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Quick answer
North Dakota's contractor licensing chapter calls for a contractor license from the North Dakota Secretary of State when the cost, value, or price per job exceeds $4,000. The license comes in classes A to D by the value of a single contract project. As of October 7, 2026, the class A license fee is $450 per application, and a license is renewed on or before March 1 of each year.
North Dakota · Contractor licenseVerified 2026-10-07
State license
Contractor license (no exam)
North Dakota's contractor licensing chapter requires a contractor license from the Secretary of State, the registrar, when the cost, value, or price per job exceeds four thousand dollars; the Secretary of State's page says this includes subcontractors, general contractors, public contractors, and nonresident contractors. The license comes in classes A to D by the value of a single contract project, and the application carries a certificate of liability insurance and a statement of workforce safety and insurance coverage.
Contractor license (no exam). North Dakota's contractor licensing chapter requires a contractor license from the Secretary of State, the registrar, when the cost, value, or price per job exceeds four thousand dollars; the Secretary of State's page says this includes subcontractors, general contractors, public contractors, and nonresident contractors. The license comes in classes A to D by the value of a single contract project, and the application carries a certificate of liability insurance and a statement of workforce safety and insurance coverage.
Threshold. The chapter applies when the cost, value, or price per job exceeds four thousand dollars; the Secretary of State's page states the figure as $4,000
A person may not engage in the business nor act in the capacity of a contractor within this state when the cost, value, or price per job exceeds the sum of four thousand dollars
N.D. Cent. Code § 43-07-02(1) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-03
"Registrar" means the secretary of state.
N.D. Cent. Code § 43-07-01(5) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-03
When the cost, value, or price of a job exceeds $4,000, the person doing the work must be licensed as a contractor in North Dakota (NDCC ch. 43-07). This includes subcontractors, general contractors, public contractors, and nonresident contractors.
a. The holder of a class A license is subject to no limitation as to the value of any single contract project. b. The holder of a class B license is not entitled to engage in the construction of any single contract project of a value in excess of five hundred thousand dollars.
N.D. Cent. Code § 43-07-07(1) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-03
c. The holder of a class C license is not entitled to engage in the construction of any single contract project of a value in excess of three hundred thousand dollars.
N.D. Cent. Code § 43-07-07(1) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-03
d. The holder of a class D license is not entitled to engage in the construction of any single contract project of a value in excess of one hundred thousand dollars.
N.D. Cent. Code § 43-07-07(1) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-03
A copy of a certificate of liability insurance must be filed with the application and the contractor shall submit a statement from North Dakota workforce safety and insurance that the contractor has secured workforce safety and insurance coverage satisfactory to workforce safety and insurance.
N.D. Cent. Code § 43-07-04(1) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-03
License classes
Class
Scope
Source
Class A
No limitation as to the value of any single contract project
Liability insurance. A copy of a certificate of liability insurance filed with the application. Source: N.D. Cent. Code § 43-07-04(1)
Workers' compensation. A statement from North Dakota workforce safety and insurance that the contractor has secured workforce safety and insurance coverage. Source: N.D. Cent. Code § 43-07-04(1)
License Fees ClassContract AmountFee Class A Over $500,000 per job $450 Class B Up to $500,000 per job $300 Class C Up to $300,000 per job $225 Class D Up to $100,000 per job $100
Renewal Fees License renewals must be received on or before the deadline or incur a late filing fee. ClassContract AmountFee Class A Over $500,000 per job $90 Class B Up to $500,000 per job $60 Class C Up to $300,000 per job $45 Class D Up to $100,000 per job $30
Term and renewal. A license may be renewed for each successive contractor year, which runs March second through March first; the Secretary of State's page sets renewal on or before March 1 of each year.
Any license issued under this chapter may be renewed for each successive contractor year by obtaining from the registrar a certificate for the current contractor year.
N.D. Cent. Code § 43-07-10(1) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-03
"Contractor year" means March second through March first.
N.D. Cent. Code § 43-07-01(2) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-03
If you are a licensed contractor, you must renew your license on or before March 1 of each year.
Any person acting in the capacity of a contractor without a license is guilty of a class A misdemeanor. The registrar may also assess a civil penalty, following written notice of an intent to assess it, in an amount not to exceed three times the amount set forth in section 43-07-07, and the person may not maintain any claim, action, suit, or proceeding in any court of the state related to the business or capacity as a contractor without first having a license.
Any person acting in the capacity of a contractor without a license is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
N.D. Cent. Code § 43-07-02(2) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-03
the person may be assessed a civil penalty by the registrar, following written notice to the person of an intent to assess the penalty, in an amount not to exceed three times the amount set forth in section 43-07-07.
N.D. Cent. Code § 43-07-02(2) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-03
nor may that person maintain any claim, action, suit, or proceeding in any court of this state related to the person's business or capacity as a contractor without first having a license as provided in this chapter.
N.D. Cent. Code § 43-07-02(1) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-03
North Dakota's credential is the contractor license, issued by the North Dakota Secretary of State. The licensing chapter names the secretary of state as the registrar [1], so where the statute speaks of the registrar, it means that office. Applications go through the Secretary of State's FirstStop Portal [2].
Under the chapter, a contractor license is required once the cost, value, or price per job exceeds four thousand dollars [1]. The Secretary of State's page gives the same line in digits, $4,000 [2], and adds that it reaches subcontractors, general contractors, public contractors, and nonresident contractors alike [2].
Classes, insurance and the application
The license is split into classes A to D, and what separates them is the value of any single contract project a holder may take on [1]. A class A holder works with no ceiling on that value. Classes B, C and D each carry a cap, and the cap falls as the letter moves down the alphabet, with class D set lowest [1].
Insurance is part of the application: a copy of a certificate of liability insurance must be filed with it, and the contractor must submit a statement from North Dakota workforce safety and insurance that its coverage there is secured to that agency's satisfaction [1].
The Secretary of State's page adds that the application requires a signed statement of the applicant's experience and qualifications as a contractor [2].
Cost and the contractor year
Fees are set by class, both for the license and for each renewal [2]. As of October 7, 2026, the class A license fee is $450 per application [2]. At the other end, as of October 7, 2026, the class D renewal fee is $30 per year [2].
The statute runs licenses on a contractor year, defined as March second through March first [1]. A license may be renewed for each successive contractor year by obtaining a certificate for the current year from the registrar [1]. The Secretary of State's page says a license must be renewed on or before March 1 of each year [2], and a renewal received after that deadline incurs a late filing fee [2].
Consequences under the statute
Acting in the capacity of a contractor without a license is a class A misdemeanor under the chapter [1]. Separately, the registrar may assess a civil penalty, after giving the person written notice of an intent to assess it, and the amount is capped at three times the amount set forth in section 43-07-07 [1].
There is a court consequence as well: without first having a license under the chapter, a person may not maintain a claim, action, suit, or proceeding in a North Dakota court related to that person's business or capacity as a contractor [1].
