State requirements
North Dakota contractors are licensed by North Dakota Secretary of State - Contractor Licensing (N.D.C.C. ch. 43-07). General liability is required to hold the license. Workers compensation is required for employers with any employees.
| Licensing authority | North Dakota Secretary of State - Contractor Licensing (N.D.C.C. ch. 43-07) |
|---|---|
| General liability required for license | Yes |
| Statutory GL minimum | No state minimum verified |
| Workers compensation | Required, any employees |
| Contractor license bond | None verified at state level |
Verified against https://www.sos.nd.gov/business/licensing-registration/contractors in the October 2026 research pass. Where a figure is not stated, no authoritative source published one, and we say so rather than estimating.
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North Dakota Secretary of State - Contractor Licensing (N.D.C.C. ch. 43-07)
A contractor license is required when the cost, value or price of a job exceeds $4,000. The application must include a certificate of liability insurance naming the Secretary of State as certificate holder and a Workforce Safety & Insurance (WSI) verification - so general liability is required, but the statute sets no minimum limit. The contractor's bond statute (43-07-11) was repealed in 1995, so there is no license bond. WSI is North Dakota's exclusive (monopolistic) workers' comp fund and all employers must cover all employees before they begin work.
No statutory minimum applies in North Dakota. What you actually need is set by the contract in front of you. Most North Dakota general contractors require one million per occurrence and two million aggregate from their subcontractors, plus additional insured status and a waiver of subrogation.
Workers compensation is required for employers with any employees. Operating without it where it is required exposes the business to penalties and to direct liability for an injured worker's medical costs.
Any vehicle used for business needs commercial auto. A personal policy excludes business use in every state, and it will not cover the tools inside the truck.
General liability never covers your own tools. Inland marine covers them in transit and on site, including theft, which is the most common loss contractors actually file.
Workers compensation is required for employers with any employees.
Workers compensation covers medical costs and lost wages for a work-related injury or illness. It is separate from general liability, which covers injury to other people. If an employee is hurt on a job site in North Dakota, that is a workers compensation claim, and general liability will not respond to it.
This research did not verify a state-level contractor license bond for North Dakota. Where a state does not impose one, cities and counties frequently do, particularly for work above a dollar threshold or on public projects. Confirm with the authority that issues your permit before you bid.
Beyond the license bond, bid bonds and performance bonds come up on larger and public work. Bid bonds are typically priced as a percentage of the bid amount rather than a flat fee, so the cost scales with the project.
North Dakota requires general liability to hold a contractor license, but the research did not verify a specific statutory dollar minimum. Check with North Dakota Secretary of State - Contractor Licensing (N.D.C.C. ch. 43-07) for the limit that applies to your license class, and expect contracts to require more than the floor.
Workers compensation is required for employers with any employees.
This research did not verify a state license bond for North Dakota. Some states have none at state level and impose requirements at the city or county level instead, so check with the local authority where you will be pulling permits.
North Dakota Secretary of State - Contractor Licensing (N.D.C.C. ch. 43-07).
The consequences run from losing the contract to losing the license. A general contractor who finds your certificate is not what the subcontract required will typically stop work and withhold payment until it is corrected, and an uninsured loss becomes a personal liability rather than an insurance claim.
Yes. A single policy can list every state you operate in. Pricing is driven by the highest-exposure state on the schedule, so tell us all of them rather than only your home state.
Requirements differ enough by state that it is worth checking before you bid.
Tell us your trade, payroll and what North Dakota requires of you.
