Contractor licensing by state
How to Get a Contractor License in North Dakota
North Dakota requires a state license for every trade we track. North Dakota issues one main contractor license, which costs $100 to start. Of the 6 trades we could rate, concrete flatwork is the easiest to get licensed for and plumbing the hardest.
The North Dakota contractor license
| License | Contractor license (North Dakota Secretary of State), Class A, B, C or D, required when a job's cost, value or price exceeds $4,000 |
|---|---|
| Covers | Foundation repair, general contracting, roofing, plumbing, electrical work, HVAC work, landscape irrigation, concrete flatwork, drainage and detention work, and demolition |
| Fee | $100 (Class D new license (jobs up to $100,000); Class C $225 (up to $300,000), Class B $300 (up to $500,000), Class A $450 (over $500,000)) |
| Insurance | A certificate of liability insurance in the license name with the Secretary of State as certificate holder, plus a Workforce Safety and Insurance certificate of payment (North Dakota employees) or letter of good standing. Source |
| Renewal | Annual by March 1; renewal is $90 (A), $60 (B), $45 (C) or $30 (D), with a late filing fee after March 1. |
How to apply
- Register the business with the Secretary of State.
- Get the liability insurance certificate and the WSI certificate or good standing letter.
- Apply for the class that fits your largest single job and pay the fee.
- Renew on or before March 1 each year.
The license applies to general contractors, subcontractors, public contractors and nonresident contractors. There is no exam and no trade category. Electrical and plumbing licenses from the state boards are separate and are not part of this license.
State license requirements for each trade in North Dakota
| Foundation repair | Contractor license | $100 | None listed | None listed | Easy · 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General contracting | Contractor license, Class A, B, C or D | $100 | None listed | None listed | Easy · 7 |
| Roofing | Contractor license, for jobs over $4,000 | $100 | None listed | None listed | Easy · 7 |
| Plumbing | Master Plumber license | $200 | Master Plumber examination | 2 years | Moderate · 34 |
| Electrical | Master electrician license with Contracting Master status | $100 | Master electrician examination | 1 years | Moderate · 27 |
| HVAC | Contractor license, for jobs over $4,000 | $100 | None listed | None listed | Not rated |
| Irrigation | Contractor license, for jobs over $4,000 | $100 | None listed | None listed | Not rated |
| Concrete flatwork | Contractor license, for jobs over $4,000 | $100 | None listed | None listed | Easy · 7 |
| Drainage and detention | Contractor license, for jobs over $4,000 | $100 | None listed | None listed | Not rated |
| Demolition | Contractor license, for jobs over $4,000 | $100 | None listed | None listed | Not rated |
Tap a column to sort. Difficulty covers the state license only. Checked October 18, 2026.
Trades ranked from easiest to hardest in North Dakota
- Concrete flatwork, easy (7)
- Foundation repair, easy (7)
- General contracting, easy (7)
- Roofing, easy (7)
- Electrical, moderate (27)
- Plumbing, moderate (34)
HVAC work, landscape irrigation, drainage and detention work, and demolition are not rated because their rules are not fully published.
Details for each trade
Foundation repair
| License | Contractor license (class by job size), for jobs over $4,000 |
|---|---|
| Board | North Dakota Secretary of State |
North Dakota has no foundation or structural category. Any foundation repair over $4,000 needs the Secretary of State contractor license. Permits and engineering requirements come from the city or county.
The city or county building department issues permits where it enforces a building code.
- Get the contractor license in the class that fits the job size.
- Check local permit and engineering rules.
Difficulty 7, easy (fees 2, insurance 5).
Checked October 18, 2026 against ND Secretary of State, contractor licensing.
General contracting (residential remodels, additions and home improvement)
| License | Contractor license, Class A, B, C or D |
|---|---|
| Board | North Dakota Secretary of State |
The class caps the size of a single job, from $100,000 for Class D to no cap for Class A.
Remodel permits come from the city or county building department.
- Get the contractor license.
- Pull local permits.
Difficulty 7, easy (fees 2, insurance 5).
Checked October 18, 2026 against ND Secretary of State, contractor licensing.
Roofing
| License | Contractor license, for jobs over $4,000 |
|---|---|
| Board | North Dakota Secretary of State |
No roofing specific state license.
Reroof permit rules are set by the city or county.
- Get the contractor license.
- Check local reroof permit rules.
Difficulty 7, easy (fees 2, insurance 5).
Checked October 18, 2026 against ND Secretary of State, contractor licensing.
Plumbing
| License | Master Plumber license |
|---|---|
| Board | North Dakota State Plumbing Board |
| Fee | $200 (master license fee, plus a $50 application fee) |
| Exam | Master Plumber examination. Given by North Dakota State Plumbing Board. |
| Experience | Age 21 and two years (3,400 hours) as a licensed journeyman plumber. The journeyman license needs four years as an apprentice under a master. |
State law limits plumbing contracting advertising to licensed masters or businesses that employ a licensed journeyman. A plumbing business also needs the Secretary of State contractor license for jobs over $4,000.
Plumbing permits and inspections come from the State Plumbing Board or the local jurisdiction.
- Work two years as a licensed journeyman.
- Apply ($50) and pass the master exam.
- Pay the $200 master license fee and get the contractor license.
Difficulty 34, moderate (exams 15, experience 10, fees 4, insurance 5).
Checked October 18, 2026 against N.D. Admin. Code 62-02-01; ND State Plumbing Board, plumber licensure.
Electrical
| License | Master electrician license with Contracting Master status |
|---|---|
| Board | North Dakota State Electrical Board |
| Exam | Master electrician examination. |
| Experience | One year as a licensed journeyman with at least 2,000 hours under a contracting master or master of record. The journeyman license needs 8,000 hours over at least three years. |
| Insurance | Liability insurance with limits of at least $500,000. |
Only a master or power limited electrician may contract for electrical work. The business must first hold the Secretary of State contractor license. Fees and the exam provider is not confirmed here.
Electrical work is filed with the State Electrical Board or the local inspection authority.
- Work one year and 2,000 hours as a licensed journeyman.
- Pass the master exam.
- Get the Secretary of State contractor license, then file as a Contracting Master with $500,000 liability insurance.
Difficulty 27, moderate (exams 15, experience 5, fees 2, insurance 5).
Checked October 18, 2026 against NDSEB, qualifications for licensure; NDSEB, contracting requirements.
HVAC
| License | Contractor license, for jobs over $4,000 |
|---|---|
| Board | North Dakota Secretary of State |
No state HVAC or mechanical license was found; the general contractor license applies. Check the city for local mechanical licensing.
Mechanical permits come from the city or county.
- Get the contractor license.
- Check local mechanical licensing and permits.
Checked October 18, 2026 against ND Secretary of State, contractor licensing.
Irrigation
| License | Contractor license, for jobs over $4,000 |
|---|---|
| Board | North Dakota Secretary of State |
No irrigation specific state license was found. The State Plumbing Board's rules cover plumbers, water conditioning and sewer and water installers but not lawn irrigation.
Ask the city and water system about irrigation permits and backflow testing.
- Get the contractor license.
- Ask the water system about backflow rules.
Checked October 18, 2026 against ND Secretary of State, contractor licensing; N.D. Admin. Code 62-02-01.
Concrete flatwork (driveways, sidewalks and work in the public right-of-way)
| License | Contractor license, for jobs over $4,000 |
|---|---|
| Board | North Dakota Secretary of State |
No concrete specific state license. Right of way permits come from the city.
Ask the city or road owner what permit work at the street needs.
- Get the contractor license.
- Ask the city about a right of way permit.
Difficulty 7, easy (fees 2, insurance 5).
Checked October 18, 2026 against ND Secretary of State, contractor licensing.
Drainage and detention (grading, drainage, stormwater and detention ponds)
| License | Contractor license, for jobs over $4,000 |
|---|---|
| Board | North Dakota Secretary of State |
No grading or drainage license. Stormwater permit rules are not covered here.
Grading and drainage review is done by the city or county.
- Get the contractor license.
- Check local grading and stormwater rules.
Checked October 18, 2026 against ND Secretary of State, contractor licensing.
Demolition
| License | Contractor license, for jobs over $4,000 |
|---|---|
| Board | North Dakota Secretary of State |
No demolition specific license. Asbestos notice rules are not covered here.
Demolition permits come from the city or county.
- Get the contractor license.
- Check asbestos and local demolition permit rules.
Checked October 18, 2026 against ND Secretary of State, contractor licensing.
Official sources
- North Dakota Secretary of State, contractor licensing
- North Dakota Century Code chapter 43-07, contractors
- North Dakota State Electrical Board, qualifications for licensure
- North Dakota State Electrical Board, contracting requirements
- N.D. Admin. Code 62-02-01, plumber licensure
- North Dakota State Plumbing Board, plumber licensure
Licensing pages for nearby states cover Minnesota and Montana.
Rules and fees change, and this is not legal advice. Confirm with the licensing board before you apply or bid.