Montana Contractor License Requirements

All construction contractors, subcontractors and associated trades are required to register with the Employment Relations Division of the Contractors Registration Unit (CRU) if they have employees. Those contractors without employees may register with the Independent Contractor Central Unit (ICCU) , but are not required to do so. This is done through the Montana Department of Labor and Industry. Plumbers and electricians are licensed separately and do not need to register.

The ICCU has two primary functions.:

1. To issue Independent Contractor Exemption Certificate
2. The determination of worker status (Independent contractor or employee) if requested by participating programs.

CRU registers all construction contractors that hire employees. This also means corporations and manager-managed limited liability companies and ensures that all construction contractors with employees are paying for their workers' compensation insurance.

Electrician's Licenses

To perform electrical work in Montana requires a license issued by the Montana State Electrical Board. The MSEB licenses electrical contractors, master, journeyman, and residential electricians.

Residential Electrician's License

The applicant for a residential electrician's license must meet either of these two requirements:

• Completion of a two (2)-year electrical apprenticeship
• Two (2) years (or 4,000 hours) of practical work experience with:
• Wiring
• Apparatus
• Equipment for electrical light, heat and power uncer residential construction

An licensed electrician from another state who has scored 75% or better on that state's exams can apply to get a Montana journeyman license without taking a MSEB exam. The qualifying states are:

• Alaska
• Arkansas
• Colorado
• Idaho
• Minnesota
• Nebraska
• New Hampshire
• New Mexico
• Oregon
• North Dakota
• South Dakota
• Utah
• Washington
• Wyoming
  

Journeyman Electrician's License

For a journeyman electrician's license must meet either of these two (2) requirements:

• Completion of a Montana-approved apprenticeship program of four (4) years (8,000 hours) electrical work; or
• Four (4) years (8,000 hours) of practical work experience with wiring, apparatus, or equipment for electrical light, heat and power

Of the hours put in n more than 4,000 hours can be in residential construction. The remaining hours must be in one or all of these disciplines: commercial, industrial, or institutional construction. The MSEB may allow credit for hours spent in a recognized electrical trade school. This is done on per-case basis.

Master Electrician's License

To qualify to write the master electrician's exam an applicant must prove he or she has one of these three (3) requirements:

• Electrical engineering degree and one (1)year practical electrical work experience, or
• Graduation from a post-secondary electrical trade school plus four (4) years of practical work experience, or
• Five (5) years of practical work experience as a journeyman, with planning, layout, and electrical systems supervision experience. The experience must be a mixture of commercial, residential, industrial and institutional wiring for light, heat and power.

Plumber's Licenses

A plumber working in the state of Montana must hold a license recognized by the Montana State Board of Plumbers. An exam is required for this process.

Journeyman Plumber's License

The state of Montana has a reciprocity agreement with North Dakota, Oregon and Idaho regarding the journeyman plumbing license.

For an application for a journeyman plumber's license the candidate must prove:

• Five (5) years of on-the-job plumbing experience, or
• Possess a voucher completed by an active licensed master plumber.

Master Plumber's License

A master plumber's license requires that a plumber meets these requirements:

• Four (4) years (with a minimum of 1,500 hours per year) work experience as a journeyman plumber, of which three (3) years must be as a master plumber or a supervisor in plumbing work
• Nine (9) years experience verified by legal documents

Consumers are advised to also check for municipal license requirements as contractor laws can differ from county to county. It is also advisable to double check with the state's requirements before hiring a contractor.