Minnesota has no stay-or-pay law, but one rule helps
Can't charge for training the job requires.
Partly covered Can't charge for training the job requires.
Minnesota has no stay-or-pay law. A bill to ban training repayment agreements (SF 2533 and HF 2567) got a committee hearing in March 2026 and died when the session ended. One law-firm tracker reported a Minnesota ban from July 1, 2026; that is wrong.
An older law, § 181.645, already stops employers charging for orientation, background checks and training the job requires.
What it means for each kind of repayment
What the law reaches:
Training costs
Not settled
- Minnesota bars employers from making you pay for training the law requires, or that your employer requires for you to keep your job.
- Training to get or keep a license or certification is left out.
- No court has said whether this stops a clause that charges you for that training only when you quit.
A sign-on bonus
Not covered
Relocation money
Not covered
Tuition or a course you chose
Not covered
A fee or penalty for leaving
Not covered
If your contract breaks it
- You can complain to the Department of Labor and Industry, or ask a lawyer whether § 181.645 covers your clause.
Where to complain: Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry.
Bills
- SF 2533: Training repayment ban: died with the 2025-26 session.
This is general information, not legal advice. For your own contract, a lawyer or your state's labor department can tell you where you stand.
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Sources
- Minn. Stat. § 181.645, employee fees and training, Minnesota Revisor of Statutes, read November 8, 2026.
- SF 2533, training repayment agreements, Minnesota Revisor of Statutes, read November 8, 2026.