Minnesota Requirements: Continuing Education, Renewal & the Residential Code
A Minnesota license must be renewed every two years with continuing education, and the exam leans heavily on the state Residential Code. This chapter reviews the 14-hour CE requirement, the two-year renewal cycle, workers' compensation, and the open-book code emphasis.
Two-year renewal and 14 hours of continuing education
Minnesota residential contractor licenses renew on a two-year cycle. During each cycle the license's qualifying person must complete 14 hours of DLI-approved continuing education, including at least one hour on energy code and at least one hour on business and law topics. Continuing education keeps the qualifier current on code changes and licensing law. Letting CE lapse can block renewal, so contractors should track their hours across the two-year period.
Insurance and workers' compensation
A Minnesota residential contractor must maintain general liability and, if it has employees, workers' compensation insurance. Minnesota generally requires workers' compensation coverage for employers with employees, subject to narrow exceptions. Because Minnesota uses the Contractor Recovery Fund in place of a universal bond, the contractor's own liability and workers' compensation policies remain the front-line protection for injuries and property damage on the job.
Open-book exam with a Residential Code emphasis
The Minnesota licensing exam is open book, and roughly 60% of it tests the 2020 Minnesota Residential Code while about 40% tests statutes, licensing, and business law. Candidates may bring and use the approved code book and the DLI reference manual, so success depends on being able to locate answers quickly rather than memorizing every code value. Even so, the Minnesota-specific facts — the $15,000 exemption, the Recovery Fund, and the 1/2/10-year warranties — should be known well enough to answer without searching.
State-specific details
State exam facts
Does Minnesota require a state contractor license?
Yes. The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) licenses Residential Building Contractors and Remodelers under Minn. Stat. Chapter 326B. A license is required to contract directly with a homeowner in more than one special skill.
Who is exempt from the Minnesota contractor license?
A person is exempt if gross annual receipts from residential building work are $15,000 or less, or if the work involves only a single special skill (Minn. Stat. 326B.805).
How does Minnesota protect homeowners instead of a bond?
Instead of a surety bond, Minnesota uses the Contractor Recovery Fund (Minn. Stat. 326B.89) to reimburse owners for losses caused by a licensee. The exam is delivered directly by DLI and is open book; licenses renew every two years with 14 hours of continuing education.
Sources: https://www.dli.mn.gov