Privacy policy
Last updated July 8, 2026
The short version
Browsing this site is anonymous. License searches are never stored: what you type is matched against the state's public license file and discarded. The only time we collect personal information is when you submit a form yourself (a contractor request, a license-watch alert, or a page-claim interest form), and we tell you exactly what happens to it below.
The license checker
When you search a name or license number, the search term is sent to our server, matched against the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry's public license data, and returned. It is never written to a database, a log we keep, or anything else. Our analytics record event names only (for example, "a search was completed" or "a flagged result was shown"), never what you searched. Server logs kept by our hosting provider (Vercel) may record IP addresses for security and are retained per their standard policy.
Contractor requests
If you ask to be connected with a licensed plumber or electrician, we collect the name, contact information, address, and description you provide. Your request is shared with the number of licensed Minnesota contractors you chose on the form: one, or up to three, never more. Participating contractors may pay to receive inquiries. Each submission records the exact consent language you agreed to, the time, and technical details (a hashed IP address and browser type) so the consent is verifiable afterward. Your information is never sold as a list, and the consent you give expires: after 30 days it cannot be used to share your request with anyone new.
License-watch alerts
The license-watch signup stores your email address and the license number you asked us to watch, so we can email you if that license changes status in the state's nightly file. Occasional status emails only, nothing else. We never sell your email, and every message includes an unsubscribe link that works.
Contractors claiming a page
If you tell us you want to claim your company's page, we store the contact details you submit so we can reach you when claiming opens. Claiming affects only the presentation a company adds next to its record; the state license record itself is never editable and never for sale.
Cookies and analytics
This site does not use advertising cookies or third-party ad trackers. Our own analytics store whitelisted event names only, with no inputs or identifiers attached. Basic, aggregate traffic analytics may be collected by our hosting provider.
Data removal
To have a contractor request, alert signup, or claim-interest form deleted, contact us and include the phone number or email you submitted so we can locate the record. License records themselves are public government data; corrections to those belong with DLI, and our copy updates nightly from theirs.
About this site
MN Contractor Buddy is an independent educational resource built by a Minnesota attorney. It is not affiliated with the Department of Labor and Industry or any government agency, and nothing on it is legal advice. See the disclaimers on every page, and read more about the site.