Forms & Resources
Well Construction Notification
Required before drilling any new water-supply well. Fee: $325.
File with MDHWell and Boring Record
Required after completion. Due within 30 days. Submit to MDH + owner.
Submit to MDHOnline Submission Preferred
Use the MDH Licensing System for notifications, records, permits and licensing. Complete the Minnesota Unique Well and Boring Number Initialization (IWB) first for most notifications. Paper submissions with a check remain accepted; fee-bearing submissions go to Well Management Section, P.O. Box 64502, St. Paul, MN 55164-0502.
Before sealing any water-supply, dewatering or environmental well, file a sealing notification and pay $125. Temporary borings 25 feet or deeper also require notification; shallower temporary borings, bored geothermal heat exchangers and elevator borings are exempt. File the sealing record within 30 days after completion.
Licensing Requirements
Minnesota requires licensed drillers per Minn. Stat. Ch. 103I and Minn. R. Ch. 4725.
License Fees (2025)
| License Type | Fee | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Well Contractor | $300 | 1 year | Original and renewal |
| Certified Representative | $100 | 1 year | Application and renewal |
| Pump/Pitless/Screen Contractor | $100 | 1 year | Limited license |
| Elevator Boring Contractor | $100 | 1 year | Limited license |
| Limited Bored Geothermal Heat Exchanger Contractor | $100 | 1 year | Company license |
| Limited Dewatering Well Contractor | $100 | 1 year | Company license |
| Explorer Company / Responsible Individual | $100 each | 1 year | Company license / responsible-individual renewal |
| Drilling Machine Registration | $125 | 1 year | Per rig, annual |
Late Renewal
The late fee is $75; the MDH fee schedule lists it as "Late Fee (Company License and Responsible Individual-Explorer Only)". Renew before expiration to avoid penalties.
Experience Requirements
| License Type | Experience | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Well Contractor (driller) | 4 years | ≥10 wells/yr, 1,000 hrs drilling/sealing/pumps |
| Pump/Pitless/Screen Contractor | 2 years | 20 pump installations, 1,000 hours |
| Elevator Boring Contractor | 2 years | ≥3 elevator borings per year |
| Environmental Well Contractor | 3 years | Or professional engineer, professional geologist or certified hydrologist; a year is 20 environmental wells and 1,000 hours |
Education Credit
Minn. R. 4725.0650: an applicant "shall be deemed to have one year of experience if the applicant has successfully completed one year of education in well construction practices at an accredited college, university, or postsecondary institution", and "up to a maximum of two years of experience" for "an associate or technical degree in well construction practices" from such an institution.
Exam & Application Process
- Submit a Qualification Application ($100) through the MDH Licensing System with experience documentation
- Once approved, schedule the written state exam
- Pass the exam within one year of being notified you qualify; after a failed exam, wait at least two weeks to retake it (Minn. R. 4725.1025)
- After you pass, complete the Company License application (business information, drilling machine and hoist registration, corporate surety bond) and pay the fee
- Annual expiry: January 31 for full well, limited and elevator credentials; December 31 for environmental well credentials
Continuing Education
- Hours required: 2 MDH-presented contact hours per year for every certified representative; full well contractors and environmental well contractors need 4 more hours of qualifying courses (6 total)
- Who needs CE: All Certified Representatives (required for renewal; exempt for one year after passing the exam)
- Providers: MDH Learning Center (online, 2 hours); the extra 4 hours can come from any provider whose course meets Minn. R. 4725.1675, with no MDH preapproval
- Records: List course, provider, date, location and hours on the renewal application; hours cannot be banked from earlier years. MDH: "It is the responsibility of each certified representative to keep record of their CEUs and track the hours they have achieved."
Reporting & Documentation
| Document | Deadline | Submit To |
|---|---|---|
| Well Construction Notification | Before drilling begins | MDH (via MDH Licensing System or paper) |
| Well and Boring Record | 30 days after completion | MDH + owner copy |
| Sealing Record | 30 days after completion | MDH + owner copy |
| License Renewal | Annual; certified representative licenses expire January 31 (environmental well: December 31) | MDH Licensing System (paper packet still accepted) |
| Continuing Education | Complete before renewal; hours reset each renewal and cannot be banked | List courses on the renewal application |
Well and Boring Record Requirements
The well record must include:
- Depth and lithology (formation descriptions)
- Water-bearing zones encountered
- Casing sizes, materials, and depths
- Grouting/sealing information
- Pump test data (yield, drawdown)
- Initial water test results (coliform, nitrate, arsenic)
Water Testing Required
All new wells must be tested for coliform bacteria, nitrate (as N), and arsenicby an MDH-accredited lab. Submit results to MDH and provide copy to owner before well use.
Construction Standards (Minn. R. Ch. 4725)
Casing Materials
- New casing required: All permanent potable wells
- Watertight joints: No holes, cracks, or separations
- Salvaged casing: Only from same type of well, salvaged within 120 days
- Marked and vented: Above frost line
Grouting/Sealing
- Approved materials: Neat portland cement, cement-sand grout, or bentonite (15% by weight)
- Annular seal: Fill annulus from bottom to surface via tremie method
Setback Requirements
| Contamination Source | Minimum Distance |
|---|---|
| Safeguarded agricultural chemical storage with a permanent watertight roof (subp. 1 E(1)) | 50 ft |
| Safeguarded agricultural chemical storage without a permanent watertight roof (subp. 1 C(2)) | 100 ft |
| Septic tank / sewage sump | 50 ft |
| Drainfield / privy | 50 ft; 100 ft for sensitive wells |
| Industrial wastewater pond | 150 ft; 300 ft for sensitive wells |
| Animal buildings/yards over 1 animal unit | 50 ft; 100 ft for sensitive wells |
| Unroofed feedlot holding 300+ animal units (subp. 1 C(6)) | 100 ft; 200 ft for sensitive wells (subp. 2 C) |
| Solid manure storage not covered by a roof (subp. 1 C(1)) | 100 ft; 200 ft for sensitive wells (subp. 2 C) |
| Liquid-manure basin/lagoon with a chapter 7020-compliant concrete or composite liner (subp. 1 C(5)) | 100 ft; 200 ft for sensitive wells (subp. 2 C) |
| Earthen-lined liquid-manure basin/lagoon without a concrete/composite liner, constructed under an MPCA permit or certified under chapter 7020 (subp. 1 B(6)) | 150 ft; 300 ft for sensitive wells (subp. 2 B) |
| Unpermitted or noncertified liquid-manure basin/lagoon under chapter 7020 (subp. 1 A(6)) | 300 ft; 600 ft for sensitive wells (subp. 2 A) |
| "the absorption area of a soil dispersal system with an average design flow greater than 10,000 gallons per day"; "a landfill or dump containing mixed municipal solid waste from multiple persons"; "a municipal or industrial wastewater rapid infiltration basin" (subp. 1 A(1), (2), (4)) | 300 ft; 600 ft for sensitive wells (subp. 2 A) |
| "a municipal wastewater stabilization pond with 500 or more gallons/acre/day of leakage" (subp. 1 A(5)) | 300 ft; 600 ft for sensitive wells (subp. 2 A) |
| "a municipal wastewater stabilization pond with less than 500 gallons/acre/day leakage" (subp. 1 B(3)) | 150 ft; 300 ft for sensitive wells (subp. 2 B) |
| A tank or container holding "25 gallons or more, or 100 pounds or more dry weight, of an agricultural chemical" or "56 gallons or more, or 100 pounds or more dry weight, of a hazardous substance not protected with safeguards" (subp. 1 B(1)) | 150 ft |
| An underground or aboveground storage tank "with more than 1,100 gallons of petroleum, if protected with safeguards"; "tanks, vessels, or components of a wastewater treatment unit" (subp. 1 C(3), (4), (7)) | 100 ft |
| "a cesspool, seepage pit, leaching pit, or dry well" (subp. 1 D) | 75 ft; 150 ft for sensitive wells (subp. 2 D) |
| A buried sewer that "serves as a collector or municipal sewer" or "is open-jointed" (subp. 1 E(12)) | 50 ft |
| "the ordinary high water level of a stream, river, pond, stormwater retention pond, or lake" (subp. 1 F(2)) | 35 ft |
| "a buried sewer serving one building, or two or less single-family residences, constructed of cast iron or plastic pipe" to UPC specifications, "except for: (a) a collector or municipal sewer; or (b) a sewer serving a facility such as a hospital, nursing home, mortuary, veterinary clinic, health care clinic, or similar facility handling infectious or pathological wastes"; "a stormwater drain pipe eight inches or greater in diameter"; "an in-ground swimming pool" (subp. 1 G(5), (6), (3)) | 20 ft |
| "an animal building, feedlot, confinement area, or kennel holding 0.1 to 1.0 animal unit" (subp. 1 G(7)) | 20 ft; 40 ft for sensitive wells (subp. 2 F) |
| "a frost-proof yard hydrant or discharge of a frost-proof hydrant draining into the soil, a fire hydrant, or a flushing hydrant" (subp. 1 H(1)) | 10 ft |
| Sensitive water-supply well: "a water-supply well with less than 50 feet of watertight casing where the casing does not penetrate a confining layer or multiple layers of confining materials with an aggregate thickness of ten feet or more" (Minn. R. 4725.0100, subp. 43a). "The isolation distances in subpart 1 are doubled between a sensitive water-supply well and a contamination source directly entering the soil" (subp. 2) | Increased distances in subp. 2 |
| Property lines | Varies by local code |
Reference: Minn. R. 4725.4450. Distances measured from well casing termination. Sensitive water-supply wells: subpart 2 doubles distances for contamination sources directly entering the soil; its specific exceptions and the listed sensitive-well distances apply.
Disinfection
All new or recently repaired potable wells must be disinfected:
- Pump the well first (three well volumes or until clear), then apply chlorine for at least 50 ppm free chlorine in all parts of the well
- Keep the solution in the well at least 2 hours before pumping all chlorinated water out. For a repair or modification, Minn. R. 4725.5550 subp. 3 also allows disinfecting "at the start of the repair or reconditioning by applying chlorine at a concentration sufficient to produce 200 parts per million free chlorine in all parts of the well for the period of the well repair or reconditioning operation"
- Use ANSI/NSF-60 chlorine (no perfumes/additives; pool chemicals prohibited)
- Pump out all chlorinated water from the well and distribution system before sampling or returning the well to use
Drilling Conditions by Region
Geology Reference
Reference the DNR Groundwater Provinces Map for regional aquifer information.
Northeast Minnesota (Arrowhead)
- Crystalline hard rock (granite/gneiss)
- Cable or rotary drilling required
- Low yields typical (tens of gpm)
- Depths: 50–300 ft (fracture-dependent)
Central/Southern Minnesota
- Paleozoic sandstone/limestone aquifers
- Artesian conditions possible (flowing wells)
- Good yields (hundreds of gpm)
- Depths: 100–600 ft typical
Seasonal Considerations
- Freeze: Frost depths exceed 4–5 ft. Extend casing below frost. Consider winter suspensions or insulated heaters for grout curing.
- Flooding: Spring runoff can flood fields. Avoid construction in saturated ground.
- Water table fluctuation: Peak in spring. Account for seasonal changes in yield tests.
Special Requirements
Arsenic Advisory Areas
Arsenic is naturally elevated in many Minnesota aquifers. MDH reports arsenic in about 40 percent of new wells drilled since 2008 and above 10 µg/L in about 10 percent of private wells:
- Consider drilling/perforating below shallow arsenic zones
- Arsenic is more likely in some areas; MDH publishes a map of where it is found most often
- All new wells must be tested for arsenic (state requirement)
- MDH: "MDH highly recommends you take action if arsenic levels are above 10 µg/L" (a treatment unit or a different drinking water source); "If arsenic was detected in your new well, you may want to retest your well about six months after construction."
DNR High-Capacity Permits
If a well will withdraw >10,000 gallons/day or >1 million gallons/year, obtain a DNR Preliminary Well Construction Assessment before drilling:
- Submit the Preliminary Well Construction Assessment through MPARS; the individual water appropriation permit application fee is $600 (effective January 1, 2026)
- Wait for DNR preliminary approval before construction begins; a water use permit is also required for these withdrawals
- Contact: DNR Water Use Permits (651-259-5724)
Resources & Contacts
MDH – Well Management Section
Licensing, notifications, reporting, compliance
DNR – Water Use Permits
Preliminary well construction assessment and water use permits (over 10,000 gal/day or 1 million gal/year)
Sources & References
View All Sources
Primary Regulatory Sources:
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I renew my Minnesota driller license?
Renew annually. Well Contractor (company license) renewal is $300; Certified Representative renewal is $100. Certified representative licenses expire January 31 (environmental well: December 31). Renew online in the MDH Licensing System, or by paper packet (paper renewals cannot be paid by credit card). Submit a separate renewal for each license type. Complete your continuing education first. All reporting requirements must be current. The MDH fee schedule lists the $75 late fee as "Late Fee (Company License and Responsible Individual-Explorer Only)".
What are the CE requirements for Minnesota drillers?
Certified representatives of full well contractors and environmental well contractors need 6 contact hours a year: 2 presented or sponsored by MDH (online in the MDH Learning Center) and 4 from other qualifying courses, which MDH does not preapprove. Certified representatives of limited contractors (pump, pitless and screen; sealing; dewatering; geothermal; elevator boring) need the 2 MDH hours only. Hours reset at each renewal and cannot be banked. You are exempt for one year after you pass the exam (Minn. R. 4725.1650). Keep CE certificates for 1 year after course date for audit; MDH: "It is the responsibility of each certified representative to keep record of their CEUs and track the hours they have achieved."
How soon must I file the well log?
Within 30 days after completion. Submit the Well and Boring Record to MDH (via MDH Licensing System or paper form). Provide a signed copy to the well owner. Include depth, lithology, water zones, casing details, pump data, and initial water test results (coliform, nitrate, arsenic).
What are the setback requirements in Minnesota?
50 ft from septic tanks/sewage sumps; 50 ft from drainfields/privies (100 ft for sensitive wells); 150 ft from industrial wastewater ponds (300 ft for sensitive wells). Safeguarded agricultural chemical storage requires 50 ft only with a permanent watertight roof (subp. 1 E(1)); without that roof, it requires 100 ft (subp. 1 C(2)). Animal buildings/yards over one animal unit require 50 ft (100 ft for sensitive wells), except unroofed feedlots holding 300+ units: 100 ft (200 ft sensitive; subp. 1 C(6), 2 C). Unroofed solid manure storage requires 100 ft (200 ft sensitive; subp. 1 C(1), 2 C). A liquid-manure basin/lagoon with a chapter 7020-compliant concrete/composite liner requires 100 ft (200 ft sensitive; subp. 1 C(5), 2 C). An earthen-lined basin/lagoon without a concrete/composite liner, constructed under an MPCA permit or certified under chapter 7020, requires 150 ft (300 ft sensitive; subp. 1 B(6), 2 B). An unpermitted or noncertified liquid-manure basin/lagoon under chapter 7020 requires 300 ft (600 ft sensitive; subp. 1 A(6), 2 A). See Minn. R. 4725.4450 subpart 2 for other sensitive-well increases, including doubled distances for sources directly entering the soil. Cesspools, seepage pits and dry wells require 75 ft (150 ft sensitive; subp. 1 D, 2 D); large soil dispersal systems, landfills and rapid infiltration basins require 300 ft (600 ft sensitive; subp. 1 A, 2 A). A municipal wastewater stabilization pond requires 300 ft (600 ft sensitive) "with 500 or more gallons/acre/day of leakage" and 150 ft (300 ft sensitive) "with less than 500 gallons/acre/day leakage" (subp. 1 A(5), B(3); 2 A, B). A sensitive water-supply well is one "with less than 50 feet of watertight casing where the casing does not penetrate a confining layer or multiple layers of confining materials with an aggregate thickness of ten feet or more" (Minn. R. 4725.0100, subp. 43a). Isolation distances are measured from well casing termination. Local guidelines may impose greater setbacks.
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