Checked against primary sources 2026-09-07

Codes EA, TS and SC

Minnesota Electrical Contractor License: Bond and Insurance

Minnesota puts three contractor licenses above the personal ladder, and they share a fee, a bond amount and a rule that one person carries the license. The differences are in who that person has to be and what the business may work on.

Test yourself: thirty free questions, timed

Who needs one

Minnesota Statutes 326B.33, subdivision 14 is the trigger. No individual other than an employee, partner or officer of a licensed contractor shall perform or offer to perform electrical work with or without compensation unless the individual obtains a contractor's license.

With or without compensation is the phrase people miss. Offering the work is enough.

DLI describes the licensed work as installing, altering, repairing, planning or laying out of electrical wiring, apparatus or equipment.

The three licenses

Class A electrical contractor, code EA. Minnesota Statutes 326B.31, subdivision 2 defines it as a licensed contractor whose responsible licensed individual is a licensed Class A master electrician.

Technology systems contractor, code TS. Subdivision 30 defines it as a licensed contractor whose responsible licensed individual is a licensed power limited technician or licensed master electrician.

Satellite system contractor, code SC. Its packet covers satellite broadcast communication system work, including planning, laying out and supervising installation.

Class B electrical contractor, code EB, still appears on the fee schedule with a $188 renewal and NA in the new column, which follows the Class B master electrician license being closed since 1985.

The responsible licensed individual

326B.33, subdivision 17 requires a contractor to designate a responsible master electrician, satellite system installer or power limited technician. DLI adds three conditions on the person: hold an active master electrician license, be an owner, officer or member of the business applying or a W-2 employee, and not act as the responsible licensed individual for any other electrical contractor.

That last condition is what stops one master being rented out across several companies.

Bond and insurance

326B.33, subdivision 15 sets the bond: as a condition of licensing, each contractor shall give and maintain bond to the state in the penal sum of $25,000. DLI states it as a $25,000 surety bond.

Subdivision 16 sets the insurance: general liability with limits of at least $100,000 per occurrence, a $300,000 aggregate limit for bodily injury, and property damage insurance with limits of at least $50,000. DLI adds that the policy has to include premises, operations and products, and completed operations.

The same subdivision offers an alternative to that split, and it is open to every electrical contractor rather than to one class: a policy with a single limit for bodily injury and property damage of $300,000 per occurrence and $300,000 aggregate limits. The technology systems contractor packet prints the same option, which is where most people meet it, but the authority is Minnesota Statutes 326B.33, subdivision 16.

What the application asks for

Minnesota Rules 3800.3530 sets the contents, and some of it catches people out. It asks for the telephone number, exclusive of answering services, as listed under the applicant's name in telephone directories. It asks for owner and officer information and Social Security numbers under Minnesota Statutes 270C.72.

It also asks for certificates of assumed name or good standing from the Secretary of State, Minnesota business identification and federal employer identification numbers, and, when the applicant has employees, the workers compensation insurance account number and the unemployment insurance account number. A certificate of master electrician or power limited technician identifies the licensed individual responsible for the license.

The rule then adds a duty that outlives the application: all of the information required by this part must be kept current, and licensees shall notify the department within 30 days of any changes in the required information.

Fees and terms

All three contractor licenses cost $188 for a new application and $188 to renew, with $278 for an expired renewal including the $90 late fee. The fee schedule breaks $188 down as a $180 license fee and an $8 board fee.

The terms are stated differently by different state sources and we print both. Minnesota Statutes 326B.33, subdivision 19(a) says electrical contractor licenses expire March 1 of each even numbered year, while DLI says they expire on the last day of February in even numbered years. The same subdivision says technology system contractor and satellite system contractor licenses expire August 1 of each even numbered year, while the elicense entry says two years, expires on the last of July of even numbered years.

There is no continuing education fee on a contractor license and the fee schedule prints NA in that column. The people behind it still carry their own personal continuing education.

How many there are

The Board of Electricity publishes the counts each quarter. Electrical contractors ran 2,697 in October 2025, 2,693 in January 2026 and 2,497 in April 2026. Technology systems contractors ran 857, then 849, then 835. Registered employers ran 445, 445 and 422, and sign contractor bonds 112, 108 and 103.

Employer registration, code ER, and sign contractor bond, code SB, both cost $100 new, $100 to renew and $100 to renew late. Employer designation of a responsible individual is governed by Minnesota Rules 3800.3550.

Questions people ask

How much is a Minnesota electrical contractor license?

One hundred and eighty eight dollars for a new application and $188 to renew. An expired renewal is $278, which includes the $90 late fee. The same figures apply to the technology systems and satellite system contractor licenses.

What bond does a Minnesota electrical contractor need?

Twenty five thousand dollars. Minnesota Statutes 326B.33, subdivision 15 requires each contractor to give and maintain bond to the state in that penal sum, and DLI describes it as a surety bond.

What insurance does a Minnesota electrical contractor need?

General liability with at least $100,000 per occurrence, a $300,000 aggregate for bodily injury and at least $50,000 in property damage, covering premises, operations and products, and completed operations. Minnesota Statutes 326B.33, subdivision 16 lets any contractor use a single limit of $300,000 per occurrence and $300,000 aggregate instead.

Do I need a master electrician to get a contractor license?

For a Class A electrical contractor license, yes. The responsible licensed individual has to hold an active master electrician license, be an owner, officer, member or W-2 employee of the business, and not serve the same role for another contractor.

Can a power limited technician hold a contractor license?

As the responsible licensed individual on a technology systems contractor license, yes. Minnesota Statutes 326B.31, subdivision 30 allows either a licensed power limited technician or a licensed master electrician in that role.

When do Minnesota contractor licenses expire?

Two sources word it differently. The statute says electrical contractor licenses expire March 1 of each even numbered year and DLI says the last day of February in even numbered years. For technology systems contractors the statute says August 1 of each even numbered year and elicense says the last of July.

What this page cites

• Minnesota Statutes 326B.33 Subdivisions 14 through 17 and 19 carry the contractor duty, the bond, the insurance, the responsible individual and the expirations. source
• Minnesota Statutes 326B.31 Subdivisions 2 and 30 define the Class A electrical contractor and the technology system contractor. source
• DLI electrical contractor licensing basics Sets out the $188 fee, the $25,000 surety bond, the insurance limits and the responsible licensed individual conditions. source
• Minnesota Rules 3800.3530 The full application contents, including the 30 day duty to report changes. source
• DLI technology systems contractor packet Prints the bond, both insurance options and the $188 and $278 fees for that class, restating the statute rather than setting a rule of its own. source
• Board of Electricity minutes, April 14, 2026 The quarterly active license counts for contractors, technology systems contractors and registered employers. source