 7 years, including records of arrest, indictment, or conviction, measured from the date of disposition, release, or parole. That cap comes with a significant exception: it doesn't apply when the report is used for the employment of someone at an annual salary of $20,000 or more. Because that threshold covers most full-time roles, the 7-year limit won't restrict a typical Kansas hiring decision, though federal FCRA rules still apply.
Criminal History Must Be Job-Relevant
Employers may only deny employment or a contract based on criminal history if the information reasonably relates to the candidate's trustworthiness, or to the safety and wellbeing of the employer's employees and customers.
Requesting a Copy of Records
Employers can't require an employee or applicant to personally inspect or challenge their own criminal history record for the purpose of obtaining a copy to qualify for employment.
Pass-Through Fees for Kansas Records
| Record Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Criminal county search | No pass-through fee listed for county-level searches in this state |
| Criminal statewide (Kansas Bureau of Investigation) | $20.00 per online name search, or $30.00 per mailed request (includes a notarized result) |
| Motor vehicle record | $16.70 |
Fees are sourced from 3rd Degree Screening's published fee schedule and are subject to change without notice by the issuing agency.
Common Questions from Kansas Employers
Does Kansas have a Ban-the-Box law?
No statewide law for private employers. Kansas's main added requirements are around reporting time limits and job-relevance of criminal history rather than timing of the inquiry itself.
How far back can a Kansas background check report criminal history?
Kansas sets a 7-year limit, but it doesn't apply when the role pays $20,000 a year or more, which covers most full-time positions. For those roles the state limit doesn't restrict how far back the search reaches, though federal FCRA rules still apply.
Can I deny a Kansas candidate for any criminal record?
No. The record has to reasonably relate to the candidate's trustworthiness or to workplace safety, not just exist in their history.
This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws and requirements may change and may vary based on specific facts and circumstances. Users should consult their own qualified legal counsel regarding their specific compliance obligations.
