Iowa Division of Labor
Contractor Registration
150 Des Moines Street
Des Moines, IA 50309-1836
Phone: 515-242-5871
Fax: 515-725-2427
contractor.registration@iwd.iowa.gov
www.iowacontractor.gov
All “construction” contractors doing business in
Iowa and making more than $2,000.00 per year
must be registered with the Iowa Division of Labor.
“Construction” is defined very broadly to include
companies or individuals who perform electrical,
plumbing, roofing, house painting, installation of
landscaping, windows, cable, elevators and many
other activities.
Plumbing, HVAC/R, Hydronics, and Mechanical Professionals
If you require a license with the Plumbers & Mechanicals Systems Board (PMSB), do not complete this form. Instead please
visit www.idph.iowa.gov/pmsb or call 866-280-1521 to complete registration and licensing together.
Fee Exemption
Self-employed contractors who meet the specific criteria may send a completed signed and notarized Fee Exemption
form instead of payment. To qualify for registering without payment, a self-employed contractor must not work with or for
other contractors in the same phases of construction and must not pay more than $2,000.00 per year to employ others.
NAICS code
The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is used by Federal statistical agencies to classify businesses for
statistical purposes. The application requires the NAICS code that applies to your business activity. Choose from the list of
NAICS codes below.
Highway/Street and Bridge Construction
Plumbing/Heating & A/C Contractors
New Single-Family Housing Construction
Other Heavy/Civil Engineering
Other Building Equipment Contractors
New Multifamily Housing Construction
Poured Concrete Foundation Contractors
Drywall & Insulation Contractors
New Housing For-Sale Builders
Structural Steel/Precast Concrete Contractors
Painting & Wall Covering Contractors
Industrial Building Construction
Tile/Terrazzo Contractors
Commercial & Institutional Bldg Construction
Glass and Glazing Contractors
Finish Carpentry Contractors
Water/Sewer Line Construction
Other Building Finishing Contractors
Oil/Gas Pipeline Construction
Site Preparation Contractors
Power/Communication Line Construction
Other Foundation/Structure & Bldg Exterior
All Other Specialty Trade Contractors
Electrical and Wiring Installation
Out-of-State Contractors
Out-of-state contractors must file a $25,000.00 surety bond at the time of registration. The bond must meet three criteria in
order to be valid: 1) the bond must be executed by a surety company licensed to do business in Iowa, 2) the bond must be
issued on the Out-of-State Bond form provided at www.iowacontractor.gov with the bonding company's seal and two original
signatures, and 3) the bonding company must attach their Power of Attorney (POA) to the form. Once we have accepted a
valid bond, we consider it continuous until we receive a bond cancellation from the bonding company. If an out-of-state
contractor is pre-qualified to bid on projects for the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT), they may submit their DOT-
issued pre-qualification letter in lieu of a bond.
Unemployment Insurance Number
You must obtain an unemployment insurance number before applying for contractor registration even if you have no
employees. To obtain a UI# visit www.myiowaui.org or contact customer service at 888-848-7442 or IWDuitax@iwd.iowa.gov.
Workers’ Compensation
A contractor with one or more employees must submit proof of workers’ compensation insurance. In most cases employers
must submit a certificate of insurance showing an effective date and listing the Division of Labor as a certificate holder. A
self-insured contractor shall submit a Certificate of Relief from the Iowa Insurance Division.
Online Public Portal
You may pay for your annual $50.00 non-refundable registration fee and submit your renewal/application online at
https://contractor.iowa.gov. Unless you already have an account to do electronic business with the State of Iowa, you will be
required to create an Authentication & Authorization account. More information can be found at www.iowacontractor.gov.
Submit a $50.00 non-refundable registration fee by check or money order payable to “Iowa Division of Labor,” a completed
application and any required attachments. An incomplete form or missing attachments will delay the registration process. All
contractors are required by Iowa Code 91C to renew yearly.