LICENSE LISTMinnesota

Two different things

Is a contractor's license the same as being insured?

No. They are separate, and only one of them is in the state's public file.

The short answer

No. A license is a credential the state issues and publishes. Insurance is a private contract between the contractor and an insurer, and it is not in the license file.

This directory is built from the license file. That means we can show you a license status from the state's own record, and we can tell you nothing at all about anyone's insurance.

What to do instead

Ask for a certificate of insurance and, if the job is large, ask the insurer to confirm it directly. A certificate handed to you by the contractor is a document they supplied.

A license you can verify in a minute; insurance takes a phone call. Both are worth the time before money changes hands.

Where this comes from

The department's copy is the live one. Ours is a dated snapshot, and the date is in the footer.