Kansas quietly changed two numbers that matter to anyone sending invoices: small claims jumped from $4,000 to $10,000 in 2024, and the state's default interest rate is higher than most of its neighbors'. Its 15% written-rate cap also comes with an exclusion for business transactions that most guides leave out. Here's what Kansas freelancers and small businesses need to know.
Kansas Late Fee Calculator
Quick estimate at 1.25%/month — 15% a year, the rate that holds under every reading of Kansas law. For grace periods, flat fees, and a PDF invoice, use the full late fee calculator.
No Late Fee Clause? Kansas Still Gives You 10% a Year
Under K.S.A. 16-201, creditors may receive interest at 10% per annum when no other rate is agreed, on any money after it becomes due. An invoice with a due date is money that became due. So even if your contract never mentions a late fee, Kansas law attaches a 10% annual rate from the day the invoice went overdue.
That is higher than the default in most neighboring states — Missouri's is 9%, Colorado's 8%, Oklahoma's and Iowa's lower still. It is not self-executing: the client won't add it to the check on their own, and you may need a demand letter or a court judgment to collect it. But it gives you a statutory number to point to when you write, "interest continues to accrue at the Kansas legal rate."
Is There a Cap on a Written Late Fee in Kansas?
K.S.A. 16-207 limits the rate on a written "instrument ... for the payment or forbearance of money" to 15% per annum. Two things decide whether that matters to you:
- Business clients are most likely outside it. The statute excludes "a business or agricultural transaction" — credit made primarily for purposes other than personal, family or household use. An agency, a manufacturer, or a local company paying your invoice is a business transaction.
- A late charge on a service invoice isn't a classic loan. Whether it counts as "forbearance of money" at all is the kind of question that only gets answered in a dispute.
The rate that survives every reading: 1.25% a month. That is exactly 15% a year — at the ceiling if the cap applies, and comfortably reasonable if it doesn't. The national-standard 1.5% a month (18% a year) is usually fine with a business client, but 1.25% removes the argument entirely, which is why the calculator above defaults to it.
If your client is an individual paying for something personal — a family portrait session, a home renovation plan — consumer credit rules can apply instead. Stay at or under 15% a year and keep the clause simple.
Whatever the rate, state it as a monthly or annual figure. A fee written per day (for example, "2% per day late") compounds into a number that reads as a penalty rather than compensation; is a daily late fee legal on an invoice walks through why.
Kansas Small Claims Is Now $10,000 — Many Sources Still Say $4,000
The Kansas Legislature raised the small claims ceiling to $10,000 (K.S.A. 61-2703, amended in 2024, effective July 1, 2024), exclusive of interest and costs. The previous limit was $4,000, and a lot of guides — and some AI answers — still quote it. If you were told your $6,500 invoice was "too big for small claims," check the date of the source.
Kansas small claims is built for people to file on their own: lawyers generally cannot represent a party unless the other side is itself a lawyer. The docket fee is modest; check the current amount with your district court clerk before filing. For a $3,000–$10,000 invoice, that combination makes Kansas one of the better states in this series to self-file. Whether it's worth your hours is a separate question — is it worth suing a client over an unpaid invoice works through that arithmetic.
How Kansas Compares to Its Neighbors
Scroll sideways to see all columns
| State | Rate rule | Small claims limit |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas | 10%/yr default; 15% written cap with a business-transaction exclusion | $10,000 (since July 2024) |
| Missouri | 9%/yr default; no commercial ceiling once written | $5,000 |
| Oklahoma | 6% default; no cap if written | $10,000 |
| Colorado | 8%/yr default; no commercial ceiling once written | $7,500 |
| Iowa | 5% default; no cap if business-purpose | $6,500 |
The Kansas City metro straddles the state line, so it's common for a Kansas freelancer to bill a Missouri client or the reverse. Two practical differences: Kansas small claims now goes to $10,000 against Missouri's $5,000, and Kansas's no-contract default (10%) is a point higher than Missouri's (9%). File where the client is located or where the work was performed, and see the Missouri guide or Oklahoma guide for the other side of the line.
Setting Up Enforceable Late Fees in Kansas
- Write the rate into the contract if you want more than the 10% default — 1.25% a month is the conservative choice, 1.5% is common with business clients.
- Confirm who the client is. An LLC or corporation is a business transaction; an individual paying for personal use is not.
- Put the rate and due date on every invoice, not only in the original agreement.
- Get the engagement in writing. A written contract gives you five years to sue; an oral one gives you three.
Collecting in Kansas
- Small claims (district court): up to $10,000, exclusive of interest and costs (K.S.A. 61-2703, since July 1, 2024)
- Lawyers: generally not permitted in small claims unless the other party is a lawyer
- Default interest with no agreed rate: 10% a year from the due date (K.S.A. 16-201)
- Statute of limitations: 5 years for written contracts (K.S.A. 60-511), 3 years for oral or implied contracts (K.S.A. 60-512)
Need to calculate exactly what your Kansas client owes with late fees included? Get the updated total instantly.
Calculate Late Fees →Kansas is a solid state to invoice from: a 10% default even without a clause, a written-rate ceiling that business clients most likely fall outside of, and a small claims limit that more than doubled in 2024. Write 1.25–1.5% a month into your agreement, confirm the client is a business, and most unpaid invoices can be pursued without a lawyer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a free Kansas late fee calculator? +
Yes. The quick calculator above estimates the fee at 1.25% a month, which equals 15% a year and sits at the Kansas written-contract ceiling under any reading of the statute. For grace periods, flat fees and a downloadable PDF, use GetSoloTools' full late fee calculator.
What interest can I charge in Kansas if my contract doesn't mention a late fee? +
10% a year. K.S.A. 16-201 lets creditors receive interest at 10% per annum when no other rate is agreed, on money after it becomes due. So an unpaid invoice earns 10% a year from its due date even without a late fee clause, although you may still have to go to court to collect it.
What is the maximum late fee in Kansas? +
K.S.A. 16-207 caps interest on a written instrument for the payment or forbearance of money at 15% a year, but it excludes business and agricultural transactions, meaning credit made primarily for purposes other than personal, family or household use. An invoice to a business client is most likely outside the cap, so the common 1.5% a month is usually defensible. Because a late charge on a service invoice is not a classic loan, the safest rate that holds under every reading is 1.25% a month, which is exactly 15% a year. Clients who are individuals buying for personal use are a different case and can bring consumer credit rules into play.
What is the small claims limit in Kansas? +
$10,000, excluding interest and costs, under K.S.A. 61-2703 as amended in 2024 (effective July 1, 2024). Many websites still show the old $4,000 figure. Lawyers generally cannot represent parties in Kansas small claims unless the other side is a lawyer, so it is designed for you to file yourself.
How long do I have to sue for an unpaid invoice in Kansas? +
Five years on a written contract (K.S.A. 60-511) and three years on an oral or implied agreement (K.S.A. 60-512). An email thread where the client accepted your quote is far better evidence than a phone call, so get the engagement in writing.