Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry

Construction Codes and Licensing Division

Building Codes and Standards
443 Lafayette Road N., St. Paul, MN 55155-4341
Phone: (651) 284-5012 Fax: (651) 284-5749
www.doli.state.mn.us TTY: (651) 297-4198

CERTIFIED BUILDING OFFICIAL,

CERTIFIED BUILDING OFFICIAL-LIMITED,
ACCESSIBILITY SPECIALIST

GENERAL INFORMATION

Please read all the information in this application before you apply. Complete the application entirely
including dates of employment and list only the information applicable to certification. Attach
additional information as required with the completed application. Incomplete applications will be
returned. Include a check or money order for $70.00 made payable to the “Department of Labor and
Industry.” Mail the check and application to: Department of Labor and Industry, Financial Services,
443 Lafayette Road N., St. Paul, MN 55155.
PLEASE NOTE: Application fees are non-refundable (Minnesota Rule 1301.0400).

Questions concerning Building Inspection Technology Courses should be directed to the following
organizations:

NORTH HENNEPIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

7411 85th Avenue North
Brooklyn Park, MN 55445
(763) 424-0752
www.nh.cc.mn.us

INVER HILLS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

2500 80th Street East
Inver Grove Heights, MN 55076
(651) 450-8500
www.inverhills.edu

For information on the certifications offered by the International Code Council (ICC) contact:

INTERNATIONAL CODE COUNCIL

5203 Leesburg Pike, Suite 600
Falls Church, VA 22041
Phone: (703) 931-4533
Fax: (703) 379-1546
e-mail: mdunlap@iccsafe.org

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 APPLICATION, PROCESSING AND TESTING PROCEDURES
NOTIFICATION AND RETESTING RULES

1. Building Codes and Standards will evaluate completed applications for conformance with the
prerequisites. The applicant will be notified of approval/disapproval of the application.

2. Applicants who qualify for certification as a Building Official-Limited or Accessibility

Specialist are required to attend a course specified by the State Building Official. The course is
offered quarterly at the Building Codes and Standards offices in St. Paul. Applicants must
complete and return the “Course Enrollment Form”, “Application for Municipal Building
Official Certification” and $70 fee to participate in the course. Upon confirmation of the
prerequisite information, a letter confirming course enrollment will be sent to the applicant.
Expenses incurred for meals, parking and hotel accommodations are the responsibility of the
applicant. The course enrollment form includes hotel and parking information.

3. The Building Codes and Standards Division will establish exam dates and locations. Applicants
need to complete the “Request for Exam Site Location Form” identifying the date and location
they are available to take the exam. The applicant will receive a written confirmation about ten
days prior to the exam date. The exam is given on Thursdays or Saturdays (see schedule) at the
exam location selected by the applicant. Exams may be cancelled if an insufficient number of
applications are received or other unforeseen circumstance.

4. The examination is an open-book written exam. The exam covers administrative, statutory and
technical aspects of building code administration, and knowledge of the documents that
compose the Minnesota State Building Code. Copies of the Minnesota State Building Code,
International Building Code and International Residential Code will be furnished at the exam
site.

5. Building Codes and Standards staff will correct and record exam scores. Those passing the
exam are issued a certificate. Those failing the exam or failing to appear for the exam will be
notified and will be eligible to retake the exam once without additional cost after 30 calendar
days. If the applicant fails the exam a second time or fails to appear for the second exam, the
applicant must wait six (6) months and submit a new application and fee.

6. Accommodations for disability to enable you to fully participate in the course or exam, such as
wheelchair access, auxiliary hearing devices, or an interpreter, can be made available upon
advance request.

If you have questions regarding this application or the courses or if you need accommodations for a
disability, please write or call Education, Rules and Code Development at the address below:

Department of Labor and Industry

Education, Rules and Code Development
443 Lafayette Road N.
St. Paul, MN 55155
(651) 284-5012

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 CATEGORIES OF MINNESOTA
BUILDING OFFICIAL CERTIFICATIONS

Certified Building Official. A “certified building official” is a person identified on the certification
card as a “certified building official,” “building official-class II,” or “building official-class S.” All
newly certified or recertified officials of these certifications must be identified as a “certified building
official” on the certification card. This classification is granted to a person who has met the “certified
building official” prerequisites of Rule 1301.0300 and successfully passed the written examination
prepared by the state. A person with this certification may serve as the building official for any
municipality.

Certified Building Official-limited. This certification is identified as “certified building official-

limited” on the certification card. This classification is granted to a person who has met the “certified
building official-limited” prerequisites of Rule 1301.0300 and successfully passed the written
examination prepared by the state. A person with this classification may perform code administration
for one- and two-family dwellings, their accessory structures, and “exempt classes of buildings” as
provided in Rule 1800.5000 of the Board of Architecture, Engineering, Land Surveying, and
Landscape Architecture, as well as “facilities for the handicapped” provisions in chapter 1341 of the
Minnesota State Building Code. Code administration for all other buildings, must be performed by a
certified building official as defined above. However, the certified building official-limited may
conduct inspections at the direction of a certified building official or the state building inspector.

Accessibility Specialist. This certification is identified as “accessibility specialist” on the certification

card. This certification is granted to a person who has met the “accessibility specialist” prerequisites
of Rule 1301.0300 and successfully passed the written examination prepared by the state. A person
with this classification is limited to the administration of provisions of the Minnesota State Building
Code that provide access for persons with disabilities.

Use of this certification is restricted to municipalities that, according to Minnesota Statutes, sections
16B.72 and 16B.73, do not administer the code. If a municipality adopts the Minnesota State Building
Code, the responsibilities for code administration and enforcement are under the authority of the
certified building official or the certified building official-limited.

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