Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature

Office of the Revisor of Statutes

326.84 LICENSING REQUIREMENTS.
    Subdivision 1. Persons required to be licensed. A person who meets the definition of
a residential remodeler as defined in section 326.83, subdivision 16, or a residential building
contractor as defined in section 326.83, subdivision 15, must be licensed as a residential building
contractor or residential remodeler.
    Subd. 1a. Persons who may be licensed. A person who meets the definition of a specialty
contractor as defined in section 326.83, subdivision 20, may be licensed as a residential building
contractor or residential remodeler unless required to be licensed by the state as a specialty
contractor.
    Subd. 1b. Prohibition. Except as provided in subdivision 3, no persons required to be
licensed by subdivision 1 may act or hold themselves out as residential building contractors or
residential remodelers for compensation without a valid license issued by the commissioner.
    Subd. 1c. Licensing criteria. The examination and education requirements for licensure
under sections 326.84 to 326.991 must be fulfilled by a qualifying person designated by the
potential licensee. If the qualifying person is a managing employee, the qualifying person must
be an employee who is regularly employed by the licensee and is actively engaged in the
business of residential contracting or residential remodeling on behalf of the licensee. For a
sole proprietorship, the qualifying person must be the proprietor or managing employee. For a
partnership, the qualifying person must be a general partner or managing employee. For a limited
liability company, the qualifying person must be a chief manager or managing employee. For a
corporation, the qualifying person must be a chief executive officer or managing employee. A
qualifying person for a corporation may act as a qualifying person for one additional corporation
if one of the following conditions exists:
(1) there is a common ownership of at least 25 percent of each licensed corporation for
which the person acts in a qualifying capacity; or
(2) one corporation is a subsidiary of another corporation for which the same person acts in a
qualifying capacity. "Subsidiary," as used in this section, means a corporation of which at least 25
percent is owned by the parent corporation.
    Subd. 2.[Repealed, 1993 c 245 s 40]
    Subd. 3. Exemptions. The license requirement does not apply to:
(1) an employee of a licensee performing work for the licensee;
(2) a material person, manufacturer, or retailer furnishing finished products, materials, or
articles of merchandise who does not install or attach the items;
(3) an owner or owners of residential real estate who build or improve residential real estate
and who do the work themselves or jointly with the owner's own bona fide employees. This
exemption does not apply to a person who engages in a pattern of building or improving real
estate for purposes of resale. Such a pattern is presumed to exist if the person constructs or
improves more than one property within any 24-month period;
(4) an architect or engineer engaging in professional practice as defined in this chapter;
(5) a person whose total gross annual receipts from projects regulated under this section do
not exceed $15,000;
(6) a mechanical contractor;
(7) a plumber, electrician, or other person whose profession is otherwise subject to statewide
licensing, when engaged in the activity which is the subject of licensure;
(8) specialty contractors who provide only one special skill as defined in section 326.83;
(9) a school district, or a technical college governed under chapter 136F;
(10) manufactured housing installers; and
(11) Habitat for Humanity and Builders Outreach Foundation, and their individual volunteers
when engaged in activities on their behalf.
To qualify for the exemption in clause (5), a person must obtain a certificate of exemption
from licensing from the commissioner.
A certificate of exemption will be issued upon the applicant's filing with the commissioner,
an affidavit stating that the applicant does not expect to exceed $15,000 in gross annual receipts
derived from contracting activities during the calendar year for which the exemption is requested.
To renew the exemption in clause (5), the applicant must file an affidavit stating that the
applicant did not exceed $15,000 in gross annual receipts during the past calendar year, and the
applicant does not expect to exceed $15,000 in gross annual receipts during the calendar year for
which the exemption is requested.
If a person, operating under the exemption in clause (5), exceeds $15,000 in gross receipts
during any calendar year, the person must immediately surrender the exemption certificate and
apply for the appropriate license. The person must remain licensed until such time as the person's
gross annual receipts during a calendar year fall below $15,000. The person may then apply
for this exemption for the next calendar year.
History: 1991 c 306 s 8; 1993 c 245 s 14,15; 1995 c 169 s 3; 1996 c 395 s 18; 1997 c 222 s 47

Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes