Minnesota Plumber License Application: iMS Portal Step-by-Step

Every Minnesota plumbing credential — from your initial PA registration to a contractor license — runs through the DLI's iMS (internet Management System) portal. It handles applications, renewals, exam scheduling approvals, experience verification uploads, and CE tracking. If you're applying for any plumbing license in Minnesota, this is where you'll do it.

Here's how the application process works at each stage, and the filing mistakes that delay people.

Initial Registration (Registered Unlicensed Plumber)

This is the entry point. You need to be at least 18 years old or hold a high school diploma/GED. No prior plumbing experience is required.

What to do:

1. Go to the DLI iMS portal and create an account if you don't have one
2. Submit the online application for Registered Unlicensed Plumber
3. Pay the $14 filing fee

The DLI processes the application and issues a registration card with a tracking number beginning with "PA." This number stays with you for your entire career and is how the state tracks your accumulated hours.

Annual renewal: Your registration expires every June 30. To renew, log into iMS, pay the $19 renewal fee, upload your completed Form CC0100 (work experience verification) for the preceding year, and confirm your 2 hours of DLI-approved continuing education.

The Journeyworker Exam Application

Once you've accumulated 7,000 hours across the mandatory categories (2,000 water distribution, 2,000 DWV, 1,000 fixture, 2,000 discretionary), you can apply for the exam.

What to do:

1. Log into iMS and submit a journeyworker exam application
2. Pay the $50 exam fee
3. The DLI reviews your uploaded Form CC0100 records to verify your hours and category distribution

If your experience records check out, you'll receive an approval email. From there, you schedule your exam with Prometric at one of the testing centers around the state — Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester, Duluth, and others.

After passing (70% or higher on the 80-question exam): Go back to iMS, submit the final activation application, and pay the $40 initial license fee. Your journeyworker license becomes active.

The Master Plumber Exam Application

After holding an active journeyworker license for at least one year (1,750 hours of practical experience), you can apply for the master exam.

What to do:

1. Log into iMS and submit a master plumber exam application
2. Pay the $50 exam fee
3. The DLI verifies your journeyworker experience period

Same process from here: approval email → Prometric scheduling → pass the 100-question exam at 70% → return to iMS for the activation application → pay the $80 initial license fee.

Contractor License Application

The contractor application is more involved because it covers a business entity, not an individual.

Before applying in iMS, you need these pieces in place:

• Business entity registered with the Minnesota Secretary of State (legal name, assumed name if applicable, registered agent)
• Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN)
• Minnesota state tax ID from the Department of Revenue
• A designated RLI — a W-2 employee, owner, officer, or member holding an active Minnesota Master Plumber license
• $25,000 surety bond on the DLI's approved form, signed and notarized by a licensed corporate surety
• General liability insurance (ACORD certificate) with the DLI listed as certificate holder and limits meeting state minimums
• Workers' compensation coverage (or a validated statutory exemption if you have no employees)

In iMS:

1. Submit the plumbing contractor business application
2. Complete the background disclosure form
3. Disclose all owners holding greater than 10% interest
4. Pay the $188 license fee

The DLI will verify that every document matches — and this is where applications get rejected.

Common Filing Mistakes

These are the issues that delay applications, based on the DLI's published requirements and the most frequent processing problems:

Name mismatches: Your business name must match exactly across three documents — the Secretary of State filing, the surety bond, and the liability insurance ACORD certificate. Dropping "LLC" from one document or using a different word order is enough to trigger a rejection. Check every character before filing.

Incomplete Form CC0100: If you leave any experience category blank on your work experience verification form, the DLI records zero hours for that category. An apprentice who worked 2,000 hours of DWV but left that line blank has zero DWV hours in the system — and their exam application will be rejected for insufficient category coverage.

Missing master plumber signature: Form CC0100 must be signed by the Responsible Master Plumber who supervised the work. A restricted master plumber cannot certify their own work experience. If your supervising master has left the company, you need to get the form signed before they're unreachable.

Late uploads: Don't wait until you apply for the exam to upload your experience forms. Upload Form CC0100 during each annual registration renewal. Hours logged annually in iMS are officially preserved on the state's servers, protecting your experience record if an employer dispute, company dissolution, or document loss occurs later.

Insurance document errors: For contractor applications, the ACORD certificate must list the DLI as "certificate holder," and the policy must cover premises, operations, products, and completed operations at the minimum limits. Generic certificates that don't specify the DLI as holder get returned.

Keeping Your iMS Account Current

Your iMS account is your single interface with the DLI for the life of your plumbing career. Beyond applications and renewals, it's where you:

• Check your verified hours and category distribution
• View your CE credit history
• Verify that your supervising master correctly reported your accumulated hours
• Receive audit notifications for CE compliance
• Track your license status and renewal deadlines

For a complete guide to managing the full progression — from initial registration through each exam application, contractor setup, and renewal cycle — the Minnesota Plumber License Guide covers the administrative workflow alongside the forms, fees, and DLI procedures at each step.

See more Minnesota guides →