Secretary of State Reduces Fees for Kansans

Tuesday, May 26, 2026

TOPEKA – Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab today announced a significant reduction in fees, cutting costs for individuals and businesses across the state. Earlier this year, Schwab submitted 10 proposed regulatory changes, the first comprehensive update since 2008. The changes eliminate more than two dozen fees and reduce several others, simplifying the fee structure and lowering costs for Kansans.

The Office of the Secretary of State operates entirely on service fees and does not receive funding from income, property, or sales taxes. Reducing and simplifying fees for Kansas businesses has been a key priority throughout Schwab’s administration.

Before fees could be reduced, two major requirements had to be completed:

1. Modernization of the Filing System
   The agency replaced its outdated 1980s-era online filing system with the Kansas Business Operating System (KBOS). This involved acquiring new hardware, developing entirely new software in-house, and seamlessly migrating over 150 years’ worth of business data.
2. Legislative Reform
   Since 2021, the Office has worked closely with the Legislature to pass several key reforms needed to reduce or eliminate fees:
   • Eliminated dozens of outdated provisions related to business filings,
   • Granted the Secretary the authority to reduce fees previously set in statute, and
   • Revised the timing of many filing deadlines

As a result, the agency has lowered fees and reduced the filing burden, saving time and money for Kansas businesses.

Notable Fee Reductions:

• Biennial Business Filings: Cutting the fees the agency receives for biennial information reports filed by most Kansas businesses, reducing the information report fees business pay by approximately $850,000 annually.
• LLC and Partnership Formation Fees: Reducing the fees for forming limited liability companies (LLCs), limited liability partnerships (LLPs), and limited partnerships (LPs), aligning with fee for corporations ($90), saving new Kansas businesses an estimated $2.1 million annually.
• Professional Employer Organizations: Reducing the annual report filing fee for Professional Employer Organizations from $1,000 to $250, saving these businesses approximately $185,000 annually.

“My goal has always been to modernize the agency, which allows us to reduce fees and the burden of government on Kansans,” Schwab said. “Kansans business owners should be able to focus on growing their businesses, not navigating bureaucracy.”

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