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General contractor · State license

How to get a contractor license in North Dakota

State law and licensing-board sources · Last reviewed October 11, 2026

North Dakota requires a contractor license from the Secretary of State for anyone doing construction work when the cost of a job is more than $4,000. There's no exam and no set experience requirement: you must be 18, sign a statement of your experience, and file proof of liability insurance and Workforce Safety & Insurance (WSI) coverage. The class you pick (A, B, C or D) sets the largest single job you can take, and the fee runs from $100 to $450. [1][2]

New to the trade?

Starting from zero in North Dakota

North Dakota's Secretary of State license is a contractor (business) license for jobs over $4,000, not a worker's trade license, and it has no exam. Most people start by getting hired on a crew or entering a carpentry apprenticeship, such as the Carpenters Training Institute's centers in Fargo and the Bismarck-Mandan area or ABC (Associated Builders and Contractors) of Minnesota and North Dakota, where a member contractor hires you. [1][2][3][4][6]

  • High school diploma or GED

    Not required by North Dakota's contractor law, which asks only that an applicant be 18 and file a statement of experience and qualifications. The Carpenters Training Institute encourages anyone older than 17 with a GED (General Educational Development test) or high school diploma to apply, and says minimum requirements vary by location. [1][6]

  • Minimum age

    You must be 18 to apply for a contractor license. The Carpenters Training Institute encourages applicants older than 17. [1][6]

  • Helper jobs

    The state license applies to anyone in the business of a contractor on a job over $4,000, including subcontractors. Electrical and plumbing work is different: those trades need their own licenses or apprentice registrations from the State Electrical Board and State Plumbing Board. [1][2]

  • Pay while you learn

    ABC of Minnesota and North Dakota says a participating contractor hires you and you complete three to five years of classroom and hands-on training while earning a paycheck. Job Service North Dakota says registered apprentices' wages increase as they gain and prove skills. [4][8]

  • Still in high school?

    North Dakota Career and Technical Education (CTE) offers work-based learning for high school credit and an apprenticeship resources page that lists ABC of Minnesota and North Dakota. Job Service North Dakota says high school students may be able to take part in pre-apprenticeship programs. If you earned the ND Academic, CTE or North Dakota Scholarship in high school, it can pay $500 per term (up to $6,000) while you're a full-time apprentice in a registered North Dakota program. [8][9][10][11]

Where to apply in North DakotaHow to get an apprenticeshipHelper jobs

Licensing office North Dakota Secretary of State, Contractor Licensing · (701) 328-2900 [2]

North Dakota contractor license at a glance

Who issues licenses
North Dakota Secretary of State [1][2]
When you need one
Any construction job whose cost, value or price is more than $4,000, including subcontractors and out-of-state contractors [1][2]
Requirements
Age 18 Sworn statement of experience; certificate of liability insurance; WSI certificate of payment or good-standing letter; no exam [1][2]
Classes and fees
A (no limit) $450 B (up to $500,000 per job) $300; C (up to $300,000) $225; D (up to $100,000) $100 [1][2]
Renewal
Every year by March 1: A $90, B $60, C $45, D $30 Late renewals until June 1 add a $50 penalty [1][2]
Trade licenses
Electrical and plumbing work need separate licenses from the State Electrical Board and State Plumbing Board [2]
On this page
  1. At a glance
  2. Starting from zero
  3. The license pathway
  4. Who needs a contractor license
  5. License classes and fees
  6. How to apply
  7. Renewal
  8. Trade licenses and getting started
  9. If you're licensed in another state
  10. Steps to get licensed
  11. Where to get the hours
  12. Licensed in another state?
  13. Questions people ask

The license pathway in North Dakota

  1. 1

    Class D contractor

    • $100
    • Yearly by March 1; $30

    For single jobs up to $100,000. [1][2]

  2. 2

    Class C contractor

    • $225
    • Yearly by March 1; $45

    For single jobs up to $300,000. [1][2]

  3. 3

    Class B contractor

    • $300
    • Yearly by March 1; $60

    For single jobs up to $500,000. [1][2]

  4. 4

    Class A contractor

    • $450
    • Yearly by March 1; $90

    No limit on the value of a single job. [1][2]

Who needs a contractor license

State law says a person may not "engage in the business nor act in the capacity of a contractor" when "the cost, value, or price per job exceeds the sum of four thousand dollars" without a license. A contractor includes anyone in the business of building, repairing, altering or demolishing buildings, roads, pipelines and other structures, including property built for sale or rent, and includes subcontractors and nonresident contractors.

Working without a required license is a class A misdemeanor, and the Secretary of State may also assess a civil penalty of up to three times the license fee. An unlicensed contractor can't sue in North Dakota courts over the work. [1][2]

License classes and fees

The contractor year runs March 2 to March 1. A license first issued in January or February is good until March 1 of the next year. Nonprofits building or rehabbing a single-family home for a low-income buyer pay no fee. [1][2]

How to apply

There's no exam and no minimum years of experience in the law. You must be 18 and submit an application under oath "containing a statement of the applicant's experience and qualifications as a contractor." You also file:

The Secretary of State may also ask for a criminal history check at your expense. Apply through the FirstStop portal or call (701) 328-2900. [1][2]

Renewal

Renew by March 1 every year in FirstStop. You list every North Dakota project over $50,000 finished the prior year (the list goes to the tax commissioner), file a current insurance certificate, and certify that payroll taxes, WSI and unemployment premiums are paid. Miss March 1 and your license is not in good standing; you can renew until June 1 with a $50 penalty, after which the license expires. [1][2]

Trade licenses and getting started

The contractor license doesn't cover licensed trades. The Secretary of State points contractors to the State Electrical Board and State Plumbing Board for those licenses. See the North Dakota electrician, plumber and HVAC pages.

To learn building, union carpenters train at the Carpenters Training Institute campuses in Fargo and near Bismarck, and open-shop contractors train through ABC of Minnesota and North Dakota. More: carpenter apprenticeships. [2][3][4]

If you're licensed in another state

North Dakota's contractor license isn't based on an exam, so there's nothing to transfer: out-of-state contractors apply the same way, and the law's definition of contractor includes nonresident contractors. The state's general occupational licensing chapter (NDCC 43-51) excludes the Secretary of State's contractor licensing, apart from its military-member and military-spouse rules. [1][5]

Steps to get licensed in North Dakota

  1. Register your business if required

    Corporations and LLCs (short for limited liability company) must register with the Secretary of State; sole proprietors and partnerships may need to register a trade or fictitious name. [2]

  2. Get insurance and WSI coverage

    Get a certificate of liability insurance in the license name, listing the Secretary of State as certificate holder, and a WSI certificate of payment (or a good-standing letter if you have no North Dakota employees). [1][2]

  3. Apply in FirstStop

    Submit the contractor license application in the Secretary of State's FirstStop portal, choose your class and pay the fee. [2]

  4. Get trade licenses you need

    Electrical and plumbing work need licenses from the State Electrical Board and State Plumbing Board, and the Secretary of State says you may need other licenses or permits required by law. [2]

  5. Renew by March 1 every year

    Renewal lists each North Dakota job over $50,000 from the prior year and certifies that payroll taxes, WSI and unemployment premiums are paid. [1][2]

Where to get the hours

Programs that train general contractors in or for North Dakota, from their own official pages. Listed by type, not ranked.

Licensed in another state?

We didn't find a reciprocity agreement published by the licensing office for this license. Ask the office how it treats an out-of-state license or experience before you apply.

Open the reciprocity map · How reciprocity works

AlaskaAK MaineME VermontVT New HampshireNH WashingtonWA IdahoID MontanaMT North DakotaND MinnesotaMN IllinoisIL WisconsinWI MichiganMI New YorkNY Rhode IslandRI MassachusettsMA OregonOR NevadaNV WyomingWY South DakotaSD IowaIA IndianaIN OhioOH PennsylvaniaPA New JerseyNJ ConnecticutCT CaliforniaCA UtahUT ColoradoCO NebraskaNE MissouriMO KentuckyKY West VirginiaWV VirginiaVA MarylandMD DelawareDE ArizonaAZ New MexicoNM KansasKS ArkansasAR TennesseeTN North CarolinaNC South CarolinaSC District of ColumbiaDC OklahomaOK LouisianaLA MississippiMS AlabamaAL GeorgiaGA HawaiiHI TexasTX FloridaFL
ND Listed here (agreement or endorsement)

Questions people ask

Do I need a contractor license in North Dakota?

Yes, if you do construction work as a contractor or subcontractor and the cost of a job is more than $4,000. [1][2]

Is there an exam for a North Dakota contractor license?

No. You file an application with a statement of your experience, proof of liability insurance and WSI coverage, and pay the fee for your class. [1][2]

How much does a North Dakota contractor license cost?

$100 for Class D (jobs up to $100,000), $225 for Class C, $300 for Class B and $450 for Class A (no limit). Yearly renewal is $30 to $90. [1][2]

Sources (11)
  1. North Dakota Century Code, Chapter 43-07, Contractors, North Dakota Legislative Branch. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  2. Contractors, North Dakota Secretary of State. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  3. Our Training Locations, Carpenters Training Institute (North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  4. Apprenticeship & Craft Training, Associated Builders and Contractors, Minnesota/North Dakota Chapter. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  5. North Dakota Century Code, Chapter 43-51, Professional and Occupational Licensing, North Dakota Legislative Branch. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  6. FAQs, Carpenters Training Institute (North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  7. Apprentice Resources (Construction Education Foundation of MN), Associated Builders and Contractors, Minnesota/North Dakota Chapter. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  8. Apprenticeships, Job Service North Dakota. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  9. Work-based Learning, North Dakota Department of Career and Technical Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  10. Apprenticeship Resources, Opportunities and Programs, North Dakota Department of Career and Technical Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  11. ND Academic/CTE/ND Scholarships: Apprenticeship Programs (as of 10/12/2023), North Dakota University System (posted by ND Career and Technical Education). Accessed October 11, 2026.