Kansas City, MO Building Safety: Lead Paint (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Code of Ordinances Art. X, § 34-401 et seq.
- Enforcing agency
- Director of Health
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine, 180 days jail
- Applies to
- Homes, businesses, day cares
- Tenant protection
- No retaliation for lead complaints
Summary
Kansas City bans offering any dwelling for occupancy with deteriorated lead-bearing paint and requires owners to remediate hazards the health director identifies, backed by inspections, nuisance declarations, and fines.
No person shall knowingly:(1)Offer for occupation any dwelling or dwelling unit which has in or upon any open or exposed surface any lead-bearing substance in a deteriorated condition so as to create a lead poisoning hazard; or(2)Erect, construct, remodel or alter any dwelling so that when it is occupied it has any open or exposed surface containing any lead-bearing substance.(3)Repair, renovate or demolish any dwelling in such a manner that any occupant, worker or any person on any adjacent property may be exposed or have access to the resulting dust, contaminants or debris from lead-bearing substances.(b)It shall be unlawful for any person to apply to any toy, furniture article, or interior or exterior surface of any dwelling paint or any other similar surface-coating material containing lead compounds of which the lead content (calculated as the metal) is in a quantity determined by the director to constitute a hazard to health.(c)It shall be unlawful for any person to sell, or offer for sale at wholesale or retail, or distribute in any manner any paint or other similar surface-coating material intended for, or packaged in a form suitable for use on toys or furniture, or in or around habitable premises, which contains lead compounds of which the lead content (calculated as the metal) is in a quantity determined by the director to constitute a hazard to health. (Ord. No. 120725, § 1, 9-6-12)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 139 | Zoning and Development Code: Supplement 38).
Full Breakdown
Article X of the Code of Ordinances (Sec. 34-401 et seq.) covers all buildings used for human habitation or occupancy in Kansas City: residential, public, commercial, and industrial. It is unlawful to offer a dwelling for occupancy with deteriorated lead-bearing surfaces, to build or remodel a dwelling so it has an exposed lead-bearing surface, or to repair, renovate, or demolish a dwelling in a way that exposes occupants, workers, or neighbors to lead dust. The Director of Health can inspect on reasonable suspicion, especially after a child's elevated blood-lead report, and can get a Municipal Division search warrant if the owner refuses entry. A confirmed hazard triggers a written action plan with a remediation deadline and is declared a public nuisance; owners can request a hearing within ten days. Landlords may not retaliate against tenants who complain in good faith about a lead hazard.
Violations & Fines
Violating Article X carries a fine up to $500, up to 180 days in jail, or both, with each day a violation continues counted as a separate offense; failing to follow the director's action plan is a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Kansas City landlord evict me for reporting lead paint?
What happens after lead paint is found in a Kansas City building?
Does the lead ordinance only cover housing?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kansas City
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Lead Paint in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Jackson County handle lead paint.