Mechanics lien law
Minnesota lien deadlines for contractors
Updated · Checked against primary sources
The short answer
In Minnesota, a prime contractor must put the statutory pre-lien notice in its written contract with the owner, or deliver it within 10 days after the work is agreed upon. Subcontractors and suppliers must notify the owner within 45 days of first furnishing. File and serve the lien statement within 120 days after last furnishing, then sue within 1 year after the last item claimed.
The deadlines
| Step | Rule |
|---|---|
| Preliminary notice: who | Yes, for both. A contractor who contracts with the owner and has or will hire subcontractors or suppliers must include the statutory notice in its written contract with the owner. Everyone else (anyone not in direct contract with the owner) must serve their own pre-lien notice on the owner or the owner's agent. |
| Preliminary notice: when | Prime: in the written contract, or if there is no written contract, delivered personally or by certified mail within 10 days after the work is agreed upon. Subcontractors and suppliers: no later than 45 days after first furnishing labor, skill or materials. (A prime who fails to give the notice has no lien. A sub who makes a good faith effort to comply keeps its lien unless the owner or another claimant proves damage caused by the failure. Neither notice is required for wholly residential improvements with more than four units, or for most nonagricultural, wholly or partly nonresidential projects involving more than 5,000 usable square feet (514.011, subds. 4b and 4c).) |
| File or register the lien | Within 120 days after the claimant last did work or furnished materials, the lien statement must be recorded with the county recorder (or registrar of titles for registered land), and a copy must be served personally or by certified mail on the owner, the owner's agent, or the person who contracted with the contractor. The same deadline applies to primes and subs. |
| Enforce or perfect it | The lien must be asserted by filing a complaint or answer with the court administrator within 1 year after the date of the last item of the claim shown in the recorded lien statement. A notice of lis pendens is recorded when the action begins. |
| Residential jobs | Pre-lien notices apply to residential projects of four units or fewer and to agricultural property. They are not required for improvements to wholly residential property with more than four units. |
Other notices and rules
- The lien statement must say that any pre-lien notice required by 514.011, subd. 2 was given (514.08, subd. 2(9)).
- Within 10 days of a request, a contractor must give a subcontractor or supplier the owner's name and address (514.011, subd. 3).
Common questions
- Do I need to send a preliminary notice in Minnesota?
- Yes, for both. A contractor who contracts with the owner and has or will hire subcontractors or suppliers must include the statutory notice in its written contract with the owner. Everyone else (anyone not in direct contract with the owner) must serve their own pre-lien notice on the owner or the owner's agent. Prime: in the written contract, or if there is no written contract, delivered personally or by certified mail within 10 days after the work is agreed upon. Subcontractors and suppliers: no later than 45 days after first furnishing labor, skill or materials..
- How long do I have to file a lien in Minnesota?
- Within 120 days after the claimant last did work or furnished materials, the lien statement must be recorded with the county recorder (or registrar of titles for registered land), and a copy must be served personally or by certified mail on the owner, the owner's agent, or the person who contracted with the contractor. The same deadline applies to primes and subs.
- How long does a Minnesota lien last before I have to enforce it?
- The lien must be asserted by filing a complaint or answer with the court administrator within 1 year after the date of the last item of the claim shown in the recorded lien statement. A notice of lis pendens is recorded when the action begins.
General information from the statutes cited below, checked 2026-09-24. Lien law is strict and details depend on your role and contract. Confirm with a construction lawyer in Minnesota before relying on a deadline. Read from the 2025 Minnesota Statutes as published on Justia. The official site (revisor.mn.gov) could not be reached from our research environment, so any 2026 session changes were not checked there. The history lines show no amendments to these sections after 1997.
Where Pavado comes in
How Pavado builds a CRM around your jobs
Lien rights are usually lost to a calendar, not a court. We build CRMs that start each job's notice and lien clocks from its real start and completion dates and remind you before every deadline, so the rights you earned by doing the work are still there when a customer stops paying.
Instead of bending your shop around someone else's software, we build the system around how your jobs actually move, and connect it to what you already use.
- Your pipeline, your stages. From first call to paid invoice, set up the way your team already works.
- Automations for the busywork. Follow-ups, reminders and handoffs that happen without anyone remembering.
- One record per customer. Calls, quotes, jobs, photos and invoices in one place instead of five apps.
- Connected to your stack. QuickBooks or Xero, Gmail or Outlook, payments and e-sign, plus thousands more through Zapier and an API.
- 1.Book a free demo and walk us through how a job moves today.
- 2.We map the workflow and send a scoped proposal, free.
- 3.We build it, connect your tools and get your team using it.
The first conversation and a scoped proposal are free, and we will tell you early if we are not the right fit.
Go deeper
- GuideWhen to File a Construction Lien: 2026 DeadlinesFile while the clock runs: 30 to 60 days in Canada (60 in Ontario), 90 to 180 in most US states, counted from completion. Registering costs $200 to $500.
- GuideCustomer Short Paid the Final Invoice: 5 MovesBefore you chase the balance, decide whether to deposit the cheque. In the US, cashing one marked 'paid in full' can legally erase what you are owed.
- GuideHow to Collect a Contractor Deposit: 5 RulesMake the deposit due 3 to 5 business days before the start date, size it to your upfront spend, and check state caps: California's is $1,000, not $10,000.
- GuideProgress Payment Schedule: 6 Rules That Get PaidEight states cap what you can collect up front. California's limit is $1,000. How to build a draw schedule under your legal ceiling and stay cash positive.
Other states
- USAlabama lien deadlines
- USAlaska lien deadlines
- USArizona lien deadlines
- USArkansas lien deadlines
- USCalifornia lien deadlines
- USColorado lien deadlines
Sources
- Minn. Stat. 514.011 (pre-lien notice)
- Minn. Stat. 514.08 (lien statement, 120 days)
- Minn. Stat. 514.12 (1-year enforcement)
Cite this page
Pavado, “Minnesota Lien Deadlines 2026: Notice and Filing”, https://www.pavadotech.com/lien-deadlines/minnesota, updated 2026-09-24.