# How to Start a NEMT Business in Minnesota (2027)

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/states/minnesota/ · Updated 2026-09-29

Form your company, get a USDOT number, and earn a MnDOT special transportation certificate. Then enroll the company and each driver with Minnesota Health Care Programs at DHS. Minnesota has no statewide broker: you contract with ride coordinators such as MTM Health or SmartLink, bill DHS for wheelchair and stretcher rides, and join health plans. DHS is not enrolling new companies in the seven metro counties until January 27, 2027.

- Minnesota has no single Medicaid broker: counties and tribes, DHS, and the health plans each arrange part of the rides.
- Every NEMT company needs a MnDOT special transportation service certificate, a USDOT number, and a MnDOT decal on each vehicle.
- The company and every driver enroll with Minnesota Health Care Programs, and each claim names the driver who gave the ride.
- New NEMT companies in the seven metro counties cannot enroll before January 27, 2027, and a 2026 law adds risk scoring, a surety bond, and owner training.
- Fee-for-service claims go through prepayment review, and DHS can hold a new provider's payments for 90 days from the first claim.

## Minnesota NEMT at a glance

| Fact | Details |
| --- | --- |
| Medicaid agency | Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS). It pays fee-for-service rides at rates set in state law and pays health plans a monthly rate for their members |
| How rides work | Counties and tribes arrange most fee-for-service rides, DHS pays wheelchair, protected, and stretcher rides directly, and health plans arrange rides for their own members |
| Medicaid broker | No statewide broker. MTM Health coordinates rides for Twin Cities, central, and northern counties, SmartLink for Scott and Carver, and other counties arrange their own |
| How to join | Enroll with MHCP in the MPSE portal, then contract with a coordinator, county, or health plan. The seven metro counties take no new companies until January 27, 2027 |
| State registration | A MnDOT special transportation service (STS) certificate of compliance, a USDOT number, and a $45 MnDOT inspection decal on each vehicle every year |
| Insurance | MnDOT: $500,000 combined single limit per vehicle plus Minnesota no-fault and motorist cover, filed on Form E. MTM asks for $1 million general and auto liability. |
| Drivers | At least 18, licensed for the vehicle, with a medical examiner's certificate, a DHS background study, and 3 years clear of DWI and license revocation |
| Vehicle inspections | MnDOT inspects each vehicle before it carries riders and every year after. You inspect each vehicle daily and keep the record. |
| Pay | DHS pays fee-for-service rates set in state law and adjusted for fuel, such as $19.80 plus $1.80 a mile for a lift or ramp ride since July 1, 2026. Coordinators and plans set their own. |
| EVV | Not yet. A law signed May 27, 2026 adds NEMT to Minnesota's EVV program starting January 1, 2027, or on federal approval if that comes later. |

Minnesota has no single Medicaid broker. Counties and tribes arrange most fee-for-service rides, often through MTM Health or SmartLink. The Department of Human Services (DHS) pays wheelchair, protected, and stretcher rides directly, and health plans arrange their members' rides. This guide follows the DHS provider manual as of September 2026 and state law as amended on May 27, 2026.

## How Medicaid rides work in Minnesota

DHS runs Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP), which include Medical Assistance (Minnesota's Medicaid) and MinnesotaCare. State law sorts rides into seven modes and pays by the member's assessed mode, not by the vehicle you send. On March 2, 2026, DHS told legislators that health plans oversee 80 percent of NEMT spending.

| Mode | Ride | Who runs it for fee-for-service |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mileage paid to the member or family | County or tribe |
| 2 | Volunteer driver | County or tribe |
| 3 | Unassisted, curb to curb | County or tribe |
| 4 | Assisted, door to door or through the door | County or tribe |
| 5 | Lift or ramp vehicle | DHS |
| 6 | Protected transport | DHS |
| 7 | Stretcher | DHS |

Many counties hand their rides to a coordinator:

| Coordinator | Counties |
|---|---|
| MTM Health (MTM-MNET) | Anoka, Benton, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, Mille Lacs, Pine, Ramsey, Sherburne, Stearns, Washington, and Wright, under a contract Hennepin County hosts |
| MTM Health | St. Louis, Aitkin, Carlton, Lake, and Cook |
| SmartLink | Scott and Carver |
| County or tribal agency | Every other county |

Health plan members get rides through their plan: Blue Plus, HealthPartners, Hennepin Health, Medica, UCare, or the county-based Itasca Medical Care, PrimeWest Health, and South Country Health Alliance (state list, February 20, 2026).

A member qualifies when going to a covered service with no other way to get there. Members book routine MTM rides three business days ahead. For a same-day urgent need, MTM checks with the medical provider and tries to arrange a ride within three hours, and it runs [hospital discharge](https://nemtguide.com/guides/hospital-discharge-transportation/) rides after hours. Trips stay within 30 miles for primary care and 60 for specialty care unless the local agency approves more.

A [level-of-service](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/level-of-service/) assessment sets each member's mode. The state's medical review agent assesses assisted, wheelchair, and stretcher riders. Mental health crisis teams, or in some cases medical facility staff, certify protected transport. Nursing facility residents need no assessment except for stretcher rides.

State law calls for one statewide or regional NEMT administrator. A law signed May 27, 2026 keeps today's setup and rates until it starts, after six months of notice to counties and health plans. See the administrator delay.

## How to join your county's program and the health plans

### Check the metro enrollment freeze first

As of July 23, 2026, DHS is not enrolling new NEMT providers located in Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington counties until January 27, 2027. Companies elsewhere in Minnesota can enroll. The freeze covers health plan work too, since federal rules make the state enroll every plan network provider. A 2026 law lets DHS grant exceptions when a county or tribal agency asks. See [the metro freeze](https://nemtguide.com/news/minnesota-metro-nemt-enrollment-freeze/) and enrollment moratoriums.

### Enroll with Minnesota Health Care Programs

1. **Check the exclusion lists.** Search the HHS [OIG exclusion list](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/oig-exclusion-list/) and Minnesota's excluded provider list for your company, owners, managers, and staff before you enroll, before each hire, and monthly.
2. **Pay the application fee.** It is $750 per location for 2026, unless you are enrolled with Medicare or another state's Medicaid program and paid the fee there in the last five years.
3. **Apply as provider type 82, Medical Transportation.** Use the Minnesota Provider Screening and Enrollment (MPSE) portal, or fax form DHS-4016A to 651-431-7462 with agreement DHS-4138, ownership disclosure DHS-5259, and your MnDOT certificate and vehicle list. Without an NPI, DHS assigns a Unique Minnesota Provider Identifier (UMPI).
4. **Pass the screening.** DHS lists NEMT as a high-risk service. Each owner with 5 percent or more needs a fingerprint-based background study, with fingerprints due within 30 days of DHS's request, and DHS makes an unannounced [site visit](https://nemtguide.com/guides/medicaid-site-visit/) within 60 days.
5. **Enroll every driver** on form DHS-4016 (provider type DR), with a background study number and the non-pay-to agreement, DHS-4611A. Drivers get a UMPI.

DHS processes a complete request within 30 days, and it can deny one if you leave a request for more information unanswered for 60 days. High-risk providers [revalidate](https://nemtguide.com/guides/medicaid-revalidation/) at least every three years.

### What the 2026 law adds

Chapter 121, signed May 27, 2026, adds these enrollment steps, and they reach NEMT:

- Since July 1, 2026, DHS may score applicants on readiness, finances, and compliance history before enrolling them, and deny enrollment on the result. You can ask in writing for reconsideration within 30 business days.
- DHS must require a surety bond, bought new each year: $50,000 for a new provider, or $100,000 once the prior year's Medical Assistance revenue tops $300,000.
- From January 1, 2027, owners active in running the company and all managers and supervisors must finish DHS compliance training before you apply.
- DHS can end an enrollment that bills nothing for 12 months in a row.

Ask provider enrollment which apply when you file. See [NEMT compliance programs](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-compliance-program/).

### Contract with a ride coordinator

You cannot bill DHS directly for unassisted (mode 3) or assisted (mode 4) rides. MTM-MNET, SmartLink, or your county or tribe contracts with you, pays you, and bills DHS, listing your NPI or UMPI as the referring provider since August 1, 2026. MTM's network runs application, credentialing, and contracting phases, sends trips electronically, sets rates provider by provider, and does not pay for no-shows. See our [MTM Health guide](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/mtm-health/).

### Bill DHS for wheelchair, protected, and stretcher rides

For modes 5 to 7, you bill DHS directly. Certified members choose their own provider, and the medical review agent names up to five in their county, so discharge planners, nursing facilities, and dialysis units become your referral base. DHS pays wheelchair codes only when MN-ITS shows the member's wheelchair certification, your van is MnDOT certified for wheelchairs, and your DHS provider record carries the wheelchair code.

### Join the health plans

Each [health plan](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/managed-care-organization/) builds its own network. PrimeWest Health, for example, wants proof of your MnDOT certificate and each renewal, rides booked only through PrimeWest, driver license numbers on claims, a monthly driver roster, and exclusion checks of every driver at hire and monthly.

Call the MHCP Provider Resource Center at 651-431-2700 or 800-366-5411 about enrollment, email transportation.DHS@state.mn.us about the metro enrollment freeze, and call MnDOT's STS line at 651-366-3700.

## Licenses and registrations

### Your company

File LLC Articles of Organization with the Minnesota Secretary of State: $155 online or in person, $135 by mail (form revised July 1, 2025). File the free annual renewal by December 31 every year, or the state terminates the LLC; reinstating costs $65 by mail or $85 online. Without an ambulance license, your name and ads cannot use "medical," "emergency," "life support," or "ambulance," though "nonemergency medical transportation" or "NEMT" is allowed.

Get a free employer identification number (EIN) from the IRS, then a USDOT number from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. MnDOT requires one, and a number for trips inside Minnesota costs nothing. See [DOT numbers for NEMT](https://nemtguide.com/guides/dot-number-for-nemt/).

### Minnesota Department of Transportation

MnDOT regulates special transportation service (STS) and treats NEMT as part of it. With a current STS certificate, you need no other state or local permit to run its vehicles for that service.

| If you | You need |
|---|---|
| Carry Medicaid riders in a car, minivan, or van | An STS certificate of compliance, a USDOT number, and a MnDOT decal on each vehicle |
| Carry riders seated in wheelchairs | The same, with each vehicle's securement certified at MnDOT's inspection |
| Provide protected transport | Protected transport certification, with locks, a video recorder, and a clear partition checked at inspection |
| Drive a vehicle built for 16 or more people, driver included | A commercial driver's license with a passenger endorsement |

MnDOT's process has three stages:

1. **Get your MnDOT number.** Send the Get MnDOT Number Packet: the Business Information Form, the data privacy notice, and a workers' compensation certificate. You still cannot carry riders.
2. **Get your certificate of compliance.** Have your insurer file Form E, start DHS background studies, enroll with MHCP, pass a vehicle inspection, and send the Get Certificate of Compliance Packet with your driver, non-driver, and vehicle forms. MnDOT decides within 30 days of a complete application.
3. **Finish the provider education.** An owner completes MnDOT's online Initial STS Provider Education within 90 days, or the certificate is canceled.

The certificate lasts one year. Renew it, keep insurance current, pass the annual inspections and records audit, and report staff, vehicle, or business changes within 10 days. MnDOT can fine up to $1,000 for the violations in one inspection or audit, and you have 30 days to ask in writing for a hearing. See [NEMT license requirements](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-license-requirements/).

## Vehicle rules

MnDOT inspects each vehicle before it carries riders and every year after, and it can inspect without notice. Book the Richfield site online, or call 651-366-3648 outside the metro. A passing vehicle gets a windshield decal, invoiced at $45 and due within 30 days, which expires at the end of the month a year later.

Inspect each vehicle daily, covering brakes, steering, lights, tires, horn, wipers, mirrors, emergency equipment, and any lift, ramp, or securement, and record the date, mileage, and repairs needed. Our [vehicle inspection checklist](https://nemtguide.com/templates/nemt-vehicle-inspection-checklist/) covers the same ground.

Every vehicle carries:

- A 5B:C fire extinguisher with a gauge within the driver's reach (a car may keep it in the trunk with a dashboard notice).
- A dust-proof "FIRST AID" kit with gauze, roll bandages, tape, and scissors, and a labeled body fluids cleanup kit.
- A radio or hands-free phone, a flashlight, spare fuses if it has interior fuses, and a strap cutter with no exposed blade.
- Three reflective triangles, a blanket, and an ice scraper from October 1 to April 30.
- A seat belt for every rider and the driver, a belt extender, and child restraints for children under 8 and shorter than 4 feet 9 inches.
- "No Smoking" and complaint signs, working heat and air conditioning, and your business name and USDOT number on both sides, readable from 50 feet.

Vans and buses need the maker's certificate for federal roof crush or rollover standards (FMVSS 216 or 220). Wheelchair vehicles follow Minnesota Rules chapter 7450 and federal ADA lift and ramp rules, and a lift van needs a front door besides the lift door. MnDOT most often flags wheelchair doors under 56 inches high, ramps under 30 inches wide, side barriers under 2 inches, mixed securement brands, and worn straps (May 2025). See [wheelchair securement](https://nemtguide.com/guides/wheelchair-securement/) and [NEMT vehicle requirements](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-vehicle-requirements/).

## Driver rules and training

Minnesota's STS rules bar a driver who:

- Is under 18 or lacks a license valid for the vehicle. A vehicle built for 16 or more people, driver included, takes a commercial license with a passenger endorsement.
- In the past three years had a license canceled, revoked, or suspended for a listed reason, drove without a valid license, or had a DWI conviction or implied consent revocation.
- Has no medical examiner's certificate from a National Registry examiner, good up to two years, unless they hold a commercial license or school bus endorsement.
- Is disqualified by a DHS background study without a set-aside.

Owners with 5 percent or more, managers, drivers, attendants, and staff who dispatch, schedule, bill, or handle rider data need a DHS background study through NETStudy 2.0, started with your MnDOT number. The DHS fee is capped at $44, plus fingerprinting. Results usually come a week after fingerprinting, and no one works until DHS clears them. See NEMT driver background checks.

| Training | When | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Orientation, equipment, emergencies, daily inspection, cleanup, road test | Before the first ride | No minimum |
| First aid | Within 45 days | 4 |
| Classroom defensive driving | Within 45 days | 4 |
| Abuse prevention | Within 45 days | 4 |
| Passenger assistance, wheelchair riders | Within 45 days | 8 |
| Passenger assistance, ambulatory riders only | Within 45 days | 4 |
| Stretcher assistance | Within 45 days | 2 |
| Child restraints, when used | Within 45 days | 3 |
| Refresher courses, drivers | Every 3 years | 15 |

Courses end with a proficiency test, and MnDOT-certified trainers teach the 45-day and refresher courses in person unless MnDOT approves another format. See [NEMT driver training](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-driver-training/).

Everyone wears a seat belt, no one smokes or vapes, and drivers help riders from the door into the facility when needed. Each driver's file holds the license, driving record checks at hire and yearly, training certificates, the medical certificate, the background study result, and complaints with your follow-up. Our [driver file checklist](https://nemtguide.com/templates/nemt-driver-file-checklist/) tracks these.

## Trip rules and how you get paid

Take the most direct route, and do not bill a new base rate for going past the original destination. Keep trip and billing records at least five years after you first bill.

Each trip record needs the member's name, the date, the driver's name or UMPI and dated signature, the member's or medical provider's dated signature (or a note that signatures were refused), both addresses with the direct-route mileage and how you found it, the mode, the license plate, pickup and drop-off times and odometer readings, and any extra attendant's name. Money paid for an undocumented trip can be taken back. From January 1, 2027, or federal approval if later, NEMT falls under Minnesota's electronic visit verification (EVV) law, and a complete EVV record can serve as the trip record. See [EVV for NEMT](https://nemtguide.com/guides/evv-for-nemt/) and our [trip log template](https://nemtguide.com/templates/nemt-trip-log-template/).

State law sets the base rates. Each quarter that Minnesota gasoline averages over $3.00 a gallon, DHS adjusts the mileage rates in the law ($1.43, $1.70, and $2.40) 1 percent for every 10 cents above $3.00. These are the fee-for-service rates since July 1, 2026. Mileage starts with the first mile the member is in the vehicle.

| Mode | Base rate | Per mile |
|---|---|---|
| 3, by a NEMT provider | $12.10 | $1.51 |
| 4, assisted | $14.30 | $1.51 |
| 5, lift or ramp | $19.80 | $1.80 |
| 6, protected | $75.00 | $2.54 |
| 7, stretcher | $60.00 | $2.54 |

Members whose home ZIP code is rural or super rural bring more: 111.3 percent of the base in super rural areas, and 125 percent of mileage on trips of 17 miles or less, or 112.5 percent on trips of 18 to 50 miles. A protected ride must include an attendant, and an extra stretcher attendant adds $9 per trip. Modes 3 and 4 bill A0100, T2003, and [S0215](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/s0215/), wheelchair rides bill [A0130](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/a0130/) and [S0209](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/s0209/), and stretcher rides bill T2005 and T2049. See [rural NEMT](https://nemtguide.com/guides/rural-nemt/).

For modes 3 and 4, DHS pays these rates to the coordinator, which pays you your contract rate; health plans set their own. You bill modes 5 to 7 to DHS electronically through MN-ITS. Since January 1, 2023, every NEMT claim, including a coordinator's, has named the driver's UMPI as the rendering provider. Bill no more than two base units per line, and put an [origin and destination modifier](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/origin-destination-modifiers/), such as RP for residence to physician's office, on every base and mileage line. Federal rules require claims within 12 months of the date of service.

Expect slow money at first. Under a process the governor announced on October 29, 2025, a contractor reviews fee-for-service claims for 14 high-risk services, NEMT included, before DHS pays, and DHS has 30 days to pay or deny a clean claim and 90 days for a complex one. DHS can also withhold a new high-risk provider's payments for 90 days from its first claim, and from April 1, 2027, must review at least 65 percent of fee-for-service claims before paying. On August 24, 2026, DHS announced that Myers & Stauffer is reviewing NEMT claims for it through 2026. See [Minnesota's prepayment review](https://nemtguide.com/news/minnesota-nemt-prepayment-review/) and [NEMT cash flow](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-cash-flow/).

DHS does not pay for no-load trips, including [no-shows](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/no-show/): a member missing at pickup, or canceling less than 2 hours before pickup on a trip under 30 miles (4 hours on a longer trip). PrimeWest Health pays its contracted providers for waiting on a round trip after the first 60 minutes. A terminated NEMT provider, its named owners, and its affiliates cannot re-enroll for five years.

## Insurance requirements

MnDOT sets these minimums for each vehicle:

| Coverage | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Liability | $500,000 combined single limit |
| No-fault (basic economic loss) | $40,000 per person: $20,000 medical and $20,000 income and other loss |
| Uninsured and underinsured motorist | $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident, each |

Your insurance company, not your agent, files Form E, and can end it only with a Form K that takes effect 30 days after MnDOT receives it. If coverage lapses, MnDOT suspends your certificate and cancels it after 45 days without new coverage.

MTM sets its own Minnesota checklist:

| Item | MTM's requirement |
|---|---|
| General liability | At least $1,000,000 |
| Auto liability | At least $1,000,000 |
| Certificate | MTM listed as certificate holder and additional insured on both |
| Workers' compensation | Required, plus any insurance the state requires |

Counties and health plans can ask for more, so get each contract's limits in writing before you buy. See [NEMT insurance requirements](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-insurance-requirements/). Minnesota requires workers' compensation from an employer with even one part-time employee, and MnDOT asks for proof with your application.

## What it costs and how long it takes

These are the government fees as of September 2026. Vehicles, insurance, the surety bond premium, and equipment depend on quotes; see [what it costs to start a NEMT business](https://nemtguide.com/guides/how-much-does-it-cost-to-start-a-nemt-business/).

| Item | Cost | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| EIN | Free | IRS |
| LLC filing | $155 online, $135 by mail | Secretary of State |
| Annual renewal | Free if on time | Secretary of State |
| USDOT number, in-state | Free | FMCSA |
| STS decal | $45 per vehicle a year | MnDOT |
| Background study | Up to $44 a person, plus fingerprints | DHS |
| MHCP application fee | $750 per location in 2026 | DHS |

A workable order, from first call to first trip:

1. **Check your location.** In the seven metro counties, new enrollment reopens no sooner than January 27, 2027.
2. **Call the coordinators and health plans** for your counties and ask which modes they need.
3. **Form your company,** get your EIN and USDOT number, and send MnDOT's Get MnDOT Number Packet.
4. **Buy insurance** and workers' compensation, and have your insurer file Form E.
5. **Start background studies,** allowing about a week after fingerprinting.
6. **Equip each vehicle** and book its MnDOT inspection.
7. **Send the Get Certificate of Compliance Packet** and enroll with MHCP. MnDOT decides within 30 days, and DHS within 30 days plus a site visit within 60.
8. **Enroll and train your drivers,** finish MnDOT's provider education within 90 days, sign your contracts, and take your first trips.

For the same steps in any state, see [how to start a NEMT business](https://nemtguide.com/guides/how-to-start-a-nemt-business/).

## Work beyond Medicaid

- **Human services transportation.** MnDOT's Section 5310 program helps nonprofits and approved public agencies buy buses and vans for seniors and people with disabilities, and for-profit companies qualify only where no nonprofit is available. The latest round (2025 applications for 2026 awards) is closed. See [NEMT grants](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-grants/).
- **Waiver and Alternative Care rides.** Minnesota's home and community-based waivers and the Alternative Care program pay for transportation as a separate service. DHS caps Alternative Care rides at $20.21 a one-way trip and $1.54 a mile in a commercial vehicle (April 1, 2026). See waiver transportation.
- **Veterans.** The VA pays for special mode transportation, such as a wheelchair van, when the trip is medically required, the veteran cannot pay, and the VA approves it in advance or it is an emergency. See VA beneficiary travel.
- **Facilities and private pay.** Dialysis centers, hospitals, nursing facilities, and private-pay riders add work outside county contracts. See [how to get NEMT facility contracts](https://nemtguide.com/guides/how-to-get-nemt-facility-contracts/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Do I need a license to run a NEMT business in Minnesota?

Yes. Every Medicaid NEMT company needs a special transportation service (STS) certificate of compliance from the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), a USDOT number, and a MnDOT inspection decal on each vehicle, renewed every year. MnDOT says you cannot legally provide the service until the certificate arrives. With a current certificate, state law says you need no other state or local permit to run those vehicles for that service.

### Who is the Medicaid NEMT broker in Minnesota?

There is no statewide broker. For fee-for-service members, counties and tribes arrange ambulatory rides, often through a coordinator: MTM Health for Twin Cities, central, and northern counties, and SmartLink for Scott and Carver. DHS pays wheelchair, protected, and stretcher rides directly, and each health plan arranges rides for its members. State law calls for one statewide or regional administrator, but a law signed May 27, 2026 keeps the current setup until that administrator starts, and DHS must give counties and health plans six months of notice first.

### Can I start a NEMT company in the Twin Cities right now?

Not as a new Medicaid provider. As of July 23, 2026, DHS is not enrolling new NEMT providers located in Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, or Washington county until January 27, 2027. Health plans cannot fill the gap, because every network provider must also be enrolled with the state. A company located in any other Minnesota county can enroll. A 2026 law lets DHS grant exceptions to a moratorium when a county or tribal agency asks for one.

### How much does Minnesota Medicaid pay for NEMT rides?

State law sets the fee-for-service base rates, and DHS adjusts mileage each quarter when Minnesota gasoline costs more than $3.00 a gallon. Since July 1, 2026, DHS pays $14.30 plus $1.51 a mile for an assisted ride (paid to the coordinator), $19.80 plus $1.80 a mile for a lift or ramp ride, and $60 plus $2.54 a mile for a stretcher ride. Rides from rural and super rural areas pay more. MTM, SmartLink, counties, and health plans set your rate in your contract.

### What changed for new NEMT providers in Minnesota in 2026?

A lot. In January 2026, DHS named NEMT one of its high-risk services, froze new enrollment in the seven metro counties, and was already reviewing fee-for-service claims before payment. A law signed May 27, 2026 lets DHS score applicants in a preenrollment risk assessment, requires a surety bond ($50,000 for a new provider), and, from January 1, 2027, requires owners and managers to finish DHS compliance training before applying. NEMT joins electronic visit verification from January 1, 2027, or on federal approval.

### How long does it take to start a NEMT business in Minnesota?

Plan on a few months. MnDOT must issue or deny your certificate within 30 days of a complete application, and background study results usually come about a week after fingerprinting. DHS processes a complete enrollment within 30 days, and for NEMT it adds an unannounced site visit within 60 days. After the certificate arrives, an owner has 90 days to finish MnDOT's initial provider education.

### Does Minnesota pay NEMT providers for no-shows or waiting?

Not for fee-for-service no-shows. DHS excludes no-load trips, including no-shows, from payment. MTM does not pay for no-shows either and asks providers to confirm each trip the day before. Health plans set their own terms: PrimeWest Health pays its contracted providers, in 30-minute units, for waiting on a round trip after the first 60 minutes.

## Official resources

- [Minnesota DHS: NEMT claim, service, and rate information for county-coordinated rides](https://www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/idcplg?IdcService=GET_DYNAMIC_CONVERSION&RevisionSelectionMethod=LatestReleased&dDocName=DHS-287333)
- [Minnesota DHS: Medical Transportation enrollment criteria and forms](https://www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/idcplg?IdcService=GET_DYNAMIC_CONVERSION&RevisionSelectionMethod=LatestReleased&dDocName=enroll-82)
- [Minnesota DHS: MHCP provider news and updates](https://mn.gov/dhs/partners-and-providers/news-initiatives-reports-workgroups/minnesota-health-care-programs/provider-news/)
- [MnDOT: How to become a certified STS provider](https://www.dot.state.mn.us/cvo/sts/becomeaprovider.html)
- [MnDOT: STS forms and fact sheets](https://www.dot.state.mn.us/cvo/sts/resources.html)
- [MnDOT: Schedule and prepare for STS vehicle inspections](https://www.dot.state.mn.us/cvo/sts/vehicle-inspection.html)
- [MTM Health: Minnesota transportation providers](https://www.mtm-inc.net/minnesota/transportation-providers/)
- [PrimeWest Health: NEMT services for transportation providers](https://www.primewest.org/pwh-administered-nemt)
- [Minnesota Secretary of State: LLC Articles of Organization](https://www.sos.mn.gov/media/1824/llcarticlesoforganization.pdf)
- [Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry: Who needs workers' compensation coverage?](https://dli.mn.gov/business/workers-compensation/work-comp-who-needs-workers-compensation-coverage)