Minnesota Credential Classifications
Minnesota's state credential surface has five families: the DLI residential licences (§ 326B.805 — BC, CR, RR and manufactured home installer), the registration and exemption layer (§ 326B.701 and the $15,000 certificate), plumbing classes (§ 326B.46), electrical classes (Board of Electricity) and the mechanical bond — which stands in for a license Minnesota does not issue. There is no general-contractor classification: chapter 326B contains no such section.
01 Five families, no contractor class
- No general-contractor license — verified absence — the chapter 326B table of sections has no GC licensing section, residential or commercial. (Rule MN-NO-GC-LICENSE.) S-MN-MCL-326B-CH
- The trigger is multi-skill, not a dollar — a direct contract with an owner of one to four units for more than one of the eight special skills needs BC or CR; roofers need RR even for a single skill. (Rules MN-BC-LICENSE, MN-SINGLE-SKILL.) S-MN-DLI-RBC-LICENSES-MN-DLI-RBC-LICENSE
- Registration replaces licensing elsewhere — single-skill residential and all commercial work register instead. (Rule MN-REGISTRATION.) S-MN-MCL-326B-701
- $15,000 certificate of exemption — a ceiling on gross annual receipts, never a licensing floor. (Rule MN-15K-EXEMPTION.) S-MN-MCL-326B-805
- Mechanical has no license at all — the $25,000 bond filed with DLI is the entire state credential, and § 326B.805 subd. 6(6) exempts mechanical contractors from the residential license. (Rule MN-MECHANICAL-NO-LICENSE.) S-MN-DLI-MECHANICAL-BOND
02 Residential licences — DLI, § 326B.805
DLI verbatim: 'Any individual or company that contracts directly with an owner of residential real estate (one to four units) to provide work in more than one special skill must have a residential building contractor or residential remodeler license' and 'An owner of residential real estate who builds or improves homes for resale or speculation must have a residential building contractor or residential remodeler license.' The BC license is the broadest: it 'can perform all of the work that a residential remodeler can plus they can build new structures' (new homes and detached garages). Qualifying person passes the QB (qualifying builder) exam; license numbers carry the BC prefix.
DLI verbatim: 'A residential remodeler can only perform work on existing structures; they cannot build new homes or detached garages.' Same multi-skill trigger, same qualifying-person/insurance/fee/renewal rules as the BC license — 'All licensing requirements are the same for both licenses – only the exams are different' (QC exam).
DLI verbatim: 'Any individual or company that contracts directly with an owner of residential real estate (one to four units) to provide just roofing work must have a residential building contractor, residential remodeler, or residential roofer license'; 'A residential roofer license does not allow the licensee to perform any work besides roofing'; 'A licensed roofer cannot contract to provide the installation of gutters, downspouts, soffit, or fascia — this work requires a residential building contractor or residential remodeler license.' Roofing is one of the eight special skills AND the only one with an always-on license for single-skill contractors ('Roofers are required to obtain a license').
§ 326B.805 subd. 1: 'A person who meets the definition of a manufactured home installer as defined in section 327.31, subdivision 11, must be licensed by the commissioner as a manufactured home installer.' Three-year renewal period (§ 326B.885 subd. 2(b): effective for all renewals and new licenses issued after December 31, 2008); $2,500 surety bond (§ 326B.86 subd. 1(c)); exterior drain/sewer and water-line connections made under § 326B.46 subd. 5 need no additional licensure, bond or insurance 'by any unit of government'.
03 Registration and the $15,000 exemption — § 326B.701, § 326B.805 subd. 6(5)
§ 326B.701 subd. 2(a) verbatim: 'any person who provides or performs building construction or improvement services in the state of Minnesota must register with the commissioner as provided in this section before providing or performing building construction or improvement services.' DLI: the program is 'for those who provide one specialty skill for residential projects and for all commercial projects, if they do not hold a residential contractor's license' — and 'If a license is required, do not register.' Registration is not a competency credential: no exam, and the application is a data disclosure (legal name, addresses, ownership percentages, WC/unemployment compliance, violations history) plus an attestation.
§ 326B.805 subd. 6(5) verbatim: the license requirement does not apply to 'a person whose total gross annual receipts for performing specialty skills for which licensure would be required under this section do not exceed $15,000.' Claimed by affidavit ('does not expect to exceed $15,000 … during the calendar year'); 'For the purposes of calculating fees under section 326B.092, a certificate of exemption is an entry level license'; renewal by affidavit of actual receipts; exceeding $15,000 in any calendar year requires the person to 'immediately surrender the certificate of exemption and apply for the appropriate license' and stay licensed until receipts fall below $15,000. Gross receipts are the TOTAL from residential contracting or remodeling 'regardless of where the activities are performed, and must not be reduced by cost of goods sold, expenses, losses or any other amount' (DLI).
04 Plumbing classes — § 326B.46
§ 326B.46 subd. 1(a): restricted journeyworker plumber is one of the four individually licensed businesses; 'A journeyworker plumber may also work as a restricted journeyworker plumber' (subd. 1(a)). The restricted tier exists for areas under 5,000 population.
§ 326B.46 subd. 1(a): journeyworker plumber is one of the four individually licensed businesses; subd. 1(c) note — the individual license alone does NOT authorize plumbing work: the contractor license governs who offers the work, and a licensed plumber employed by a contractor needs no separate contractor license (subd. 1a(c)).
§ 326B.46 subd. 1(c) verbatim: 'no person shall perform or offer to perform plumbing work with or without compensation unless the person obtains a contractor's license. A contractor's license does not of itself qualify its holder to perform the plumbing work authorized by holding a master, journeyworker, restricted master, or restricted journeyworker license.' The responsible individual must be a MASTER plumber (subd. 1b(a)); one contractor per responsible individual; 15 business days to notify a departure, 60 days to replace or the license terminates voluntarily. A plumbing contractor license 'authorizes the contractor to offer to perform, and through licensed and registered individuals, to perform plumbing work in all areas of the state.' Bond ≥ $25,000 + liability $50,000/$100,000 + $10,000 PD (subd. 2).
§ 326B.46 subd. 1b(a) verbatim: 'A restricted plumbing contractor license authorizes the contractor to offer to perform and, through licensed and registered individuals, to perform plumbing work in all areas of the state except in cities and towns with a population of more than 5,000 according to the last federal census.' Responsible individual may be a master plumber OR a restricted master plumber.
§ 326B.46 subd. 1(a) verbatim: 'No individual shall engage in or work at the business of a master plumber, restricted master plumber, journeyworker plumber, and restricted journeyworker plumber unless licensed to do so by the commissioner.' Subd. 1(a): 'A master plumber may also work as a journeyworker plumber, a restricted journeyworker plumber, and a restricted master plumber.' Required as the responsible individual for a plumbing contractor; also qualifies the employer's certificate of responsible individual (2-year filing).
§ 326B.46 subd. 1(b) verbatim: in 'cities and towns with a population of fewer than 5,000 according to the last federal census, a restricted master plumber' may be the person 'who shall be responsible for proper installation … in charge of the plumbing work'; may be the responsible individual for a restricted plumbing contractor (subd. 1b(a)).
05 Electrical classes — Board of Electricity, §§ 326B.31–399
DLI verbatim: 'We license electrical contractors, electricians, satellite system installers, sign contractors and register unlicensed individuals.' Required to contract electrical work statewide; employers may also 'register unlicensed individuals' for electrical work. The Board of Electricity adopted the 2026 NEC effective Aug. 17, 2026 — permits filed before must comply with the 2023 NEC, on/after with the 2026 NEC; licensing exams transition Sept. 8, 2026. § 326B.092 fee skeleton: business base $180 (2-year) + $8 board fee (§§ 326B.31–59 family) + $50 application/examination fee where the exam is commissioner-administered — per-class rows NOT read this phase.
DLI lists 'electricians' among the credentials the Board of Electricity licenses (plus 'register unlicensed individuals' for employed helpers). The page read publishes NO class list and NO fee amounts — class structure and per-class fees are NOT_VERIFIED and are never invented (research §J item 5).
DLI lists sign contractors among the credentials it licenses ('We license electrical contractors, electricians, satellite system installers, sign contractors…') and publishes a 'Sign contractor bonds' program; § 326B.865 is titled 'SIGN CONTRACTOR; BOND'. The bond AMOUNT was not read this phase — NOT_VERIFIED (research §J item 6).
DLI verbatim: 'We license electrical contractors, electricians, satellite system installers, sign contractors and register unlicensed individuals.' No class list or fee amount is published on the page read — NOT_VERIFIED, nothing invented.
06 Mechanical — bond only, no state license
DLI verbatim: 'While there is no state license required for mechanical contractors, businesses must file a $25,000 mechanical contractor bond with DLI in order to contract to perform gas, heating, ventilation, cooling, air conditioning, fuel burning or refrigeration work.' Bond on DLI's approved form from a Minnesota-licensed surety; $100 filing fee, valid two years, $100 renewal fee; 'mechanical contractors must comply with local licensing requirements' and cities may require individual comp cards (not issued by DLI). § 326B.805 subd. 6(6) exempts 'a mechanical contractor' from the RESIDENTIAL license while this bond regime applies.
07 Trade notes carried by these classes
- Plumbing contractor license + master plumber — the contractor license "does not of itself qualify its holder to perform the plumbing work"; the responsible individual must be a master plumber. (Rule MN-PLUMBING-LICENSE.) S-MN-MCL-326B-46
- Restricted tier under 5,000 residents — restricted plumbing contractors work everywhere except cities and towns over 5,000 by the last federal census. (Rule MN-PLUMBING-RESTRICTED.) S-MN-MCL-326B-46
- Electrical families with a code transition — contractor, electrician, sign contractor and satellite system installer, with the 2026 NEC effective for permits from August 17, 2026 and exams from September 8, 2026; the per-class fee rows were not read this phase and are withheld. (Rule MN-ELECTRICAL-LICENSE.) S-MN-DLI-ELECTRICAL