Montana uses a split model. At the state level, the Department of Labor & Industry (DLI) licenses individual electricians (Board of Electrical) and plumbers (Board of Plumbers) through the Business Standards Division, and registers all construction contractors (regardless of trade) through the Employment Relations Division's Construction Contractor Registration program. Montana does not license HVAC as a state trade, and Montana does not issue a statewide general contractor license. Source: Montana DLI Boards (https://boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov/). State-licensed individual trades. - Electrician. Board of Electrical issues Apprentice, Residential Journeyman, Journeyman, and Master Electrician licenses under MCA 37-68. Electrical contractors are licensed at the firm level by the board as well. - Plumber. Board of Plumbers issues Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master Plumber licenses under MCA 37-69. Medical-gas installation is a separate specialty under the same board. Trades not state-licensed. - HVAC / mechanical. Licensed at the municipal level (where a city requires it) and regulated by fuel-gas piping rules under the Board of Plumbers where applicable. No state HVAC license exists. - General construction. No state general contractor license. All construction contractors with employees must hold Construction Contractor Registration (CCR) under MCA 39-9. Construction Contractor Registration (MCA 39-9). Montana requires every contractor with employees to register with DLI and maintain active workers' compensation coverage. CCR is not a trade license; it is a wage, hour, and workers'-comp compliance registration. Search the public CCR registry at https://erdcontractors.mt.gov/. Contractors without employees can instead hold an Independent Contractor Exemption Certificate (ICEC) under MCA 39-71-417. License classes and experience (state trades). - Residential Journeyman Electrician: ~4,000 hours of residential electrical experience plus exam. - Journeyman Electrician: 8,000 hours under a Master/Journey supervisor plus exam. - Master Electrician: additional hours as a Journeyman plus Master exam. - Journeyman Plumber: 8,000 hours under a Master Plumber plus exam. - Master Plumber: additional hours as a Journeyman plus Master exam. Bonding and insurance. No statewide license bond applies. Commercial general liability is not required by rule for individual licenses but is almost always required by GCs and public bodies. Workers' compensation is required for nearly all employers under MCA 39-71. Renewal and CE. State electrician and plumber licenses renew annually. Montana Board of Electrical requires 16 hours of board-approved CE every two years. Montana Board of Plumbers requires board-approved CE each renewal. Construction Contractor Registration renews annually and is keyed to workers'-comp coverage. Unlicensed contracting. Performing electrical or plumbing work requiring a state license, without the appropriate Board of Electrical or Board of Plumbers credential, is a violation under MCA 37-68 or 37-69 and can result in cease-and-desist orders, civil penalties, and referral for criminal charges. Operating with employees without Construction Contractor Registration is separately actionable under MCA 39-9.
MT · Contractor licensing
Contractor licensing in Montana
State contractor license requirements, bond, and insurance minimums.
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