TOPEKA – Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly directed the Kansas Department of Revenue and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to waive fees for birth certificates, marriage certificates, and vehicle registration. These directives will provide much needed relief for Kansans who experienced loss of crops, cattle, and their homes due to the wildfires from Dec. 15, in Ellis, Gove, Graham, Lane, Logan, Ness, Osborne, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Trego, and Wichita counties.
“When I met with the farmers and ranchers who were impacted by the devastating wildfires, they shared with me the financial burden they’re up against to rebuild their livelihoods,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Waiving these fees is a commonsense and necessary action this administration can take to help these Kansans recover from the wildfires.”
The Division of Vehicles will:
• Waive penalties associated with late vehicle registrations.
• Waive any fees associated with the reprint or replacement of vehicle registration documentation, printed vehicle certificate of titles, driver’s licenses, and/or identification cards.
• Issue a temporary driver’s license to an applicant who cannot provide valid documentary evidence so long as the applicant provides compelling evidence proving current lawful presence. Any temporary license issued pursuant to this declaration shall be valid for one year.
The aid from the Division of Vehicles is available until Feb. 28.
In addition, Secretary of Revenue Mark Burghart has waived fees that are typically applied to requests for tax documents from previous years for Kansans affected by the storms. Those requests can be made to Sarah Fulton, Kansas Department of Revenue’s records custodian, by email at Sarah.Fulton1@ks.gov.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s Office of Vital Statistics will:
• Waive fees for one-time replacement of Kansas birth certificates.
• Waive fees for one-time replacement of Kansas marriage certificates.
Affected Kansans should contact the Office of Vital Statistics at 785-296-1400.
The aid from the Office of Vital Statistics is available until February 28, 2022.
Additional information about recovery resources for farmers and ranchers, including mental health resources, can be found on the Kansas Department of Agriculture website.
The Kansas Forest Service estimated that nearly 165,000 acres were impacted by wildfire on Dec. 15.
On Dec. 9, 2021, Governor Kelly declared a State of Disaster Emergency due to the elevated dangers of wildfires. On Dec. 16, 2021, Governor Kelly directed the Kansas National Guard and Kansas Forest Service to deploy aerial assets to the affected areas to assist with fire suppression efforts in multiple counties with active wildfires.
