North Dakota General Contractor License Requirements (2026)
By Gabriel Giner, Editor · Source checked 2026-09-04
North Dakota requires a Secretary of State contractor license when the cost, value, or price of a job exceeds $4,000. The statewide law covers general contractors, subcontractors, public contractors, and nonresident contractors. It uses four classes based on the value of a single contract project. This is separate from project-specific local permits and specialty licenses, which may still be required before work begins.
Regulatory Body
This license is issued and enforced by North Dakota Secretary of State (ND SOS) pursuant to N.D.C.C. ch. 43-07. Registrar for statewide contractor licenses and annual contractor-license renewals.
- Official portal: https://www.sos.nd.gov/business/licensing-registration/contractors
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Check the current application for identification and tax-number requirements. North Dakota licenses resident and nonresident contractors. A nonresident applicant appoints the registrar as agent for service of process by signing and filing the application, unless the qualifying foreign entity already has a current registered agent and registered address on file with the Secretary of State.
Good moral character
The registrar may deny, suspend, or revoke a license for false or misleading information, a directly relevant conviction, or dishonest or fraudulent contractor conduct injurious to the public. A conviction is not automatically disqualifying.
Background investigation
The registrar may require criminal-history information when appropriate or necessary to determine eligibility, at the applicant’s expense; the statute does not impose a universal fingerprinting requirement.
Experience and Education
There is no published year count for this credential in the cited sources. What actually controls eligibility is The contractor statute does not prescribe a minimum number of experience years or a financial-statement threshold. The application requires a sworn statement of the applicant’s experience and qualifications as a contractor..
Accepted proof of experience or eligibility
- Contractor License Application through the Secretary of State FirstStop portal
- Certificate of liability insurance naming the Secretary of State as certificate holder
- Workforce Safety & Insurance certificate of payment or, where applicable, letter of good standing
- Business-registration documentation when the entity or trade name must be registered
Education substitution
Not applicable. The statute does not establish education or experience prerequisites that can be substituted.
Exam Requirements
No statewide examination is specified for this pathway. The controlling process is: No state contractor trade or business examination is identified for this license.
Examination fee: No state examination fee is identified for the contractor license.
Insurance and Bonds
This credential carries no state-level surety bond requirement under the cited sources. Individual jobs may still trigger a permit or public-works bond, which should be verified before bidding.
General liability
A certificate of liability insurance is required with the application and must list the North Dakota Secretary of State as certificate holder. The current statute and Secretary of State page do not state a fixed statewide dollar minimum for this contractor license.
Workers' compensation
Submit the Workforce Safety & Insurance (WSI) documentation required by the Secretary of State. Applicants with employees residing in North Dakota need a current WSI certificate of payment; the Secretary of State describes a WSI letter-of-good-standing route for certain applicants without North Dakota-resident employees and without significant contact.
Additional financial requirements
No current financial-statement requirement appears in N.D.C.C. ch. 43-07 or the Secretary of State’s contractor application instructions. The former contractor-bond section is repealed; a local or project-specific bond can still be separate.
Fee Schedule
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application | $450 |
| Initial license | $450 |
| Renewal (every year) | $90 |
To turn these board fees into a realistic year-one budget — bond premium, liability insurance, and exam prep included — open the cost calculator preloaded for North Dakota general contractor.
Renewal and Continuing Education
Renewal of the North Dakota Contractor License (Class A, B, C, or D) comes due every year. As cited, the renewal fee stands at $90. Renewal fees vary by class: A $90, B $60, C $45, D $30. Include the required prior-year project list, insurance proof, and tax/WSI/unemployment certifications.
Continuing education: Chapter 43-07 does not establish a statewide continuing-education requirement for contractor-license renewal.
Downloadable Asset
2026 North Dakota General Contractor License Roadmap (PDF) — a printable step-by-step checklist for the application process.
Download the PDF roadmap →Reciprocity
The NASCLA Accredited Examination is not accepted by North Dakota for this classification.
| Reciprocal State | Accepted Exam | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| No formal bilateral reciprocity agreements identified. | ||
The Secretary of State contractor-license materials do not list a general-contractor reciprocity program. Resident and nonresident contractors apply under Chapter 43-07, with the nonresident service-of-process rule and any applicable business-registration requirements.
Weighing more than one jurisdiction? The national hub compares published General Contractor license requirements by state — exam, bond, fee, and experience thresholds side by side.
General Contractor Licensing in Neighboring States
Contractors working near a state line, or weighing where to qualify first, should compare North Dakota's requirements against the bordering jurisdictions before committing to an application:
- Minnesota General Contractor License Requirements — Minnesota Residential Building Contractor / Residential Remodeler
- Montana General Contractor License Requirements — Montana Construction Contractor License
- South Dakota General Contractor License Requirements — South Dakota Contractor's Excise Tax License (no state contractor license)
Step-by-Step Application Roadmap
- Confirm that the job exceeds the licensing threshold. A contractor license is required when the cost, value, or price per job exceeds $4,000. The requirement includes general contractors, subcontractors, public contractors, and nonresident contractors.
- Choose the correct class for the largest single project. Class A has no single-project cap; Class B is up to $500,000; Class C is up to $300,000; and Class D is up to $100,000.
- Address business-registration requirements. Corporations and LLCs must register; sole proprietors and general partnerships may need a trade-name or fictitious-partnership-name filing. The contractor-license name must match an existing business registration when one is required.
- Obtain liability and WSI documentation. Prepare the insurance certificate naming the Secretary of State and the WSI certificate or letter specified for the business’s employee/contact situation.
- Submit the FirstStop contractor-license application. Complete the sworn statement of experience and qualifications, select the class, upload the required documents, and pay the class fee.
- Clear specialty and local requirements. The statewide contractor license does not replace electrical, plumbing, environmental, or project-location permits and licenses.
- Renew for each contractor year. Renew on or before March 1. The renewal includes qualifying project information, liability-insurance proof, and certifications concerning payroll taxes, WSI premiums, and unemployment-insurance premiums.
Application Checklist
These are the pieces to lock down before filing with ND SOS:
Progress is saved in this browser, so you can return to this checklist while your application is in flight.
Common Filing Mistakes
Working from the cited board instructions, here are the snags most likely to trip up a North Dakota General Contractor filing.
Using “$4,000 or more” instead of the statutory threshold
The statute and Secretary of State say the job cost, value, or price must exceed $4,000. Confirm whether a particular project also triggers separate local or specialty requirements.
Selecting a class below the contract value
Class B, C, and D licenses have single-project caps. Public bids also require a license in the class covering the project value.
Relying on obsolete bond or financial-statement instructions
The state contractor-bond section was repealed, and current application guidance requires liability insurance and WSI documentation—not a financial statement.
Letting the annual certificate lapse
A contractor that misses March 1 is deemed unlicensed until the renewal issue is cured. Calendar the deadline and ensure insurance and premium/tax certifications are ready.
Assuming the state license covers electrical or other specialty work
Obtain the separate specialty license and local permit applicable to the project before offering or performing that work.
Study and Reference Materials
The references below are either cited by the board, used during the application, or standard preparation for the trade. They are listed purely for convenience — CLR earns no commission on any of them.
- North Dakota Century Code Chapter 43-07 — North Dakota Legislative Branch. Primary law for threshold, classes, insurance/WSI documentation, renewals, nonresident contractors, and building-permit license numbers.
- Contractor licensing guidance — North Dakota Secretary of State. Current FirstStop application steps, document requirements, class fees, and renewal instructions.
Other North Dakota Trade Licenses
If the General Contractor license is not the right fit, the following published North Dakota trade guides are also covered by CLR:
- North Dakota Electrician License Requirements
- North Dakota Plumber License Requirements
- North Dakota HVAC Technician License Requirements
- North Dakota Roofing Contractor License Requirements
- North Dakota Painting Contractor License Requirements
- North Dakota Landscaping Contractor License Requirements
- North Dakota Masonry Contractor License Requirements
- North Dakota Concrete Contractor License Requirements
- North Dakota Carpentry Contractor License Requirements
- North Dakota Solar Installer License Requirements
- North Dakota Low-Voltage Technician License Requirements
- North Dakota Fire Sprinkler Contractor License Requirements
- North Dakota Home Inspector License Requirements
- North Dakota Pool Contractor License Requirements
- North Dakota Handyman License Requirements
- North Dakota Pest Control License Requirements
- North Dakota Septic Contractor License Requirements
Frequently Asked Questions
When do I need a North Dakota contractor license?
You need the statewide license when a job’s cost, value, or price exceeds $4,000. The rule covers general contractors, subcontractors, public contractors, and nonresident contractors.
What are the North Dakota contractor license classes?
Class A has no cap on a single project; Class B is capped at $500,000; Class C at $300,000; and Class D at $100,000. Select a class that covers the full value of the largest single contract project.
Does North Dakota require a financial statement or state contractor bond?
No current Chapter 43-07 financial-statement or state contractor-bond requirement is identified. The application requires liability insurance and WSI documentation instead. A locality, owner, or public project may impose separate requirements.
What does contractor-license renewal cost?
The annual renewal fees are $90 for Class A, $60 for Class B, $45 for Class C, and $30 for Class D. Missing the March 1 deadline makes the license not in good standing; the statute allows renewal through June 1 with a $50 penalty plus the renewal fee.
Does a North Dakota contractor license replace trade or local permits?
No. The Secretary of State specifically identifies other required specialty licenses and permits, including State Electrical Board licenses. The project locality can also require permits or impose public-contract conditions.
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
- : Corrected examination detection when format details are unpublished and updated the summary layout and requirements score. Source-check dates are unchanged.
- : Shared template updated to distinguish unspecified eligibility requirements, retain cost qualifications, and use consistent headings. Source-check dates are unchanged by presentation updates.
- : 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.