The short version: Minnesota licenses residential contractors through the Department of Labor and Industry (DLI). A license is required for most remodels that cross more than one skill (carpentry plus masonry, say). Verify at secure.doli.state.mn.us/lookup/licensing.aspx. The state’s Contractor Recovery Fund can repay your losses, up to $75,000 per claim, but only from a licensed contractor and only after you win a court judgment. DLI also licenses electricians and plumbers.
Minnesota requires a DLI license
Minnesota is a licensed state, which makes your homework easier than in a no-license state. The Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) requires a Residential Building Contractor or Residential Remodeler license for anyone who contracts directly with a homeowner and does work in more than one special skill.2
“More than one skill” matters. A contractor who only hangs drywall may be exempt, but the moment a job combines, say, carpentry and roofing, or masonry and finishing, the DLI license is required. Most senior remodels (a bathroom, a ramp with a door widening, a kitchen refresh) cross several skills, so the license almost always applies.
| What you want done | Who licenses it in Minnesota |
|---|---|
| Residential remodel (multi-skill) | DLI (Residential Building Contractor / Remodeler) |
| Electrical | DLI (state) |
| Plumbing, HVAC | DLI (state) |
This is the Minnesota-specific companion to our national state contractor license lookup guide. For the full pre-hire workflow, see How to Find a Senior-Friendly Contractor.
How to verify: secure.doli.state.mn.us
To verify: open the DLI license lookup at secure.doli.state.mn.us/lookup/licensing.aspx.1 Search by business name, individual name, or license number. No account is required.
Check:
- Status active (not expired, suspended, revoked)
- License type Residential Building Contractor or Residential Remodeler
- Name matches the business and person on your contract
- Disciplinary history any recent DLI action
A contractor who needs a DLI license but cannot show you an active one is not legal to hire for that work, and hiring them forfeits your Recovery Fund protection.
The Contractor Recovery Fund: licensed only
This is the part that matters most for a senior writing a five-figure check. The Contractor Recovery Fund reimburses Minnesota homeowners for losses caused by a licensed residential contractor who does fraudulent, deceptive, or dishonest work, or fails to finish.3
The path and the limits:
- First, win a court judgment against the contractor in conciliation or district court.
- Then apply to the fund within two years of the judgment becoming final.
- The fund pays an individual claimant up to $75,000 per licensed contractor.
- A $300,000 cap applies to all claims combined against any one contractor.
The catch that protects your money: the Recovery Fund does not reimburse money paid to an unlicensed contractor. Hire an unlicensed remodeler to save a little, and you also give up your state backstop. Verifying the DLI license first is what keeps that $75,000 protection alive.
DLI also licenses the trades
Electrical, plumbing, and HVAC work in Minnesota is licensed by DLI as well, separate from the residential contractor license.2
If your senior project includes new wiring for a stair lift circuit, or plumbing for a curbless shower, verify each tradesperson’s own DLI license at the same lookup. The general contractor’s license does not stand in for an electrician’s or plumber’s.
Minnesota senior scam patterns
- Post-hail roofers The Twin Cities metro has been hit by some of the costliest hailstorms in state history. After every big storm, out-of-state crews work neighborhoods door to door with “free inspection” pitches.
- Winter ice dam crews After heavy snow, crews offer ice dam removal. Careless chipping with hammers can crack shingles and gutters, turning a small problem into a roof repair.
- Driveway sealcoating crews A Midwest regular: leftover material offered at a discount, thin work, and a crew gone by morning.
- Your defenses the DLI complaint process and the Contractor Recovery Fund, plus the Minnesota Attorney General for broader fraud.3
If something goes wrong
- Contractor problems: file with DLI at dli.mn.gov, which licenses and disciplines residential contractors.
- To recover money: sue the licensed contractor in conciliation or district court, then apply to the Contractor Recovery Fund.
- Consumer fraud generally: Minnesota Attorney General at ag.state.mn.us.
- Elder financial abuse: contact local law enforcement and Minnesota Adult Protective Services.
- Verify at secure.doli.state.mn.us/lookup/licensing.aspx (no account needed)
- A DLI license is required for most remodels crossing more than one skill
- Contractor Recovery Fund repays up to $75,000, but only from a licensed contractor
- You must win a court judgment first, then apply within 2 years
- Verify electrical, plumbing, and HVAC trade licenses separately
- Verify insurance with the carrier directly ($1M general liability for $10K+ jobs)
- Hail and ice dam roofers active; never door-to-door
Related coverage
- State Contractor License Lookup: All 50 States — national hub
- Wisconsin Contractor License Lookup (DSPS)
- Michigan Contractor License Lookup (LARA)
- Massachusetts Contractor Verification (HIC + CSL)
- Maryland Contractor License Lookup (MHIC)
- Virginia Contractor License Lookup (DPOR)
- California Contractor License Lookup (CSLB)
- How to Find a Licensed Electrician for Senior Homes
- How to Find a Senior-Friendly Contractor — master pillar
Citations
- License Lookup. Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI), retrieved June 15, 2026. secure.doli.state.mn.us/lookup.
- Residential Contractors Licensing. Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI), retrieved June 15, 2026. dli.mn.gov residential contractors.
- Home Building and Remodeling: Contractor Recovery Fund. Minnesota Attorney General, retrieved June 15, 2026. ag.state.mn.us home building.
- Home Improvement Scams Targeting Older Adults. AARP Fraud Watch Network, June 2024. aarp.org/fraud-watch.