How to Check a Contractor's License in Minnesota

Checked against the official sources below on November 12, 2026. By Twin Ports Contractors.

Short answer: Ask for the license number. Search it on the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry lookup. You do not need an account. The state says current, active licenses and registrations have the status "Issued". A number that starts with IR is a registration, not a license.

Minnesota’s Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) keeps the public record of contractor licenses and registrations. Anyone can search it.

Three steps

Get the exact name and license number. Ask the contractor for the business name on the license and for the license number.
Search the state lookup. Open the official DLI license and registration lookup. It sends you to iMS, the state’s licensing system. You do not need an account. Choose “Continue as guest” and type the complete license number in the search box at the top of the page. To search by other details, use the “Search License/Registration holders” button.
Read the record. The state says current, active licenses and registrations have a status of “Issued”. A registration can show “Issued” too, so check the letters at the start of the number. Check that the name matches the business you are hiring. The lookup also shows whether there are enforcement actions against the license.

Would you rather call? DLI’s number for this is 651-284-5069. Staff will check whether the contractor is licensed and whether there is a disciplinary history.

Read the license number

The first letters tell you what the number is.

Starts with	What it is
BC	Residential building contractor license
CR	Residential remodeler license
RR	Residential roofer license
IR	Contractor registration. Not a license.

DLI is blunt about the last one. Its consumer guide says a contractor who offers an IR number as a license number is not licensed. DLI also says registered contractors are not required to provide proof of insurance or bonding, and they do not pay into the Contractor Recovery Fund. See what licensed, registered, bonded and insured mean.

Electricians and plumbers hold their own license types, and those numbers start with other letters.

What a license tells you

For residential builders, remodelers and roofers, DLI says a license ensures the company has met requirements that include:

having a principal of the company pass an exam
having liability and property damage insurance

A licensed contractor must also complete continuing education classes each year.

Hiring a licensed contractor can also give you access to the Contractor Recovery Fund. The fund has conditions and limits, and DLI’s fund page names building contractor and remodeler licenses. See how to get paid from the Contractor Recovery Fund.

Not every legal contractor has a license

The state’s consumer guide lists who may do residential work without a contractor license:

contractors who earn less than $15,000 a year (the state’s licensing page adds a condition: they hold a Certificate of Exemption)
specialty contractors who provide only one skill (roofers are the exception; they need a license)
homeowners working on their own home

These are legal. But if you hire an unlicensed contractor and lose money, the Contractor Recovery Fund is not available to you. The details are in what licensed, registered, bonded and insured mean.

More checks DLI suggests

Ask for references, and ask how long the contractor has been in business.
Ask for a Minnesota business address that is not a post office box, and for a local phone number.
Check the contractor’s litigation history on the state court system’s website.
Ask the Better Business Bureau whether it has complaints on file.

What our listings show

Each licensed listing on this site shows the license number, the license type, the status and the expiration date from the state’s public data file, along with the date of that file. If the state file shows an enforcement action, the listing says so and links to the official record.

A license can change after our data date. The state lookup is always the final word.

If the contractor is not in the lookup

A business may be licensed under a different legal name than the one on its truck. Ask for the license number and search by that. If you still can’t find it, ask DLI before you sign anything.

Listings without license status

Some businesses on this site were found on Google and work in trades where we hold no state license data, such as heating and cooling. Each of those listings says so and shows no license status. Listings in Superior, WI are not checked against Wisconsin license records yet.

If something goes wrong

DLI regulates construction work in Minnesota and investigates complaints to find out whether state laws and rules were broken. When violations are proven, it can take enforcement actions that include fines and license revocation. It cannot make the contractor do the specific fix you want. For help with a dispute with a residential contractor, call 651-284-5069 or email dli.contractor@state.mn.us.

Common questions

Do I need an account to look up a Minnesota contractor license?

No. On the state's lookup, choose "Continue as guest" and type the complete license or registration number in the search box at the top of the page.

Is a number that starts with IR a license?

No. The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry says IR numbers are registration numbers, not license numbers. Residential licenses start with BC, CR or RR.

What status should a current license show?

The state says current, active licenses and registrations have a status of "Issued".

Sources

Every rule, number and deadline in this guide comes from these official pages, read on November 12, 2026. Rules change. The source is always the final word.

This guide is general information, not legal advice.