Minnesota Residential Contractor License Renewal (DLI)

Last reviewed October 2026 · 6 min read

Minnesota residential building contractor and residential remodeler licenses are two-year business licenses issued by the Department of Labor and Industry (DLI). They expire on March 31, some in odd-numbered years and some in even-numbered years, and renew online in iMS for $505 to $705, depending on gross annual receipts. A renewal DLI receives complete by March 1 is timely. Before the license can renew, its qualifying person's Q registration must be active (14 hours of approved CE every two years), and DLI needs current liability insurance and workers' compensation information and an active Secretary of State filing, if your business needs one.

At a glance

Who needs it: Anyone who contracts directly with an owner of residential real estate (one to four units) to do work in more than one special skill, such as carpentry, roofing and interior finishing, and owners who build or improve homes for resale or speculation. A residential remodeler works only on existing structures; a residential building contractor can also build new homes and other new structures
Expires: On March 31, every two years. Some licenses expire in odd-numbered years and others in even-numbered years: check the expiration date on your own license with DLI's license lookup
Timely renewal: A complete renewal DLI receives by March 1 is timely: unless DLI sends a notice of denial, you can keep doing business while it's processed, even before the renewed license arrives (Minn. Stat. 326B.885). An incomplete renewal isn't processed
Fee: $505 if gross annual receipts are less than $1 million, $605 from $1 million to $5 million, $705 above $5 million, for a complete renewal received before the license expires. It includes the Contractor Recovery Fund fee, based on gross annual receipts for your most recent fiscal year
Late fee: DLI's renewal page and renewal packet charge $90 when DLI receives the completed renewal after the expiration date
Qualifying person: The license can't be renewed unless its qualifying person (QP) has an active Q registration. A Q registration is good for two years from the date the QP passed the license exam and renews every two years, so its expiration date may not match the license's
Continuing education: The QP needs 14 hours of DLI-approved CE every two years, including at least one hour on energy codes and one on business management strategies for residential construction. The Q registration renews automatically once the hours are complete. Credit for the same course can't be counted twice in one licensing period
Getting credit: Course sponsors report CE credits to DLI. Keep copies of your course completion certificates
Insurance on file: DLI must have current information on your liability insurance and your compliance with Minnesota's workers' compensation requirements. If it's out of date, upload a liability certificate (ACORD or DLI's form) signed by your insurance agent, with your business name exactly as filed with the Secretary of State and DLI listed as certificate holder, and DLI's workers' comp compliance form if needed
Insurance minimums: Commercial general liability, including premises and operations and products and completed operations, of at least $100,000 per occurrence and $300,000 aggregate for bodily injury plus $25,000 of property damage, or a single limit of $300,000 per occurrence and $300,000 aggregate, from an insurer licensed in Minnesota (Minn. Stat. 326B.86)
Secretary of State filing: Your corporation, LLC or assumed name filing with the Minnesota Secretary of State must be active, and your business name must appear exactly as filed on every license document
Renew: Online in iMS, DLI's application and renewal system, or with DLI's paper renewal packet. DLI says online renewals are processed about a week sooner than mailed ones
After it expires: While the license is expired you can't do the work it covers, and municipalities can't issue building permits to a contractor whose renewal hasn't been processed and approved. DLI's reinstatement page lists what to file to get it back. More than two years after expiration it can't be renewed: apply for a new license (Minn. Stat. 326B.094)

If your business structure changes (for example, a sole proprietorship becomes an LLC), you need a new license for the new entity, not a renewal.

If your qualifying person leaves, tell DLI in writing within 15 days (Minn. Stat. 326B.805). You have 120 days to get a new qualifying person, or the license is terminated automatically (Minn. Stat. 326B.825).

If a Q registration stays inactive for more than two years, the qualifying person must retake the license exam. Inactive for less than two years, they only need the 14 hours of CE.

Your license number must be on building permits and permit applications, business cards, contracts and all advertising, including signs, vehicles and websites (Minn. Stat. 326B.87).

A contractor whose gross annual receipts from residential work stay within the $15,000 limit can hold a certificate of exemption instead, renewed with a yearly affidavit. Residential roofers hold a separate roofer license with its own renewal packet and a $15,000 bond.

How to renew

Look up your license and your qualifying person's Q registration with DLI's license lookup, and note both expiration dates: they're often different.
Have your qualifying person finish 14 hours of DLI-approved CE, including one hour on energy codes and one on business management, so the Q registration stays active.
Check your Secretary of State filing is active (if your business needs one) and that DLI has current liability insurance and workers' comp information, with DLI as certificate holder on the certificate.
Renew in iMS (or with the paper renewal packet) and pay $505, $605 or $705, depending on gross annual receipts.
Get it to DLI complete by March 1 so it's timely and you can keep working while it's processed. It must arrive by March 31 to avoid the $90 late fee, but one received after March 1 can still lapse if DLI hasn't renewed it by then.

Still tracking this in a spreadsheet? On a paid plan, get emailed 90, 60, 30, 7 and 1 days before it expires, by default.

Start free

Deadline checklist

Months aheadLook up the license and your qualifying person's Q registration in DLI's license lookup, and book any of the 14 CE hours still missing (one on energy codes, one on business management).
Before you renewCheck your Secretary of State filing is active (if your business needs one) and DLI has current liability insurance (DLI as certificate holder) and workers' comp information.
March 1Last day for a timely renewal: a complete renewal DLI has by now lets you keep working while it's processed.
March 31The license expires. DLI charges a $90 late fee for a renewal received after this, and you can't work under the license until it's renewed.

Put this renewal in your calendar

Know your expiration date? Download a free calendar file with reminders before it, no sign-up needed. It's made in your browser: nothing you type is sent to us (your browser keeps it only if you follow the sign-up link, for your new ledger). A Google Calendar button sends just that one event to Google.

The file covers one date: once you renew, make a new one. How to add it to your calendar

The license isn't the only thing expiring

Most lapses that cost contractors work aren't the license itself. They're one of these, renewing on a different date:

Your qualifying person's Q registration, which renews on its own two-year cycle with 14 hours of CE
Your Secretary of State business filing, renewed every year
The liability insurance policy and workers' compensation information DLI must have current details of
Certificates of insurance (COIs) you've given to clients and GCs
Commercial auto insurance

LicenseLedger keeps every one of those dates in one place and emails you before each one expires, with reminders far enough ahead to finish CE and paperwork.

Track your renewal dates free

Frequently asked questions

When does a Minnesota residential contractor license expire?

On March 31, every two years. Some licenses expire in odd-numbered years and others in even-numbered years, so check the expiration date on your own license. A complete renewal DLI receives by March 1 is timely, and you can keep doing business while it's processed unless DLI sends a notice of denial.

How much does it cost to renew a Minnesota residential contractor license?

$505 if gross annual receipts are less than $1 million, $605 from $1 million to $5 million and $705 above $5 million, including the Contractor Recovery Fund fee. DLI's renewal page and packet add a $90 late fee when it receives the completed renewal after the expiration date.

How many CE hours does a Minnesota residential contractor need?

The license's qualifying person needs 14 hours of DLI-approved CE every two years, including at least one hour on energy codes and one on business management strategies. The Q registration renews automatically once the hours are complete, and the license can't be renewed unless it's active.

What insurance does a Minnesota residential contractor need?

Commercial general liability of at least $100,000 per occurrence and $300,000 aggregate for bodily injury plus $25,000 of property damage, or a single limit of $300,000 per occurrence and $300,000 aggregate, from an insurer licensed in Minnesota. DLI must also have current information on your liability insurance and workers' compensation compliance before it renews the license.

What happens if my Minnesota contractor license expires?

While the license is expired you can't do the work it covers, and municipalities can't issue building permits to a contractor whose renewal hasn't been processed and approved. DLI's reinstatement page lists what to file to get it back. More than two years after expiration it can't be renewed: apply for a new license (Minn. Stat. 326B.094).

Official sources

Rules, fees and CE requirements change. Confirm the current requirements with the official source before you renew:

Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI), contractor and remodeler license renewals

This guide is general information, not legal advice.

Other Minnesota guides

All Minnesota guides on one page

General contractor guides for other states

Get a reminder before this renewal is due

Add this license, your insurance policies and the COIs you collect from subs to LicenseLedger, and get an email before each one expires. Free for up to 3 records, no credit card required.

Start free

How LicenseLedger works for general contractors

Not ready to sign up? Get the free tracking spreadsheet

Minnesota Residential Contractor License Renewal (DLI)

Last reviewed October 2026 · 6 min read

At a glance

Who needs it: Anyone who contracts directly with an owner of residential real estate (one to four units) to do work in more than one special skill, such as carpentry, roofing and interior finishing, and owners who build or improve homes for resale or speculation. A residential remodeler works only on existing structures; a residential building contractor can also build new homes and other new structures
Expires: On March 31, every two years. Some licenses expire in odd-numbered years and others in even-numbered years: check the expiration date on your own license with DLI's license lookup
Timely renewal: A complete renewal DLI receives by March 1 is timely: unless DLI sends a notice of denial, you can keep doing business while it's processed, even before the renewed license arrives (Minn. Stat. 326B.885). An incomplete renewal isn't processed
Fee: $505 if gross annual receipts are less than $1 million, $605 from $1 million to $5 million, $705 above $5 million, for a complete renewal received before the license expires. It includes the Contractor Recovery Fund fee, based on gross annual receipts for your most recent fiscal year
Late fee: DLI's renewal page and renewal packet charge $90 when DLI receives the completed renewal after the expiration date
Qualifying person: The license can't be renewed unless its qualifying person (QP) has an active Q registration. A Q registration is good for two years from the date the QP passed the license exam and renews every two years, so its expiration date may not match the license's
Continuing education: The QP needs 14 hours of DLI-approved CE every two years, including at least one hour on energy codes and one on business management strategies for residential construction. The Q registration renews automatically once the hours are complete. Credit for the same course can't be counted twice in one licensing period
Getting credit: Course sponsors report CE credits to DLI. Keep copies of your course completion certificates
Insurance on file: DLI must have current information on your liability insurance and your compliance with Minnesota's workers' compensation requirements. If it's out of date, upload a liability certificate (ACORD or DLI's form) signed by your insurance agent, with your business name exactly as filed with the Secretary of State and DLI listed as certificate holder, and DLI's workers' comp compliance form if needed
Insurance minimums: Commercial general liability, including premises and operations and products and completed operations, of at least $100,000 per occurrence and $300,000 aggregate for bodily injury plus $25,000 of property damage, or a single limit of $300,000 per occurrence and $300,000 aggregate, from an insurer licensed in Minnesota (Minn. Stat. 326B.86)
Secretary of State filing: Your corporation, LLC or assumed name filing with the Minnesota Secretary of State must be active, and your business name must appear exactly as filed on every license document
Renew: Online in iMS, DLI's application and renewal system, or with DLI's paper renewal packet. DLI says online renewals are processed about a week sooner than mailed ones
After it expires: While the license is expired you can't do the work it covers, and municipalities can't issue building permits to a contractor whose renewal hasn't been processed and approved. DLI's reinstatement page lists what to file to get it back. More than two years after expiration it can't be renewed: apply for a new license (Minn. Stat. 326B.094)

If your business structure changes (for example, a sole proprietorship becomes an LLC), you need a new license for the new entity, not a renewal.

If a Q registration stays inactive for more than two years, the qualifying person must retake the license exam. Inactive for less than two years, they only need the 14 hours of CE.

Your license number must be on building permits and permit applications, business cards, contracts and all advertising, including signs, vehicles and websites (Minn. Stat. 326B.87).

How to renew

Look up your license and your qualifying person's Q registration with DLI's license lookup, and note both expiration dates: they're often different.
Have your qualifying person finish 14 hours of DLI-approved CE, including one hour on energy codes and one on business management, so the Q registration stays active.
Check your Secretary of State filing is active (if your business needs one) and that DLI has current liability insurance and workers' comp information, with DLI as certificate holder on the certificate.
Renew in iMS (or with the paper renewal packet) and pay $505, $605 or $705, depending on gross annual receipts.
Get it to DLI complete by March 1 so it's timely and you can keep working while it's processed. It must arrive by March 31 to avoid the $90 late fee, but one received after March 1 can still lapse if DLI hasn't renewed it by then.

Still tracking this in a spreadsheet? On a paid plan, get emailed 90, 60, 30, 7 and 1 days before it expires, by default.

Start free

Deadline checklist

Months aheadLook up the license and your qualifying person's Q registration in DLI's license lookup, and book any of the 14 CE hours still missing (one on energy codes, one on business management).
Before you renewCheck your Secretary of State filing is active (if your business needs one) and DLI has current liability insurance (DLI as certificate holder) and workers' comp information.
March 1Last day for a timely renewal: a complete renewal DLI has by now lets you keep working while it's processed.
March 31The license expires. DLI charges a $90 late fee for a renewal received after this, and you can't work under the license until it's renewed.

Put this renewal in your calendar

The file covers one date: once you renew, make a new one. How to add it to your calendar

The license isn't the only thing expiring

Most lapses that cost contractors work aren't the license itself. They're one of these, renewing on a different date:

Your qualifying person's Q registration, which renews on its own two-year cycle with 14 hours of CE
Your Secretary of State business filing, renewed every year
The liability insurance policy and workers' compensation information DLI must have current details of
Certificates of insurance (COIs) you've given to clients and GCs
Commercial auto insurance

LicenseLedger keeps every one of those dates in one place and emails you before each one expires, with reminders far enough ahead to finish CE and paperwork.

Track your renewal dates free

Frequently asked questions

When does a Minnesota residential contractor license expire?

How much does it cost to renew a Minnesota residential contractor license?

How many CE hours does a Minnesota residential contractor need?

What insurance does a Minnesota residential contractor need?

What happens if my Minnesota contractor license expires?

Official sources

Rules, fees and CE requirements change. Confirm the current requirements with the official source before you renew:

Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI), contractor and remodeler license renewals

This guide is general information, not legal advice.

Other Minnesota guides

All Minnesota guides on one page

General contractor guides for other states

Get a reminder before this renewal is due

Add this license, your insurance policies and the COIs you collect from subs to LicenseLedger, and get an email before each one expires. Free for up to 3 records, no credit card required.

Start free

How LicenseLedger works for general contractors

Not ready to sign up? Get the free tracking spreadsheet