STATE LICENSE
RequiredMinnesota Department of Labor and Industr…
Minn. Stat. § 326B.46 requires individuals to be licensed as master, restricted master, journeyworker, or restricted journeyworker plumbers, requires a licensed master plumber in charge of planning, superintending, or installing plumbing, and requires anyone performing plumbing work for compensation to hold a contractor's license with a designated responsible licensed plumber.
Contractors give a bond of at least $25,000 and carry public liability insurance of at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per occurrence plus $10,000 property damage (§ 326B.46, subd. 2). The contractor license is $188; master plumbers pay $88 to start and complete 16 hours of CE per two-year license period. Restricted contractor licenses cover all areas except cities and towns over 5,000 people.
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
Plumbing licensing is state-only (DLI). Permits and inspections are local or DLI depending on the jurisdiction, and the homeowner exemption yields to any local ordinance that forbids owner plumbing. Minneapolis and St. Paul also issue city trade licenses and competency cards for plumbing/gas work.
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every Minnesota county on file.
Each row names the issuing authority, cost, timeline, citation, and status behind the requirement — verified against the official source.
Published fees from the issuing authorities, as of October 2026. Local permit fees vary by project and jurisdiction — the basis is stated where a flat number does not exist.
Plumbing contractor vehicles must show the contractor's name and license number on each side in contrasting characters at least three inches high.
Restricted masters and restricted contractors may work only in cities and towns of 5,000 or fewer residents.
If your responsible plumber leaves, notify DLI within 15 business days and name a replacement within 60 days.
A practical sequence for a new plumbing contractor in Minnesota. Actual agency processing times are noted in the ledger above.
Each item names the issuing authority, cycle, and citation.
Statutory consequences with their citations — not estimates, not “commonly cited” guesses.
DLI may issue administrative and licensing orders for unlicensed plumbing work or contracting.
Violating the plumbing licensing law is a misdemeanor unless another statute provides otherwise.
Inside city limits, the city office listed here issues the permit; the county office serves unincorporated areas. Every office links to its official page.
Every fact in this file was checked against these official sources on October 2026.
Pending verification: Experience hours required for the journeyworker plumber exam · Whether journeyworker plumbers owe the same 16 CE hours as masters · Expiration dates for plumbing contractor and personal plumbing licenses
General information, not legal advice. Always confirm requirements, deadlines, and forms with the issuing authority before filing or contracting.
Store licenses, permits, policies, and renewal dates in one place.