Minnesota Masonry License Requirements (2026)

Minnesota does not license masonry as a stand-alone trade. A business that contracts with an owner to build or improve one-to-four-family residential real estate by providing two or more statutory special skills needs the appropriate DLI residential building contractor or residential remodeler license. Masonry and concrete are one special skill, so a specialty contractor providing only that skill is exempt. A separate small-receipts exemption requires a DLI certificate of exemption. Commercial projects and local permits are separate.

Who Regulates This Work

Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry — Construction Codes and Licensing Division (DLI) is the primary authority or official reference used for this guide. The controlling authority cited here is Minnesota Statutes Chapter 326B (Construction Codes and Licensing). DLI licenses residential building contractors, remodelers, electricians, plumbers, and mechanical (HVAC) contractors statewide; administers the Contractor Recovery Fund; and enforces the Minnesota State Building Code, Electrical Code, and Plumbing Code.

Official reference: https://www.dli.mn.gov/business/license-forms-permits-plan-review-and-local-governments
Address: 443 Lafayette Road N, St. Paul, MN 55155
Phone: (651) 284-5005

State and Local Eligibility Rules

There is no single statewide application for this work, so this guide does not impose a uniform applicant-age, identification, or tax-number rule. Check the business, specialty-trade, and local authorities that govern the actual project. Nonresidents may be licensed after complying with the same Minnesota residential-contractor provisions.

State-level applicant screening

DLI reviews statutory disclosure information, including fraud-related convictions, civil judgments, and licensing discipline.

Background-check requirements

Use DLI’s current application and background-check requirements.

Experience and Scope Requirements

No single statewide year-based experience threshold governs the local or scope-specific path described here. The controlling requirement is A designated qualifying person must meet DLI examination and education requirements; no general masonry-years requirement is published..

Relevant records and local documents

DLI application, qualifying-person registration, active business filing, insurance certificate, and required background documents

Education and scope boundaries

Confirm current qualifying-person requirements with DLI.

Testing Requirements

Testing provider or authority: Minnesota DLI qualifying-person examination. The following examination requirements cover the pathways described in this guide; follow each part's classification, waiver, and local-scope conditions. Unpublished format details do not remove an examination requirement:

Residential building contractor or remodeler qualifying-person examination — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score: confirm in the current candidate bulletin

Examination fee: $50 qualifying-person examination fee on DLI’s current schedule.

Retake policy: Follow current DLI/PSI instructions.

Insurance, Bonds, and Project Requirements

No statewide contractor-license bond applies to the local or scope-specific path described here. A city, county, permit authority, public owner, or project contract may still require a bond, so confirm the actual project requirements before bidding.

General liability

Upload the insurance certificate DLI requires with the online application; its residential-contractor page does not state a universal coverage amount.

Workers' compensation

Confirm workers’ compensation obligations for the business’s staffing arrangement.

Financial or filing requirements

The Contractor Recovery Fund replaces general bonding requirements; its fee depends on gross annual receipts.

State and Local Fees

Fee	Amount
Application or registration	$180
Examination	$50
Initial credential or registration	$500
Renewal (every 2 years)	$505

To budget for the applicable registration, permits, insurance, and project requirements, open the cost calculator preloaded for Minnesota masonry.

Renewal and Ongoing Compliance

The Minnesota Residential Building Contractor or Residential Remodeler License must be renewed every 2 years. The fee to renew is presently $505. Tier 1 total is currently $505 including license, CE fee, and Recovery Fund; higher receipt tiers cost more.

Continuing education: Verify current DLI continuing-education requirements before renewal.

Downloadable Asset

2026 Minnesota Masonry Compliance Roadmap (PDF) — a printable step-by-step checklist for the state, local, and project checks.

Download the PDF roadmap →

Out-of-State Credentials and Local Recognition

Minnesota has no single statewide credential for this path to transfer through NASCLA. An authority may consider an outside license, examination, or experience record only under its own current rules.

Reciprocal State	Accepted Exam	Conditions
No formal bilateral reciprocity agreements identified.

Minnesota permits nonresidents who comply with its requirements; DLI does not publish general masonry reciprocity.

Weighing more than one jurisdiction? The national hub compares published Masonry license requirements by state — exam, bond, fee, and experience thresholds side by side.

Masonry Licensing in Neighboring States

Contractors working near a state line, or weighing where to qualify first, should compare Minnesota's requirements against the bordering jurisdictions before bidding or beginning work:

Iowa Masonry License Requirements — Iowa Contractor Registration (Masonry) — Iowa Division of Labor
North Dakota Masonry License Requirements — North Dakota Contractor License (Masonry)
South Dakota Masonry License Requirements — South Dakota Contractor’s Excise Tax License (Masonry)
Wisconsin Masonry License Requirements — Wisconsin Dwelling Contractor Certification (Masonry Scope)

Step-by-Step Compliance Roadmap

Classify the residential work. A contractor using two or more special skills needs a license; one-special-skill masonry work is exempt.
Evaluate the small-receipts exemption. The $15,000 annual exemption needs a DLI certificate and affidavit.
Maintain active business filing. Provide required Secretary of State filing.
Designate qualifying person. The qualifying person meets exam and education requirements.
Apply with insurance documents. Upload current DLI-required insurance certificate.
Pay license and Recovery Fund charges. Base license is $180 and Recovery Fund fee is $320, $420, or $520 by receipts.
Confirm permits and specialty scope. State license does not replace municipal permits or specialty licenses.
Renew on time. Renewal includes current license, CE, and Recovery Fund charges.

Pre-Work Checklist

Before bidding or beginning work, confirm each item below with the authorities that govern the project location and scope:

Residential scope and special-skill exemption evaluated
Certificate of exemption if using small-receipts exemption
Active business filing
Qualifying person
DLI-required insurance certificate
License and Recovery Fund fees
Municipal permits and specialty scope checked

Common Compliance Mistakes

The issues below are the most likely to create an unlicensed-work, registration, permit, or scope problem for Minnesota Masonry work, based on the official sources cited on this page.

Miscounting special skills

The one-special-skill exemption does not cover two or more special skills.

Using the $15,000 exemption without certificate

It requires DLI certificate and affidavit.

Using obsolete fees

License and Recovery Fund fees are now tiered by gross receipts.

Missing qualifying person

Qualifying person must meet examination and education requirements.

Ignoring municipal permits

State license does not replace local approvals.

Official References and Preparation Materials

The following references are cited by the regulator, used in the application process, or commonly used to prepare for the trade scope. Listed for reader convenience; CLR receives no compensation for these recommendations.

Minnesota DLI residential contractor licensing materials — Minnesota DLI. Use current qualifying-person and application materials.
Minnesota Statutes §§326B.802 and 326B.805 — Minnesota Revisor. Primary scope and exemption source.
Minnesota residential code and local permit instructions — Minnesota DLI/local authority. Confirm project-specific requirements.

Other Minnesota Trade Licenses

CLR maintains guides for additional Minnesota trades; the published ones are listed here:

Frequently Asked Questions

Does masonry alone require a Minnesota license?

Masonry and concrete are one special skill. A contractor providing only one special skill is exempt; two or more special skills can require the residential contractor/remodeler license.

What is the $15,000 exemption?

It requires a DLI certificate of exemption and affidavit; it is not automatic.

What are current DLI fees?

Base license is $180, Recovery Fund is $320/$420/$520 by receipts, and qualifying-person exam is $50.

Does the Recovery Fund replace bonding?

DLI says it replaces bonding requirements.

Do commercial masonry projects use this license?

This licensing framework applies to residential real estate; verify local commercial permits and business rules.

Primary Sources

Regulatory requirements on this page are drawn from the official board, statute, and exam-provider materials listed below.

Verified 2026-09-04 · Next scheduled review 2026-12-03

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Corrections and presentation updates

2026-09-30: Corrected examination detection when format details are unpublished and updated the summary layout and requirements score. Source-check dates are unchanged.
2026-09-08: Shared template updated to distinguish unspecified eligibility requirements, retain cost qualifications, and use consistent headings. Source-check dates are unchanged by presentation updates.
2026-09-21: Local-only guides now use a compliance-focused structure and terminology instead of implying a statewide license application. Source-check dates are unchanged by this presentation update.