Shawnee, KS

Kansas has no statewide STR preemption. On March 12, 2026, the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners adopted new short-term rental regulations for unincorporated areas, effective April 1, 2026, ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Operators must obtain an annual STR permit from the Planning Department for $150, designate a 24/7 local representative, provide off-street parking, and limit guests to two per bedroom plus two additional. Quiet hours run 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. daily; parties and large gatherings are prohibited. Cities such as Olathe, Overland Park, and Lenexa administer their own STR rules.

Effective April 1, 2026, short-term rentals in unincorporated Johnson County are limited to two guests per bedroom plus two additional guests (for example, a 3-bedroom listing tops out at 8 guests). Renting individual bedrooms separately from the rest of the dwelling is prohibited. Parties and large gatherings are banned. Quiet hours run 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. daily, and the host must designate a local representative reachable 24/7 during any rental period.

Effective April 1, 2026, unincorporated Johnson County requires a $150 annual STR permit from the Planning Department. Operators must also collect Kansas state sales tax (6.5%) plus the Johnson County local sales tax on stays under 29 days. Kansas transient guest tax (up to 2% under K.S.A. 12-1693) is collected only by jurisdictions that have adopted it; the unincorporated County has not enacted a transient guest tax. Marketplace facilitators (Airbnb, Vrbo) collect Kansas sales tax automatically.

Effective April 1, 2026, unincorporated Johnson County STRs must provide adequate off-street parking outside the roadway for all guests. Parking on lawns is prohibited. Vehicles may not block the public right-of-way, and the host's designated 24/7 local representative is responsible for resolving guest parking complaints. Cities — Overland Park, Olathe, Lenexa, Shawnee — set their own STR parking standards inside city limits.

Kansas has no statewide ADU mandate; ADU regulation is delegated to counties under K.S.A. 19-2901 et seq. Johnson County's Zoning Regulations permit internal, attached, and detached accessory dwelling units (ADUs) by right in rural and residential districts under Article 18, Section 7(D), subject to use-specific performance standards. ADUs are accessory and secondary to a principal dwelling unit and must remain under the same ownership in all respects. Most reviews are administrative; some site conditions trigger a public hearing before the Board of County Commissioners.

The Kansas Fireworks Act (K.S.A. 31-501 through 31-513) regulates licensure, permits, and enforcement statewide, but allows counties and cities to restrict consumer fireworks. Johnson County has done so: in unincorporated Johnson County, residents may not store, offer for sale, sell at retail, use, explode, discharge, or possess any fireworks except for a permitted public display, wholesale distribution outside the county, or approved agricultural use. Public displays require a permit from the County Manager's Office. Olathe and Overland Park also prohibit consumer fireworks within their city limits.

Kansas restricts open burning statewide under KDHE air quality regulations. Burning trash, tires, and most waste is prohibited, and prescribed burns in eastern counties face April ozone-season restrictions.

Kansas adopts NFPA 58 Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code statewide through the State Fire Marshal. Container siting, dispensing, and installer licensing are uniform across the state and preempt inconsistent local rules.

In unincorporated Johnson County, the Zoning Regulations administered by the Planning Department set fence height and placement standards. Fences may be built up to a maximum of eight feet, but may not be located in the front yard except for a decorative entry fence. A building permit from Johnson County Building Codes is required only when a fence exceeds seven feet in height; fences seven feet and under do not require a building permit but must still comply with zoning standards. Fence rules inside Johnson County cities — Overland Park, Olathe, Lenexa, Shawnee, Mission, etc. — are set by each city's own code.

Unincorporated Johnson County does not have a county leash law. The Johnson County Sheriff's Office Patrol FAQ states there is no ordinance concerning the tethering or restraint of dogs in unincorporated areas, but owners must keep aggressive dogs leashed and remain civilly liable for any harm their animal causes. State law under K.S.A. 47-1701 et seq. addresses dog ownership broadly, and bites are managed under Kansas common-law owner liability and K.S.A. 21-5505. Inside Johnson County cities — Overland Park, Olathe, Lenexa, Shawnee, De Soto, Edgerton, and others — strict leash ordinances do apply.

Kansas K.S.A. 21-6412 criminalizes animal cruelty statewide, including failure to provide adequate food, water, shelter, or veterinary care, which captures hoarding scenarios. The law applies uniformly and authorizes seizure of neglected animals by law enforcement and licensed officers.

Kansas Right to Farm Act (K.S.A. 2-3201 et seq.) protects established agricultural operations, including livestock and poultry, from nuisance lawsuits when nonagricultural uses encroach. Cities may still regulate within incorporated areas, but the statute limits damages and prevents punitive awards against farms.

Kansas prohibits private possession of dangerous regulated animals statewide under K.S.A. 32-1301 et seq. The ban covers big cats, bears, and non-native venomous snakes, with limited exemptions for accredited zoos, sanctuaries, research institutions, and USDA-licensed exhibitors.

Kansas Administrative Regulation 115-8-23, adopted by the Wildlife and Parks Commission, prohibits baiting and feeding of wildlife on all public lands statewide. The 2023 amendment extended the prohibition from hunting activities to all activities involving wildlife attractants on public property.

Johnson County has not adopted a numeric noise ordinance with set quiet hours for unincorporated territory. Enforcement defers to Kansas's disorderly conduct statute, K.S.A. 21-6203, which makes it an offense to engage in noisy conduct that tends reasonably to arouse alarm, anger, or resentment in others. The Johnson County Sheriff's Office (913-782-0720) is the responding agency for unincorporated noise complaints. Inside the cities — Overland Park, Olathe, Lenexa, Shawnee, Mission, Leawood, Prairie Village, and others — each maintains its own numeric noise ordinance with set quiet-hour windows.

Kansas applies a statewide cottage food framework allowing home producers to sell non-potentially hazardous foods directly to consumers without licensing, while requiring proper labeling and prohibiting wholesale or interstate sales under Kansas Department of Agriculture guidance.

Kansas requires statewide licensing of family day care homes through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment under K.S.A. 65-503, setting universal capacity, background check, training, and health and safety standards that cities cannot waive.

Kansas permits rainwater harvesting on private property without state-level restrictions. The Kansas Water Appropriation Act exempts captured rainwater from water-right permitting when collected from impervious surfaces for on-site, non-potable use, making collection broadly legal across the state.

The Kansas Water Appropriation Act (K.S.A. 82a-701 et seq.) gives the Chief Engineer of the Division of Water Resources authority over water use during droughts. The Governor may declare drought emergencies triggering statewide conservation measures that supplement local restrictions.

The Kansas Noxious Weed Law (K.S.A. 2-1314 et seq.) requires all landowners to control designated noxious weeds. County weed supervisors enforce statewide. The law preempts laxer local rules and provides a uniform list of declared noxious weeds binding on all property owners.

Kansas regulates abandoned vehicles statewide under K.S.A. 8-1102, defining when vehicles become abandoned and authorizing law enforcement removal, towing, and disposition through public sale after notice to registered owners and lienholders.

Johnson County participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and administers floodplain rules through its Zoning Regulations and the Stormwater Management Program (SMP). FEMA adopted the County's digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (D-FIRMs) on August 3, 2009, based on watershed studies completed by the Stormwater Management Advisory Council (SMAC) between 1998 and 2002. Flood-prone corridors include the Kansas River along the north county line and tributaries such as Indian Creek, Mill Creek, Cedar Creek, Tomahawk Creek, and Blue River headwaters. The County also operates the Stormwatch flood warning system and a repetitive-loss home buyout program.

Kansas requires statewide erosion and sediment controls on construction sites disturbing one or more acres under KDHE's general NPDES permit, mandating SWPPPs, best management practices, and inspections that municipalities cannot waive or relax.

Kansas regulates stormwater discharges statewide through KDHE's NPDES program under K.S.A. 65-164 and 65-165, requiring construction, industrial, and municipal separate storm sewer system permits that cities must enforce as a delegated state program.

Kansas does not permit marijuana dispensaries because cultivation, distribution, and sale of marijuana remain illegal under K.S.A. 21-5705; cities and counties cannot zone for or license dispensaries that the state criminalizes uniformly.

Kansas prohibits all marijuana cultivation, including home growing, under K.S.A. 21-5705 and 21-5706, with no recreational or medical exception; cities cannot authorize personal cultivation and must follow uniform statewide criminal prohibitions.

Kansas has no statewide juvenile curfew, but K.S.A. 38-2331 governs runaway and unsupervised minors and limits parental responsibility. Cities may enact curfews under home rule, but enforcement intersects with the Kansas Code for Care of Children and constitutional protections.

Commercial drone use across Kansas is uniformly regulated by FAA Part 107, requiring Remote Pilot Certification, while state K.S.A. 21-6101 privacy rules and Department of Transportation public-use coordination apply consistently statewide.

Recreational drone operation in Kansas is governed primarily by FAA Part 107 and recreational flyer rules, with state law adding privacy and harassment protections under K.S.A. 21-6101 that apply uniformly regardless of city.

Kansas prohibits cities and counties from setting a local minimum wage above the state and federal floor for private employers.

Kansas prevents cities and counties from requiring private employers to provide paid sick leave, vacation, or other paid time off benefits.

Kansas prohibits cities and counties from imposing predictive scheduling, fair workweek, or shift posting requirements on private employers.

Kansas allows permitless concealed carry for adults 21 and older, while still issuing optional permits for reciprocity in other states.

Kansas broadly preempts cities and counties from regulating firearms, ammunition, components, and accessories beyond what state law specifically authorizes.

Kansas permits the open carry of firearms by lawful adults statewide and prevents cities and counties from banning open carry.

Kansas permits adults 21 and older to carry loaded handguns concealed in vehicles without a permit, with statewide preemption barring local restrictions.

Kansas does not impose a statewide E-Verify mandate on private or public employers, leaving participation voluntary under federal program rules.

Kansas has no statewide statute prohibiting or mandating sanctuary policies, leaving immigration cooperation decisions largely to local jurisdictions.

Kansas does not require just cause for eviction. The Kansas Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (K.S.A. 58-2540 et seq.) governs statewide eviction procedures, allowing no-cause termination of month-to-month tenancies with 30 days' notice. Local just-cause ordinances would conflict with statewide procedural framework.

Kansas law expressly preempts local rent control. Under K.S.A. 12-16,120, no city or county may enact ordinances controlling rent on private residential or commercial property. Statewide preemption is absolute regardless of housing market conditions or affordability concerns.

Kansas limits how local zoning can restrict bona fide agricultural operations and works alongside the Right to Farm Act to protect farmers.

Kansas protects established agricultural operations from nuisance lawsuits brought after non-farm uses move into the surrounding area.

Kansas state law prohibits cities and counties from regulating the placement or number of political signs on private property during the 45 days before any election and the two days after the election, with narrow safety exceptions.

Kansas prohibits cities and counties from banning, taxing, or regulating single-use plastic bags and other auxiliary containers used by businesses.

Kansas state law prevents cities and counties from banning or regulating polystyrene foam food service containers used by retailers and restaurants.

Kansas prevents local governments from banning or restricting plastic straws and other single-use food service items used by businesses.

Kansas prohibits the sale of cigarettes, tobacco, and vapor products to anyone under 21 years of age statewide.

Kansas does not impose a statewide flavored tobacco ban, leaving menthol cigarettes and flavored vapor products generally legal for adults 21 and older.

Kansas regulates the retail sale of electronic cigarettes and vapor products with a minimum purchase age of 21 and licensing requirements.