Kansas Office of the State Bank Commissioner

The Office of the State Bank Commissioner regulates all state-chartered banks, trust companies, mortgage businesses, supervised lenders, credit service organizations, and money transmitters that do business in the State of Kansas. The Office of the State Bank Commissioner embraces equitable treatment of regulated institutions, and strives to maintain the highest ethical and professional standards. We believe the public’s reliance upon our regulatory function is of vital importance to our state’s economy. We strive to incorporate regulatory responsibilities, education, preservation of the dual banking system, and promote fair and equitable treatment of Kansas consumers and creditors. We undertake our responsibilities and goals with a deep sense of commitment to the State of Kansas, its citizens, and the institutions we regulate. OUR MISSION Ensure the integrity of regulated providers of financial services through responsible and proactive oversight, while protecting and educating consumers. HISTORY The Office of the State Bank Commissioner has been serving the great state of Kansas since 1891. 1891 The Office of the State Bank Commissioner was created by Section 28, Chapter 43 of the Laws of Kansas of 1891. The law provided for the appointment of a Commissioner and 1 deputy and recommend the appointment of another deputy, a clerk, and a stenographer. The commissioner or his deputy must visit each bank doing business in the state (except National) at least once a year. 1897 A second law was passed in 1897 which was far more comprehensive than that of 1891. It required banks to secure a charter of incorporation from the state, and when all its requirements were complied with, the commissioner was empowered to issue a certificate authorizing the bank to transact business. 1901 Laws were passed in 1901 that placed trust companies under the banking laws of the state. 1911 Kansas was the first state to enact “Blue Sky Laws” to protect investments. The state bank commissioner Joseph Norman Dolley encouraged states legislators to pass the bill. The law got its name when Progressives insisted that these investments in stocks and bonds be secured by more than “a piece of the Big Blue Kansas Sky.” The Kansas law served as a model for similar statutes in other states. Forty-seven states between 1911 and 1933 adopted “blue sky” statutes. 1933 The FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) was created in 1933 during the depths of the Great Depression to protect bank depositors and ensure a level of trust in the American banking system. 1999 The Office of the Consumer Credit Commissioner was abolished July 1st, 1999 and became the Consumer and Mortgage Lending Division, one of the two divisions within the Office of the State Bank Commissioner.