Are Non-Competes Enforceable in Kansas?

Last updated: 2026-10-07 · Verified against the statutes 2026-10-07

Enforceable if reasonable

Enforced if reasonable; short non-solicits presumed valid

Kansas courts enforce employment non-competes that protect a legitimate business interest (not just freedom from ordinary competition), do not unduly burden the employee or injure the public, and are reasonable in time and territory; they are strictly construed against the employer. Since July 1, 2025, written non-solicits of employees, and of customers the employee had material contact with, lasting two years or less are conclusively presumed enforceable. That statute expressly does not apply to covenants not to compete.

Check a non-compete

Answer a few questions; the result cites the statute behind each point. Rules verified 2026-10-07. Saved only in your browser.

Worker

How they're paid

Annual earnings ($)

Thresholds are measured differently by state (salary, cash compensation, W-2 box 1).

Profession

When was it signed?

Employment status

Restriction length (months)

Signed as part of selling a business or ownership stake

Enforceable if reasonable

Kansas enforces non-competes that protect a legitimate business interest and are reasonable in time, geography and scope.

Kansas: Enforced if reasonable; short non-solicits presumed valid. K.S.A. 50-163

Other Kansas rules to check

Non-solicitation clauses: Written employee non-solicits (if they protect confidential information, relationships or goodwill, or last 2 years or less) and customer non-solicits limited to material-contact customers for 2 years or less are conclusively presumed enforceable; courts must modify other non-solicits to make them enforceable.
If a court finds it too broad: No settled rule we could confirm.

General information, not legal advice. Enforceability also depends on the exact wording, the employer's legitimate interest and the facts; talk to an employment lawyer before relying on it.

Kansas non-compete rules

Statute: K.S.A. 50-163
Non-solicitation: Written employee non-solicits (if they protect confidential information, relationships or goodwill, or last 2 years or less) and customer non-solicits limited to material-contact customers for 2 years or less are conclusively presumed enforceable; courts must modify other non-solicits to make them enforceable.
Overbroad covenants: No settled rule we could confirm

Recent and pending changes

July 1, 2025: SB 241 (2025 ch. 74): conclusive presumptions for employee and owner non-solicits. 2025 Session Laws ch. 74 (SB 241)

Pending: SB 504 (2026), a health-care professional non-compete ban, died.

Federal law

There is no federal ban on employee non-competes. The FTC's 2024 Non-Compete Clause Rule (16 CFR Part 910), which would have voided most non-competes from September 4, 2024, never took effect: a Texas federal court set it aside nationwide on August 20, 2024 (Ryan LLC v. FTC). On September 5, 2025 the Commission voted 3-1 to drop its appeals and accept that ruling, and on February 12, 2026 it formally removed Part 910 from the Code of Federal Regulations. State law therefore decides whether a non-compete is enforceable.

Frequently asked questions

Are non-competes enforceable in Kansas?

Enforced if reasonable; short non-solicits presumed valid. Kansas courts enforce employment non-competes that protect a legitimate business interest (not just freedom from ordinary competition), do not unduly burden the employee or injure the public, and are reasonable in time and territory; they are strictly construed against the employer. Since July 1, 2025, written non-solicits of employees, and of customers the employee had material contact with, lasting two years or less are conclusively presumed enforceable. That statute expressly does not apply to covenants not to compete.

Did the FTC ban non-competes in Kansas?

No. The FTC's 2024 rule never took effect — a federal court set it aside in August 2024, the FTC dropped its appeals in September 2025 and removed the rule from the Code of Federal Regulations in February 2026. State law controls, though the FTC still challenges some non-competes case by case.

Official Sources

Figures checked against these sources on 2026-10-07

Other states

Same category (Enforceable if reasonable): Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi

← Iowa All states map & table Kentucky →

Protect information instead with a confidentiality agreement (NDA generator), or hiring in Kansas? Use the offer letter generator.

Not legal advice. Enforceability depends on the agreement's wording and the facts; consult an employment attorney licensed in Kansas.