Backflow Base / Tester certification / Minnesota
Backflow tester certification in Minnesota.
DLI certifies backflow testers (BT) and rebuilders (BF). Both need current ASSE certification; the tester certificate needs ASSE 5110 and no plumbing license.
Last updated .
Who certifies
Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI), Construction Codes and Licensing
651-284-5034 · dli.license@state.mn.us
The state issues the certificate testers need.
What it takes
- Credential
- DLI Backflow Prevention Tester (BT) certification, backed by current ASSE 5110
- Before you start
- No plumbing license for BT. A Rebuilder (BF) needs a Minnesota plumbing license plus ASSE 5130 and 5110, and may install, maintain, test, repair and rebuild.
- Training
- Not set by DLI beyond holding ASSE certification. DLI links the list of approved ASSE certification schools.
- Exam
- ASSE 5110 certification exam through an ASSE-approved school; DLI does not run its own exam on the pages read.
- Renewal
- Renew in the DLI iMS system with proof of current ASSE certification. Renewal opens 60 days before expiry. The renewal term is not stated on the pages read.
- Fees
- $38 new and $38 renewal, $53 renewal if late (from the DLI registration form). Nonrefundable.
Certificates from elsewhere
- ASSE 5110: required to get the state certificate. DLI requires proof of current ASSE certification for new and renewal BT. The state plumbing code fact sheet says testing needs ASSE 5110, and RPZ testing needs the additional DLI certification.
No other state's certificate is named as valid here. Ask the program before you rely on one.
Where to get certified
- @MetroTestingBlaine, MN · course and exam. ASSE-approved school for 5110 and 5130 per the ASSE school list.
- Backflow Prevention Institute (IAPMO), MinnesotaAnoka, MN · course and exam. ASSE-approved school for 5110 and 5130 per the ASSE school list.
- Plumbers Local 15 JATC (Minneapolis Plumbers)Maple Grove, MN · course and exam · in person. ASSE-approved school for 5110 per the ASSE list.
- St Paul JAC 34 (Saint Paul College)St. Paul, MN · course and exam · in person. ASSE-approved school for 5110 per the ASSE list.
- Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 11 Training CenterDuluth, MN · course and exam · in person. ASSE-approved school for 5110 per the ASSE list.
- Local 6 JATCRochester, MN · course and exam · in person. ASSE-approved school for 5110 per the ASSE list.
Listed for convenience, not endorsed. Check that a course is on the state's approved list before you pay.
Free exam prep → Study questions, practice exams, device tests.
Test procedures for every assembly → The steps we recommend for the field exam.
Filing test reports
State plumbing code fact sheet: test annually, and send the written test record to both the administrative authority and the community public water supplier within 30 days. Cities add their own portals.
Deadline: within 30 days of the test (state plumbing code fact sheet)
Portals in use: The Compliance Engine
Largest water systems
City of Minneapolis (Regulated Backflow Assemblies)
- Contact
- 612-661-4942 · BackflowPrevention@minneapolismn.gov
- Reports
- Submit results online in The Compliance Engine (TCE). The plumbing contractor first registers the device change with the city and waits for confirmation.
- Testers
- Must be a Minnesota certified tester with a TCE account. Fees per device: $18 per test; late fee $5 under 30 days, $10 over; $500 non-compliance penalty.
Saint Paul Regional Water Services
- Reports
- Program page not found.
City of Rochester
- Reports
- Program page not found.
City of Bloomington
- Reports
- Program page not found.
City of Brooklyn Park
- Reports
- Program page not found.
Sources
- DLI Backflow prevention certification
- DLI backflow registration form
- DLI Fact Sheet: Backflow Devices, 2020 Minnesota Plumbing Code
- ASSE approved schools
- Minneapolis Regulated Backflow Assembly
Checked 2026-10-19 against each state's own program pages and rules. Rules change; confirm with the program before you book an exam or a test. Spot something out of date? hello@backflowbase.com.
The software
- Bookings from a booking page, your own website, and an AI receptionist on your phone.
- Schedule board and route for each tester.
- Field app that scores every test, even with no signal.
- Test reports sent to the water system that serves each address.
- Card payments to your own Stripe account, and yearly renewals that charge after the test.
- Client portal for HOAs, property managers and contractors.
- $50/month flat: no per-test fee, no cut of payments.
- Every feature →What the app does, part by part.
- Compare →Next to other backflow and field-service software.
- Start free →No card. $50/month or $500/year once you go live, 45 days free.
- Free exam prep →Study questions, practice exams, device tests, a VR wet lab.