Electrical Work in Minnesota: Permits and Who Can Do It

Minnesota asks three things of electrical work on a house: the right person does it, a permit is filed at or before the start, and an inspector checks it.

Who can do the work, at a glance

Who does the work	State license?	Permit
A business or person you hire	Yes. An electrical contractor license.	The contractor files it.
You, on the home you own and live in	No personal license, if you meet every statute condition and your home is not a type the state’s checklist calls illegal. If it is, ask the state first.	You file it.
You, on a rental you do not live at	Not covered by the owner exemption.	A licensed contractor files it.
You, on a two-family home, apartment or condo building you live in	The state’s checklist says this is illegal for unlicensed homeowners. The statute is worded differently.	Call the state before any work: 651-284-5026

“DLI” below is the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. This guide gives no wiring advice.

If you hire someone

DLI says businesses and individuals that contract to do electrical work in Minnesota must have an electrical contractor license. Minnesota Statutes 326B.33 says that, except as otherwise provided by law, no one but an employee, partner or officer of a licensed contractor may perform or offer to perform electrical work, “with or without compensation”, without a contractor’s license.

From DLI’s licensing page:

• The company holds the license. DLI tells contractors to make sure the license number appears on company vehicles.
• Employees of a licensed electrical contractor do not need their own contractor license. Employees who do electrical work must be licensed journeyworker or master electricians, or be registered with DLI as unlicensed electricians.
• Unlicensed workers must always be supervised by a licensed journeyworker or master electrician. A licensed employee may supervise no more than two of them.
• A general contractor that contracts with a licensed subcontractor to do the electrical work does not need its own electrical contractor license. Ask who that subcontractor is.

Among the things DLI requires for the license: a master electrician who is responsible for all electrical work done by the company’s employees, a $25,000 surety bond, proof of workers’ compensation insurance, and liability insurance of at least $100,000 per occurrence, $300,000 aggregate and $50,000 in property damage coverage.

If you do the work yourself

Minnesota Statutes 326B.33, subdivision 21, paragraph (f), exempts an owner from the license. All of these must be true:

1. You physically do the electrical work yourself.
2. The work is on a residential dwelling on property you own.
3. You actually occupy it as a residence, or you own it and will occupy it as a residence when its construction is complete.
4. The dwelling has a separate electrical utility service that is not shared with any other residential dwelling.

Minnesota Statutes 326B.31 defines a residential dwelling as a single dwelling unit in a one-family, two-family or multifamily dwelling, as defined in the National Electrical Code. It includes a garage and accessory building that only the residents of that unit can use.

DLI’s inspection checklist adds two points:

• You sign an affidavit. An owner who files a permit declares that they own and occupy the residence and will personally do all the electrical work, including the planning and laying out.
• Some places are off limits. The checklist calls these illegal for unlicensed homeowners to wire:
  • two-family dwellings
  • apartment buildings
  • condo buildings and other common interest community settings
  • certain townhouse buildings
  • manufactured homes in parks
  • recreational vehicles in parks
  • floating buildings on public waterways
  • any property rented, leased or occupied by others

The statute and the checklist are not worded the same. The statute does not name building types. Its test is the separate electrical service. The checklist says wiring these places is illegal for an unlicensed homeowner. If your home is one of them, do not start until DLI tells you that you qualify: 651-284-5026.

The exemption is from the license only. The permit rule names the owner too.

Do you need a permit?

Minnesota Statutes 326B.36 says every new electrical installation in any construction, remodeling, replacement or repair must be inspected by the commissioner. So an installation made in a replacement or repair is covered, not only new construction. That sentence has two exceptions:

• “Minor repair work” as defined by rule. Our sources do not include that rule, so ask your inspector.
• Local inspection. Where a political subdivision has provided its own electrical inspection by ordinance, ask the local inspector what it requires.

Minnesota Statutes 326B.31 calls the permit a “request for inspection”. For work the state inspects:

• When. The contractor or owner making the installation must file it at or before the start of the work, with the fees.
• Fees. The statute names a handling fee and an inspection fee. Our sources do not list the amounts, so ask DLI or your inspector.

Steps: from permit to final inspection

1. Find out who inspects. Before you file, DLI says to verify the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) in its electrical inspector directory. If the AHJ column says “State”, file the permit with DLI. The directory gives the inspector’s contact information. If it says “Local”, contact your city or township.
2. Apply. DLI takes homeowner permit applications online, and you must create an account. You can also download forms to request a permit by mail.
3. Read the “issued” email. DLI says it holds the information you need. In a contract electrical inspection area, you contact the inspector listed. For a permit assigned to a state inspector, you use the “Ready for Inspection” process.
4. Get the rough-in inspection before anything is covered. DLI’s checklist requires a rough-in inspection of all wiring, underground cable and conduit included, before insulation, sheetrock, backfill or any other material hides it. Whoever is responsible for covering wiring before it is inspected is responsible for all the costs of uncovering it and replacing the covering.
5. Get the final inspection. The checklist says the installer must notify the inspector when the wiring is complete, before the wiring is used and the space is occupied.

DLI’s notes on requesting an inspection:

• Your permit must be eligible for the request feature, and you must be ready for the inspection.
• You cannot request a same-day inspection after 8 a.m.
• Approval is not guaranteed. If a request is denied, you get an email.

If DLI bills additional fees on a permit, you get 10 days from the notice to pay them in your online account. After that, an invoice comes by mail and you must pay through U.S. Bank.

If the work does not pass

Under 326B.36, an inspector who finds that an installation does not meet accepted safety standards must, by written order, condemn it or the part that does not comply, or order the service disconnected.

• If it “will seriously and proximately endanger human life and property”, the order, when approved by the inspector’s superior, requires immediate condemnation or disconnection.
• In all other cases the order must allow a reasonable opportunity to bring the work into compliance.
• An aggrieved party may appeal by filing a notice of appeal with the commissioner within ten days after the order is served on that party, if service is required, or filed with the commissioner, whichever is later.

What the inspection checklist is for

DLI publishes an Electrical Inspection Checklist for One-Family Dwellings. DLI calls it a general overview of residential electrical requirements. For the complete rules it points to the National Electrical Code (NEC) and Minnesota Statutes and Rules.

The checklist we read is based on the 2023 NEC. DLI says permits filed on or after Aug. 17, 2026, must comply with the 2026 NEC. Ask your inspector what changed.

Check an electrician’s license

DLI licenses electrical contractors and electricians, and it registers unlicensed individuals. Its electrical pages have a “Check a license” link. See how to check a contractor’s license and what licensed, registered, bonded and insured mean.

File an electrical complaint

DLI says the complaints it investigates include:

• people doing electrical work without a proper license, or failing to obtain electrical permits
• licensees violating the electrical act, with discipline that ranges from reprimands to license revocation, depending on the severity
• errors or inappropriate action by contract inspectors or department staff
• specific electrical code violations on rental properties, received in writing from a tenant

Submit a complaint online, which takes an account, or download a complaint form. See also problems with a contractor.

Who to call

• General electrical questions: DLI at 651-284-5026, or dli.electricity@state.mn.us.
• Licenses, bonds and registrations: 651-284-5034, or dli.license@state.mn.us.
• Online permit account help: iMS.support.dli@state.mn.us.

See also building permits in Duluth, MN.

Questions to ask an electrician

• What is your electrical contractor license number?
• Who will do the work, and are they licensed or registered?
• Will you file the permit before you start?
• When are the rough-in and final inspections, and who calls for them?
• Can I see your certificate of liability insurance?

Common questions

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.

• Electrical permits - homeowners (Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry)
• Electrical contractors (Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry)
• Electrical contractor licensing basics (Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry)
• Electrical complaints (Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry)
• Requesting an inspection (Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry)
• Electrical Inspection Checklist for One-Family Dwellings (Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry)
• Minnesota Statutes 326B.31: Definitions
• Minnesota Statutes 326B.33: Licenses
• Minnesota Statutes 326B.36: Inspection

This guide is general information, not legal advice.