--- title: "Kansas PLLC Formation: Requirements, Fees & Licensing 2026 | LLC Attorney" description: "How to form a professional LLC in Kansas in 2026: why the entity is never called a "PLLC," the pre-filing licensing board name-and-license certificate, the $165 fee, and how liability protection works." canonical: https://llcattorney.com/states/ks/pllc-formation-kansas image: https://llcattorney.com/images/share-cover.png source_path: /states/ks/pllc-formation-kansas --- Key Takeaways - Kansas recognizes the PLLC as a distinct entity type for licensed professionals (K.S.A. 17-7663 et seq. (Kansas Revised Limited Liability Company Act); PLLC mechanics at K.S.A. 17-7673(e)) - Kansas requires licensing board approval before the filing agency will accept your PLLC filing - Filing fee: $165 online (older published figures citing $75 are out of date) - Kansas doesn't have one clean statutory allied-services clause; whether you can combine professions under a single entity is governed case-by-case by whether each relevant licensing board is willing to certify the combination and approve a shared name — treat this as something to confirm with both boards before assuming it works. - Same-day PLLC formation available through LLC Attorney, at no markup on state fees If you're one of the 28 licensed professions Kansas recognizes for this purpose — physicians, attorneys, CPAs, engineers, and similar occupations — Kansas law lets you form an LLC that exercises the powers of a professional association, though your licensing board must pre-approve both your licensure and your proposed company name before the Secretary of State will file anything. This guide covers exactly how to form a Kansas professional LLC in 2026 — the pre-filing board certificate requirement, why Kansas never uses "PLLC" in the entity name despite being a genuine professional LLC, the $165 cost, and what liability protection the entity actually provides. YesProfessional LLC available (no "PLLC" name) $165Filing fee YesPre-filing board name + license certificate required 28Professions covered ## What Is a Kansas PLLC? A Professional Limited Liability Company (PLLC) is a special LLC designation for licensed professionals — doctors, lawyers, accountants, and similar occupations. It works like a regular LLC, but ownership is restricted to people who hold the same professional license, and formation often requires sign-off from your licensing board before the state will accept your filing. Yes. Kansas recognizes the PLLC as a distinct entity type for licensed professionals (K.S.A. 17-7663 et seq. (Kansas Revised Limited Liability Company Act); PLLC mechanics at K.S.A. 17-7673(e)). ## Who Needs a PLLC in Kansas? Kansas enumerates 28 professions at K.S.A. 17-2707(b): certified public accountants, architects, attorneys, chiropractors, dentists, engineers, optometrists, osteopathic physicians, physicians and surgeons, veterinarians, podiatrists, pharmacists, land surveyors, licensed psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, licensed physical therapists, landscape architects, registered professional nurses, real estate brokers and salespersons, clinical professional counselors, geologists, clinical psychotherapists, clinical marriage and family therapists, licensed physician assistants, licensed occupational therapists, licensed audiologists, licensed speech-language pathologists, and licensed naturopathic doctors. ## Do I Need Licensing Board Approval First? Kansas requires the applicable licensing board to issue a certificate confirming two separate things before the Secretary of State will file your Articles of Organization: (1) that each member is duly licensed in the profession, and (2) that the board has approved your proposed company name. K.S.A. 17-7673(e) requires this certificate be filed with the Secretary of State at the same time as your Articles — the SOS will not accept the filing without it. This is a genuine pre-filing gate, not a formality — you need your board's name approval and licensure certificate in hand before you submit anything to the Secretary of State, so build board turnaround time into your formation timeline rather than assuming you can file first and sort out board paperwork afterward. ## How to Form a Kansas PLLC - **Filing agency:** Kansas Secretary of State - **Form:** Articles of Organization of a Limited Liability Company Exercising the Powers of a Professional Association, filed together with the licensing board's certificate - **Filing fee:** $165 online (older published figures citing $75 are out of date) - **Processing time:** About 3-5 business days for standard online processing once the licensing board certificate is in hand - **Name requirement:** Standard LLC designators only — "LLC," "L.L.C.," "LC," "L.C.," "Limited Liability Company," or "Limited Company." Kansas notably does NOT permit "PLLC" or "professional limited liability company" wording at all, even though the entity is functionally a professional LLC — your licensing board must approve whichever standard designator you choose as part of the name-approval certificate. ## Who Can Own a Kansas PLLC? Every member must be licensed to practice the profession named in the Articles — confirmed directly by the licensing-body certificate that must accompany the filing, not left to self-certification the way some states handle it. Kansas doesn't have one clean statutory allied-services clause; whether you can combine professions under a single entity is governed case-by-case by whether each relevant licensing board is willing to certify the combination and approve a shared name — treat this as something to confirm with both boards before assuming it works. ## What Liability Protection Does a PLLC Actually Provide? A PLLC protects you from business debts and from a co-owner's malpractice — but it never shields you from your own malpractice. If you personally provide negligent professional services, you remain personally liable for that regardless of the entity structure. A Kansas professional LLC shields members from each other's malpractice and from ordinary business debts, but never from a member's own negligent professional acts — that liability follows the individual professional regardless of the entity wrapper. Kansas doesn't tie a blanket malpractice-insurance mandate to the entity-formation certificate itself — the licensing board's pre-filing certificate confirms licensure and name approval, not insurance coverage. Individual boards may separately require coverage as a condition of maintaining licensure. ## How Is a Kansas PLLC Taxed? By default, a PLLC is taxed exactly like a regular LLC — pass-through to the owners' personal returns, with the option to elect S-corp or C-corp taxation if that fits your situation better. The professional designation changes ownership eligibility and licensing oversight, not the default federal tax treatment. Kansas has a graduated personal income tax (up to 5.58% as of the 2025 tax year), so a Kansas professional LLC's pass-through profit is taxed at that rate at the state level, on top of federal income and self-employment tax. Kansas LLCs — including professional LLCs — file an annual report with a $50 fee (online), due by the 15th day of the fourth month after the close of the tax year. ## How to Set Up Your Kansas PLLC Step by Step ### If You Do It Yourself **Step 1 — Confirm you need a PLLC (not a plain LLC) for your profession.** Kansas enumerates 28 professions at K.S.A. 17-2707(b): certified public accountants, architects, attorneys, chiropractors, dentists, engineers, optometrists, osteopathic physicians, physicians and surgeons, veterinarians, podiatrists, pharmacists, land surveyors, licensed psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, licensed physical therapists, landscape architects, registered professional nurses, real estate brokers and salespersons, clinical professional counselors, geologists, clinical psychotherapists, clinical marriage and family therapists, licensed physician assistants, licensed occupational therapists, licensed audiologists, licensed speech-language pathologists, and licensed naturopathic doctors. **Step 2 — Get licensing board sign-off if required.** Kansas requires the applicable licensing board to issue a certificate confirming two separate things before the Secretary of State will file your Articles of Organization: (1) that each member is duly licensed in the profession, and (2) that the board has approved your proposed company name. K.S.A. 17-7673(e) requires this certificate be filed with the Secretary of State at the same time as your Articles — the SOS will not accept the filing without it. This is a genuine pre-filing gate, not a formality — you need your board's name approval and licensure certificate in hand before you submit anything to the Secretary of State, so build board turnaround time into your formation timeline rather than assuming you can file first and sort out board paperwork afterward. **Step 3 — File your formation documents.** File the Articles of Organization of a Limited Liability Company Exercising the Powers of a Professional Association, filed together with the licensing board's certificate with Kansas Secretary of State, $165 online (older published figures citing $75 are out of date). **Step 4 — Appoint a registered agent.** Kansas calls this role a "Resident Agent" — required at formation. **Step 5 — Confirm ownership eligibility for every member.** Every member must be licensed to practice the profession named in the Articles — confirmed directly by the licensing-body certificate that must accompany the filing, not left to self-certification the way some states handle it. **Step 6 — Address malpractice insurance requirements.** Kansas doesn't tie a blanket malpractice-insurance mandate to the entity-formation certificate itself — the licensing board's pre-filing certificate confirms licensure and name approval, not insurance coverage. Individual boards may separately require coverage as a condition of maintaining licensure. **Step 7 — Handle ongoing state compliance.** Kansas LLCs — including professional LLCs — file an annual report with a $50 fee (online), due by the 15th day of the fourth month after the close of the tax year. Kansas has a graduated personal income tax (up to 5.58% as of the 2025 tax year), so a Kansas professional LLC's pass-through profit is taxed at that rate at the state level, on top of federal income and self-employment tax. **Step 8 — Watch for Kansas-specific PLLC traps.** The most counterintuitive Kansas rule is that a genuine professional LLC here is never called a "PLLC." Kansas law requires standard LLC designators — "LLC," "L.C.," and similar — even for entities that exist specifically to hold a professional license. Don't put "PLLC" on your Kansas Articles; your licensing board's name-approval certificate won't match, and the Secretary of State will reject the filing. Ready to Launch Your Business in Kansas?Follow our fast, easy process to get started right now.[Start My Business](https://app.llcattorney.com/formation?intake_type=formation) ### If LLC Attorney Does It for You 1. Submit your profession, license number, and ownership details at llcattorney.com. 2. LLC Attorney forms your Kansas PLLC, coordinating any required licensing board approval before filing. 3. Receive your finished formation documents and registered agent service, plus access to flat-fee attorney consultations (no retainer) for ownership or licensing questions. ## When Should You Talk to an Attorney About Your Kansas PLLC? Talk to an attorney before forming your Kansas professional LLC if you're not sure how to initiate the licensing board's name-and-licensure certificate process, if your proposed name might not clear board approval, or if you're combining more than one licensed profession and need both boards to sign off. ### Is Kansas a State Where PLLC Formation Is More Complex? Kansas is genuinely more involved than most states for two independent reasons. First, your licensing board must certify both your licensure and your proposed company name before the Secretary of State will accept anything — this is a real pre-filing gate, not a rubber stamp. Second, despite being a professional LLC in every functional sense, Kansas entities never use "PLLC" wording; they're named with the same plain "LLC"-family designators as an ordinary business. Both of these catch people who've formed a PLLC in another state and expect the same process here. ## What You Actually Get With LLC Attorney's Kansas PLLC Formation The part of Kansas professional LLC formation that trips people up isn't the Secretary of State filing — it's getting your licensing board's name-and-licensure certificate lined up beforehand, since Kansas won't file without it, and the state's specific naming rules that never include "PLLC." LLC Attorney handles both correctly from the start. - PLLC formation in Kansas, starting at $149. - Licensing board coordination and ownership-eligibility review handled for your specific profession. - Filing paperwork drafted for Kansas's actual requirements — not a generic multi-state template. - Access to professionally trained Business Success Advisors at no charge, plus flat-fee attorney consultations (no retainer) for licensing and ownership questions. Kansas requires your board's certificate before the state will file, and the entity's name will never say "PLLC" — LLC Attorney makes sure both pieces are handled correctly for your specific profession. ## Ready to Form Your Kansas PLLC? LLC Attorney forms Kansas PLLCs for licensed professionals, coordinating the licensing board approval step and serving as your resident agent once your PLLC is approved. See our [full pricing](/pricing) for all service tiers. Ready to Launch Your Business in Kansas?Follow our fast, easy process to get started right now.[Form My Kansas Professional LLC](https://app.llcattorney.com/formation?intake_type=formation) ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Does Kansas offer a PLLC as a separate entity type? ![icon](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Ficons%2FfaqPlus.png&w=128&q=75) Yes, functionally — Kansas law lets licensed professionals form an LLC that exercises the powers of a professional association under K.S.A. 17-7673(e), though Kansas never labels this a "PLLC" in the entity's name. ### Which licensed professions need a PLLC in Kansas? ![icon](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Ficons%2FfaqPlus.png&w=128&q=75) Kansas enumerates 28 professions at K.S.A. 17-2707(b), including CPAs, architects, attorneys, chiropractors, dentists, engineers, physicians, veterinarians, podiatrists, pharmacists, land surveyors, psychologists, social workers, physical therapists, landscape architects, nurses, real estate brokers, and several licensed therapy and counseling professions. ### Does Kansas require licensing board approval before forming a PLLC? ![icon](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Ficons%2FfaqPlus.png&w=128&q=75) Yes, and it's a genuine pre-filing requirement. Your licensing board must certify both your members' licensure and your proposed company name, and that certificate must be filed with the Secretary of State at the same time as your Articles of Organization — the state will not file without it. ### How much does it cost to form a PLLC in Kansas? ![icon](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Ficons%2FfaqPlus.png&w=128&q=75) Kansas's professional LLC filing fee is $165 online, once you have your licensing board's certificate in hand. ### Who can own a Kansas PLLC? ![icon](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Ficons%2FfaqPlus.png&w=128&q=75) Every member must be licensed to practice the profession named in the Articles, confirmed directly by the licensing board's certificate that must accompany the filing. ### Can a Kansas PLLC combine multiple licensed professions? ![icon](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Ficons%2FfaqPlus.png&w=128&q=75) Kansas doesn't have one clean statutory rule for this — combining professions under a single entity depends on whether each relevant licensing board is willing to certify the combination and approve a shared name. ### What liability protection does a Kansas PLLC actually provide? ![icon](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Ficons%2FfaqPlus.png&w=128&q=75) A Kansas professional LLC shields members from each other's malpractice and from ordinary business debts, but never from a member's own negligent professional acts — that liability always follows the individual professional. ### Does Kansas require malpractice insurance for a PLLC? ![icon](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Ficons%2FfaqPlus.png&w=128&q=75) Kansas doesn't tie a blanket malpractice-insurance mandate to the entity-formation certificate itself, though individual licensing boards may separately require coverage as a condition of maintaining licensure. ### Does LLC Attorney form PLLCs? ![icon](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Ficons%2FfaqPlus.png&w=128&q=75) Yes. LLC Attorney helps licensed professionals in Kansas form the correct entity type for their profession, starting at $149. ## Related Kansas Resources - [Kansas LLC Formation](/states/ks/llc-formation-kansas) - [Kansas Registered Agent](/states/ks/registered-agent-kansas) - [Kansas EIN Number](/states/ks/ein-number-kansas)