# Kansas Royalty Payment Law: Deadlines, Interest and Owner Remedies

> Kansas oil and gas royalty payment rules from the statute text: first-payment deadline, later payments, late-payment interest, suspense, division orders, owner remedies, check stubs and unclaimed royalties, with citations. Educational, not legal advice.

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Quick answer

Kansas sets when interest starts rather than a payment deadline: interest begins 60 days after the last day of the month of sale, and for sales in the first 60 days after a well's initial sale (the first sale after production begins, not counting frac or swab oil) no interest runs if payment is mailed within 120 days after the end of the month of initial sale (K.S.A. 55-1615). The rate is 1.5 percentage points above the rate the New York Federal Reserve Bank charges on loans to depository institutions, and the prevailing party may recover reasonable attorney fees at the court's discretion.

## Kansas royalty payment rules at a glance

Main statute: **K.S.A. 55-1614 to 55-1622b (interest on late oil and gas payments and payment statements)**.

| Topic | What the statute says | Citation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| First payment deadline | No deadline as such; interest-free if mailed within 120 days of the month of initial sale | K.S.A. 55-1615; K.S.A. 55-1614(f) |
| Later payments | Interest runs from 60 days after the last day of the month of sale (not on excluded small accumulations) | K.S.A. 55-1614(i); K.S.A. 55-1615; K.S.A. 55-1614(d) |
| Minimum payment and aggregation | $100 or less over 12 months may be paid annually | K.S.A. 55-1614(i)(1); K.S.A. 55-1614(i)(2); K.S.A. 55-1614(i) |
| Interest on late payments | 1.5 points above the New York Fed rate on loans to depository institutions | K.S.A. 55-1618; K.S.A. 55-1614(h); K.S.A. 55-1615; K.S.A. 55-1616 |
| Suspense and withheld payments | No general suspense statute; receiver-leased minority interests held in suspense | K.S.A. 55-221 |
| Division orders | No statute found | — |
| Owner remedies, notice and attorney fees | Suit in the county of production; attorney fees at the court's discretion | K.S.A. 55-1617; K.S.A. 55-1619; K.S.A. 55-1622b(b); K.S.A. 55-1622b(a) |
| Check-stub disclosures | Statutory list of items with each payment | K.S.A. 55-1622a; K.S.A. 55-1620; K.S.A. 55-1620(a)-(e); K.S.A. 55-1620(f)-(i); K.S.A. 55-1622(b); K.S.A. 55-1622(a)(5) |
| Unclaimed royalties (escheat) | No mineral-specific period; five years for property not otherwise listed | K.S.A. 58-3934(a); K.S.A. 58-3934(k); K.S.A. 58-3934; K.S.A. 58-3935(a)(16); K.S.A. 58-3935(b) |

## First payment deadline

Kansas does not set a payment deadline as such; it sets when interest begins. Interest on a payment begins to accrue 60 days after the last day of the month of the sale. For sales during the first 60 days after a well's initial sale (which excludes any sale of frac oil or swab oil), interest does not begin if payment is mailed within 120 days after the last day of the month of the initial sale.

For sales in the first 60 days after a well's initial sale, no interest accrues if payment is mailed within 120 days after the last day of the month of the initial sale. ([K.S.A. 55-1615](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0015.html))

> Statute text “interest shall not commence on oil or gas sales occurring during the first 60 days following the initial sale provided payment is placed in the United States mail, postage prepaid, and addressed to payee, within 120 days following the last calendar day of the month of the initial sale.”

"Initial sale" is the first sale made after a well begins initial production, excluding sales of frac oil or swab oil. ([K.S.A. 55-1614(f)](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0014.html))

> Statute text “"Initial sale" means that first sale first made in time after a well commences initial oil or gas production, excluding any sale of frac oil or swab oil.”

## Later payments

For each payment, interest begins to accrue 60 days after the last calendar day of the month of the sale (the 'first sale' of that oil or gas after severance) and stops when the payment is mailed to the payee. Interest does not apply to 'excluded payments', such as 12-month accumulations of $100 or less paid on the statute's schedule (K.S.A. 55-1614(i)).

'Excluded payments' include 12-month accumulations to one payee of $100 or less, paid annually if over $10 (monthly on written request if over $25), and accumulations of $10 or less paid when production ceases or the payor's responsibility ends. ([K.S.A. 55-1614(i)](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0014.html))

> Statute text “(i) "Excluded payments" means: (1) Payments which in the aggregate of 12 months' accumulation of oil or gas proceeds to one payee do not exceed $100, provided such excluded payments are disbursed annually if exceeding $10, and provided that upon written request of the payee, such excluded payments are disbursed monthly if exceeding $25; or (2) payments which in the aggregate of the accumulation of oil or gas proceeds to one payee do not exceed $10, provided such excluded payments are disbursed when production from the relevant well or wells ceases or when the payor's responsibility for making”

Interest begins 60 days after the last calendar day of the month of first sale and stops on the day the payment is mailed to the payee. ([K.S.A. 55-1615](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0015.html))

> Statute text “Interest shall commence to accrue 60 days following the last calendar day of the month of first sale and shall cease to accrue upon the day that payor places the payment in the United States mail, postage prepaid and addressed to payee.”

"First sale" means the first transfer of ownership of the oil or gas after it is severed from the ground. ([K.S.A. 55-1614(d)](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0014.html))

> Statute text “"First sale" means the transfer of ownership of oil or gas first occurring after its severance from the ground.”

## Minimum payment and aggregation

'Excluded payments' (on which no statutory interest is owed) are 12-month accumulations to one payee of $100 or less, which must be paid annually if over $10 and monthly on written request if over $25; and accumulations of $10 or less, which must be paid when production or the payor's payment responsibility ends, or annually on written request. Before accumulating proceeds over $25, the payor must notify the payee of the option to be paid monthly.

Payments whose 12-month accumulation to one payee does not exceed $100 are excluded payments; they must be paid annually if over $10 and monthly on written request if over $25. ([K.S.A. 55-1614(i)(1)](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0014.html))

> Statute text “Payments which in the aggregate of 12 months' accumulation of oil or gas proceeds to one payee do not exceed $100, provided such excluded payments are disbursed annually if exceeding $10, and provided that upon written request of the payee, such excluded payments are disbursed monthly if exceeding $25”

Accumulations of $10 or less are excluded payments, paid when production or the payor's payment responsibility ceases, or annually on written request. ([K.S.A. 55-1614(i)(2)](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0014.html))

> Statute text “payments which in the aggregate of the accumulation of oil or gas proceeds to one payee do not exceed $10, provided such excluded payments are disbursed when production from the relevant well or wells ceases or when the payor's responsibility for making payment for production ceases, whichever occurs first, and provided that upon written request of the payee, such excluded payments are disbursed annually.”

Before accumulating proceeds over $25, the payor must notify the payee of the monthly-payment option and how to request it. ([K.S.A. 55-1614(i)](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0014.html))

> Statute text “Before proceeds greater than $25 may be accumulated, the payor shall provide notice to the payee that there is an option to be paid monthly for proceeds greater than $25.”

## Interest on late payments

Interest is owed on any payment other than excluded payments at 1.5 percentage points above the New York Federal Reserve Bank's rate on loans to depository institutions, reset on the first business day of each month and applied to the unpaid balance at the end of the prior month. If the payor segregates the money in an interest-bearing account at a federally insured institution earning that institution's highest rate, the rate is the interest actually earned. Interest stops when payment is mailed or when the funds are received by a state under its unclaimed property law. A waiver of this interest is effective only if made in a signed writing that expressly refers to the act and its interest rate. The act does not apply to an interest payment governed by a federal statute, rule or order (K.S.A. 55-1618).

The act does not apply to any interest payment governed by a federal statute or a valid federal rule, regulation or order. ([K.S.A. 55-1618](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0018.html))

> Statute text “No provision of this act shall be construed to apply to any interest payment governed, in law or equity, by any statute of the United States of America or any valid rule and regulation or order promulgated thereunder.”

The rate is 1.5 percentage points above the New York Fed's rate on loans to depository institutions on the first business day of each month, or the interest actually earned if the payor segregates the money in a qualifying interest-bearing account. ([K.S.A. 55-1614(h)](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0014.html))

> Statute text “"Interest rate provided herein" means that rate equal to one and one-half percentage points above the interest rate charged on loans to depository institutions by the New York Federal Reserve Bank at the start of business on the first business day of each month, unless the payor segregates the payment from its operating funds and deposits the same in a demand deposit account with a federally insured bank or savings and loan institution that earns interest at the highest rate being offered by that institution for the amount due payee by payor in such account, in which case the "interest rate provided herein" means the interest rate actually earned by payor on that account.”

Interest is owed on any payment other than excluded payments, recalculated each month on the unpaid balance at that month's rate. ([K.S.A. 55-1615](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0015.html))

> Statute text “The payor shall owe its payee interest on any payment, other than excluded payments, at the interest rate provided herein, determined on the first business day of the month that interest commences to accrue for that payment. For each subsequent month, the payor shall owe its payee interest on the unpaid balance due payee on the last day of the month preceding such subsequent month at the interest rate provided herein determined on the first business day of each such subsequent month.”

Interest on any portion paid to a state as unclaimed property stops when the state receives it. ([K.S.A. 55-1615](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0015.html))

> Statute text “In the event a payor pays a payee's payment or portion thereof to a state under applicable unclaimed, abandoned or escheat property laws, then payor's obligation to pay interest on the portion paid over to the state shall cease upon the day that such state receives the payment from payor.”

A waiver of interest has no effect unless in a writing signed by the payee that expressly refers to the act and its interest rate. ([K.S.A. 55-1616](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0016.html))

> Statute text “Any waiver of the interest provided by this act shall be of no force or effect, unless such waiver is evidenced by a written document executed by payee which clearly states that payee waives payee's right to receive interest provided by this act by an express reference to this act, including reference to the rate of interest provided in this act.”

## Suspense and withheld payments

We found no Kansas statute listing general grounds (such as a title dispute, unmarketable title, a missing division order or a missing address) on which a payor may suspend payment, or excusing interest on suspended funds. One narrow rule: where a court-appointed receiver leases a minority mineral interest, future production payments under that lease must be retained in suspense by the purchasing company until court order or distribution under the unclaimed property act (K.S.A. 55-221). K.S.A. 55-1615 imposes interest on 'any payment, other than excluded payments', and contains no title-dispute exception.

Where a court-appointed receiver leases a minority mineral interest, any future production payments under that lease must be retained in suspense by the oil and gas purchasing company until further court order or until required to be distributed under the unclaimed property act. ([K.S.A. 55-221](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_002_0021.html))

> Statute text “Any and all future production payments or other benefits paid under such oil and gas lease shall be retained in suspense by the oil and gas purchasing company and held until further orders of the court or until required to be distributed pursuant to the uniform unclaimed property act, K.S.A. 58-3934 et seq., and amendments thereto.”

## Division orders

We found no Kansas statute governing division orders (when one may be required, its permitted contents or its effect).

**What we read:** Read K.S.A. 55-1614 through 55-1622b in full and scanned every section title in K.S.A. Chapter 55 on ksrevisor.gov for 'division order' or transfer-order provisions; none found. K.S.A. 55-1621 states only that the 1997 payment-information act does not amend or affect existing contractual obligations or rights. Sources read: [K.S.A. 55-1614 — Interest payments on payments from oil or gas production; definitions](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0014.html); [K.S.A. 55-1615 — Interest on certain payments required; commencement and amount of payments; exception](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0015.html); [K.S.A. 55-1616 — Force and effect of waivers](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0016.html); [K.S.A. 55-1617 — Jurisdiction of court to settle disputes; attorney fees](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0017.html); [K.S.A. 55-1619 — Rights of payee not limited or impaired](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0019.html); [K.S.A. 55-1620 — Oil and gas payments to interest owners; information required to be included](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0020.html); [K.S.A. 55-1622 — Oil and gas payments to interest owners; specific listing of information; when](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0022.html); [K.S.A. 55-1622a — Annual notice to royalty interest owners, required contents](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0022a.html); [K.S.A. 55-1622b — Failure to provide required information; mediation; civil action](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0022b.html).

## Owner remedies, notice and attorney fees

The district court of the county where the oil or gas is produced is a proper venue. The prevailing party in a proceeding under the interest act on which judgment is rendered may recover court costs and reasonable attorney fees at the court's discretion. The act does not limit any other right of the payee to recover payment. For missing payment-statement information or an unanswered certified-mail request, either party may request mediation after 60 days, and the royalty owner may sue in the county of production, with the prevailing party entitled to reasonable court costs and attorney fees. We found no pre-suit notice requirement for late-payment interest claims.

The district court of the county of production is a proper venue; the prevailing party may recover court costs and reasonable attorney fees at the court's discretion. ([K.S.A. 55-1617](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0017.html))

> Statute text “The district court of the county in which oil or gas is produced shall be a court of proper venue for proceedings brought pursuant to this act. The prevailing party in a proceeding brought pursuant to this act on which a judgment is rendered may recover court costs and reasonable attorney fees at the discretion of the court.”

The act does not limit or impair any other right of the payee to receive or recover payment. ([K.S.A. 55-1619](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0019.html))

> Statute text “No provision of this act shall be construed to limit or otherwise impair the rights of the payee to receive or recover any payment or any other right of payee whatsoever conferred in law or equity or by statute or otherwise.”

If statement information is not provided or a certified-mail request goes unanswered for 60 days, the royalty owner may sue in the county of production; the prevailing party recovers reasonable court costs and attorney fees. ([K.S.A. 55-1622b(b)](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0022b.html))

> Statute text “the royalty owner may bring a civil action against such payor or seller of production, or both, in the district court of the county in which the royalty owner's oil or gas is produced to enforce the provisions of K.S.A. 55-1620 or 55-1622, and amendments thereto. The prevailing party in such action shall be entitled to recover reasonable court costs and attorney fees.”

Either party may request mediation; the KCC conservation division keeps a list of qualified mediators. ([K.S.A. 55-1622b(a)](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0022b.html))

> Statute text “fail to respond within the 60-day period, either party may request mediation. The conservation division of the state corporation commission shall maintain a list of qualified mediators”

## Check-stub disclosures

Each payment for oil or gas proceeds must be accompanied by (or allow calculation of) the lease/property/well name or ID, sales month and year, oil and gas volumes, price, state severance and production taxes, the payee's decimal interest, and the payee's share before and after deductions, plus an address and phone number for questions. Royalty owners may request by certified mail further details (state/API well IDs, legal location, field or formation, reported volumes, other deductions, split-stream and affiliate sales), which must be answered by certified mail within 60 days. Payors must send an annual notice of these rights. A payor need not provide information for sales periods before the 12 months preceding the month of the request, except adjustments made within that period (K.S.A. 55-1622a).

A payor need not provide information for sales periods before the 12-month period preceding the month in which the request is received, except information about adjustments made within that period to earlier sales periods. ([K.S.A. 55-1622a](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0022a.html))

> Statute text “A payor shall not be required to (1) provide any information pursuant to a request made on behalf of multiple royalty owners, (2) provide any information for sales periods which were prior to the 12-month period immediately preceding the first day of the month in which the request is received, except that, if adjustments to a royalty owner's payment have been made within such 12-month period for sales periods prior to such 12-month period, information concerning such adjustments shall be provided”

Each payment must be accompanied by, or allow calculation of, the listed information. ([K.S.A. 55-1620](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0020.html))

> Statute text “When a payment is made for proceeds attributable to oil or gas production, the payment shall be accompanied by the following information, or the following information shall be calculable from the information provided with the payment:”

Required items: lease/property/well name or ID; sales month and year; oil volume in barrels and gas volume in MCF; price; state severance and production taxes. ([K.S.A. 55-1620(a)-(e)](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0020.html))

> Statute text “(a) The lease, property, or well name or any lease, property, or well identification number used to identify the lease, or well; (b) the month and year during which the sale occurred for which payment is being made; (c) the total volume of oil, attributable to such payment, measured in barrels and the total volume of either wet or dry gas, attributable to such payment, measured in thousand cubic feet; (d) the price per barrel of oil or thousand cubic feet of gas sold; (e) total amount of state severance and production taxes;”

Required items also include the payee's decimal interest, the payee's share before and after deductions, and an address and phone number for questions. ([K.S.A. 55-1620(f)-(i)](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0020.html))

> Statute text “(f) payee's interest in the sale expressed as a decimal; (g) payee's share of the sale before any deductions or adjustments; (h) payee's share of the sale after deductions or adjustments; (i) an address and telephone number from which additional information may be obtained and any questions answered.”

Royalty-owner requests must be in writing by certified mail; the payor must answer by certified mail within 60 days, limited to the prior 12 months except for adjustments made in that period. ([K.S.A. 55-1622(b)](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0022.html))

> Statute text “Any request made by a royalty owner pursuant to this section shall be made in writing, specifying the information desired and the sales period or periods for which information is needed, and shall be made by certified mail. The payor shall respond to such a request by certified mail not later than the 60th day after the date the request is received.”

On request, the payor must give a specific listing of the amount and purpose of other deductions not shown on the payment statement. ([K.S.A. 55-1622(a)(5)](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0022.html))

> Statute text “A specific listing of the amount and purpose of any other deductions or adjustments from the royalty owner's share of the sale of oil and gas not identified on the payment statement.”

At least once every 12 months the payor must send each royalty owner it pays a statutory notice of these information rights. ([K.S.A. 55-1622a](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0022a.html))

> Statute text “Not later than December 31, 2006, and at least once every 12 months thereafter, the payor shall provide the following statement to each royalty interest owner to whom the payor makes a payment:”

## Unclaimed royalties (escheat)

Kansas's unclaimed property act, administered by the State Treasurer, lists mineral proceeds (bonuses, royalties, shut-in and minimum royalties, delay rentals, net revenue interests, overriding royalties and production payments) as property. It names no separate period for them; its period for property not otherwise listed is five years after the owner's right to demand the property or the obligation to pay arises, whichever first occurs.

The administrator of the unclaimed property act is the state treasurer. ([K.S.A. 58-3934(a)](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch58/058_039_0034.html))

> Statute text “"Administrator" means the state treasurer.”

"Mineral proceeds" includes bonuses, royalties, shut-in and minimum royalties, delay rentals, net revenue interests, overriding royalties and production payments. ([K.S.A. 58-3934(k)](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch58/058_039_0034.html))

> Statute text “"Mineral proceeds" means amounts payable for the extraction, production or sale of minerals, or, upon abandonment of those payments, all payments that become payable thereafter. The term includes amounts payable: (1) For the acquisition and retention of a mineral lease, including bonuses, royalties, compensatory royalties, shut-in royalties, minimum royalties and delay rentals; (2) for the extraction, production or sale of minerals, including net revenue interests, royalties, overriding royalties, extraction payments and production payments;”

Property under the act expressly includes mineral proceeds. ([K.S.A. 58-3934](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch58/058_039_0034.html))

> Statute text “credit balance, customer's overpayment, security deposit, refund, credit memorandum, unpaid wage, mineral proceeds or unidentified remittance;”

Property not otherwise listed is presumed abandoned five years after the owner's right to demand it or the obligation to pay arises, whichever first occurs; the section lists no separate period for mineral proceeds. ([K.S.A. 58-3935(a)(16)](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch58/058_039_0035.html))

> Statute text “all other property, five years after the owner's right to demand the property or after the obligation to pay or distribute the property arises, whichever first occurs”

When an interest is presumed abandoned, other property rights accruing from it are also presumed abandoned. ([K.S.A. 58-3935(b)](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch58/058_039_0035.html))

> Statute text “At the time that an interest is presumed abandoned under subsection (a) any other property right accrued or accruing to the owner as a result of the interest, and not previously presumed abandoned, is also presumed abandoned.”

Official unclaimed property search: [Kansas State Treasurer — Unclaimed Property](https://missingmoney.ks.gov/).

## Frequently asked questions

### How long does a payor have to make the first royalty payment in Kansas?

Kansas does not set a payment deadline as such; it sets when interest begins. Interest on a payment begins to accrue 60 days after the last day of the month of the sale. For sales during the first 60 days after a well's initial sale (which excludes any sale of frac oil or swab oil), interest does not begin if payment is mailed within 120 days after the last day of the month of the initial sale. (K.S.A. 55-1615; K.S.A. 55-1614(f))

### When are later royalty payments due in Kansas?

For each payment, interest begins to accrue 60 days after the last calendar day of the month of the sale (the 'first sale' of that oil or gas after severance) and stops when the payment is mailed to the payee. Interest does not apply to 'excluded payments', such as 12-month accumulations of $100 or less paid on the statute's schedule (K.S.A. 55-1614(i)). (K.S.A. 55-1614(i); K.S.A. 55-1615; K.S.A. 55-1614(d))

### Can a payor hold small royalty amounts until they add up in Kansas?

'Excluded payments' (on which no statutory interest is owed) are 12-month accumulations to one payee of $100 or less, which must be paid annually if over $10 and monthly on written request if over $25; and accumulations of $10 or less, which must be paid when production or the payor's payment responsibility ends, or annually on written request. Before accumulating proceeds over $25, the payor must notify the payee of the option to be paid monthly. (K.S.A. 55-1614(i)(1); K.S.A. 55-1614(i)(2); K.S.A. 55-1614(i))

### What interest is owed on late royalty payments in Kansas?

Interest is owed on any payment other than excluded payments at 1.5 percentage points above the New York Federal Reserve Bank's rate on loans to depository institutions, reset on the first business day of each month and applied to the unpaid balance at the end of the prior month. If the payor segregates the money in an interest-bearing account at a federally insured institution earning that institution's highest rate, the rate is the interest actually earned. Interest stops when payment is mailed or when the funds are received by a state under its unclaimed property law. A waiver of this interest is effective only if made in a signed writing that expressly refers to the act and its interest rate. The act does not apply to an interest payment governed by a federal statute, rule or order (K.S.A. 55-1618). (K.S.A. 55-1618; K.S.A. 55-1614(h); K.S.A. 55-1615; K.S.A. 55-1616)

### When can royalties be held in suspense in Kansas, and does interest accrue?

We found no Kansas statute listing general grounds (such as a title dispute, unmarketable title, a missing division order or a missing address) on which a payor may suspend payment, or excusing interest on suspended funds. One narrow rule: where a court-appointed receiver leases a minority mineral interest, future production payments under that lease must be retained in suspense by the purchasing company until court order or distribution under the unclaimed property act (K.S.A. 55-221). K.S.A. 55-1615 imposes interest on 'any payment, other than excluded payments', and contains no title-dispute exception. (K.S.A. 55-221)

### What does Kansas law say about division orders?

We found no Kansas statute governing division orders (when one may be required, its permitted contents or its effect).

### What can an owner do about late or missing royalties in Kansas?

The district court of the county where the oil or gas is produced is a proper venue. The prevailing party in a proceeding under the interest act on which judgment is rendered may recover court costs and reasonable attorney fees at the court's discretion. The act does not limit any other right of the payee to recover payment. For missing payment-statement information or an unanswered certified-mail request, either party may request mediation after 60 days, and the royalty owner may sue in the county of production, with the prevailing party entitled to reasonable court costs and attorney fees. We found no pre-suit notice requirement for late-payment interest claims. (K.S.A. 55-1617; K.S.A. 55-1619; K.S.A. 55-1622b(b); K.S.A. 55-1622b(a))

### What must a royalty payment statement show in Kansas?

Each payment for oil or gas proceeds must be accompanied by (or allow calculation of) the lease/property/well name or ID, sales month and year, oil and gas volumes, price, state severance and production taxes, the payee's decimal interest, and the payee's share before and after deductions, plus an address and phone number for questions. Royalty owners may request by certified mail further details (state/API well IDs, legal location, field or formation, reported volumes, other deductions, split-stream and affiliate sales), which must be answered by certified mail within 60 days. Payors must send an annual notice of these rights. A payor need not provide information for sales periods before the 12 months preceding the month of the request, except adjustments made within that period (K.S.A. 55-1622a). (K.S.A. 55-1622a; K.S.A. 55-1620; K.S.A. 55-1620(a)-(e); K.S.A. 55-1620(f)-(i); K.S.A. 55-1622(b); K.S.A. 55-1622(a)(5))

### When do unpaid royalties go to the state unclaimed property program in Kansas?

Kansas's unclaimed property act, administered by the State Treasurer, lists mineral proceeds (bonuses, royalties, shut-in and minimum royalties, delay rentals, net revenue interests, overriding royalties and production payments) as property. It names no separate period for them; its period for property not otherwise listed is five years after the owner's right to demand the property or the obligation to pay arises, whichever first occurs. (K.S.A. 58-3934(a); K.S.A. 58-3934(k); K.S.A. 58-3934; K.S.A. 58-3935(a)(16); K.S.A. 58-3935(b))

## Sources

Last reviewed November 3, 2026.

- [K.S.A. 55-221 — Duties of receiver for minority mineral interest; duties of court](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_002_0021.html) — Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, fetched November 3, 2026
- [K.S.A. 55-1614 — Interest payments on payments from oil or gas production; definitions](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0014.html) — Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, fetched November 2, 2026
- [K.S.A. 55-1615 — Interest on certain payments required; commencement and amount of payments; exception](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0015.html) — Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, fetched November 2, 2026
- [K.S.A. 55-1616 — Force and effect of waivers](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0016.html) — Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, fetched November 2, 2026
- [K.S.A. 55-1618 — Nonapplicability to certain interest payments](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0018.html) — Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, fetched November 2, 2026
- [K.S.A. 55-1617 — Jurisdiction of court to settle disputes; attorney fees](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0017.html) — Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, fetched November 2, 2026
- [K.S.A. 55-1619 — Rights of payee not limited or impaired](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0019.html) — Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, fetched November 2, 2026
- [K.S.A. 55-1620 — Oil and gas payments to interest owners; information required to be included](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0020.html) — Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, fetched November 2, 2026
- [K.S.A. 55-1622 — Oil and gas payments to interest owners; specific listing of information; when](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0022.html) — Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, fetched November 2, 2026
- [K.S.A. 55-1622a — Annual notice to royalty interest owners, required contents](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0022a.html) — Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, fetched November 2, 2026
- [K.S.A. 55-1622b — Failure to provide required information; mediation; civil action](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch55/055_016_0022b.html) — Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, fetched November 2, 2026
- [K.S.A. 58-3934 — Disposition of unclaimed property; definitions](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch58/058_039_0034.html) — Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, fetched November 2, 2026
- [K.S.A. 58-3935 — Property presumed abandoned; when; general rule](https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch58/058_039_0035.html) — Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, fetched November 2, 2026
- [Kansas State Treasurer home page (links to Search Unclaimed Property)](https://www.kansascash.ks.gov/) — Kansas State Treasurer, fetched November 2, 2026
- [Kansas Unclaimed Property Official Website (JavaScript app; https://www.kansasstatetreasurer.com/prodweb/up/index.php redirects here; only the page title was captured)](https://missingmoney.ks.gov/) — Kansas State Treasurer, fetched November 2, 2026

## Related guides

- [Royalty payment law by state (comparison of the covered states)](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/royalty-payment-law)
- [Kansas mineral rights](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/mineral-rights/kansas)
- [Suspended royalties: why you are not getting paid](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/suspended-royalties-guide)
- [Division orders explained](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/division-orders-explained)
- [How to read a royalty statement](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/reading-royalty-statement)
- [Unclaimed mineral royalties](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/unclaimed-mineral-royalties)

## Other states

[Alabama](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/royalty-payment-law/alabama) · [Alaska](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/royalty-payment-law/alaska) · [Arkansas](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/royalty-payment-law/arkansas) · [California](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/royalty-payment-law/california) · [Colorado](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/royalty-payment-law/colorado) · [Florida](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/royalty-payment-law/florida) · [Illinois](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/royalty-payment-law/illinois) · [Indiana](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/royalty-payment-law/indiana) · [Kentucky](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/royalty-payment-law/kentucky) · [Louisiana](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/royalty-payment-law/louisiana) · [Michigan](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/royalty-payment-law/michigan) · [Mississippi](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/royalty-payment-law/mississippi) · [Montana](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/royalty-payment-law/montana) · [Nebraska](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/royalty-payment-law/nebraska) · [New Mexico](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/royalty-payment-law/new-mexico) · [New York](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/royalty-payment-law/new-york) · [North Dakota](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/royalty-payment-law/north-dakota) · [Ohio](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/royalty-payment-law/ohio) · [Oklahoma](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/royalty-payment-law/oklahoma) · [Pennsylvania](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/royalty-payment-law/pennsylvania) · [South Dakota](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/royalty-payment-law/south-dakota) · [Texas](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/royalty-payment-law/texas) · [Utah](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/royalty-payment-law/utah) · [Virginia](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/royalty-payment-law/virginia) · [West Virginia](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/royalty-payment-law/west-virginia) · [Wyoming](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/royalty-payment-law/wyoming)

Educational only — not legal advice; statutes change, so confirm the current version and consult a qualified attorney for your situation. For a question about a specific payment, consult an attorney licensed in Kansas.

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