Nebraska Contractor License Guide

In the State of Nebraska, all contractors doing business in the counties with a population over 100,000 must be licensed on a county level. If you are not a resident of the State, you must register with the Nebraska Secretary of State and the Nebraska Department of Revenue. However, if you perform electrical work, you must be licensed on a State level by the Nebraska State Electrical Division with one of the following:

• Electrical Contractor License - if you want to bid, plan, layout, install and supervise the installation of electrical wiring, apparatus, and equipment.
• Journeyman License - if you want to engage in the business of installing electrical wiring, apparatus and equipment, and to supervise apprentice electricians.
• Residential Journeyman License - if you want to be engaged in the business of wiring or installing electric equipment for residential installations, as well as to supervise electricians and Type RW apprentice electricians.
• Fire Alarm Installer License - if you want to be involved in the business of planning, laying out, and installing electrical wiring and equipment for only the components of 50 volts or less fire alarm systems.
• Apprentice Electrician License - if you want to be engaged in the business of electrical wiring while directly supervised in the immediate presence of a licensed electrician (determined by the State Electrical Act).

Note: The State of Nebraska has reciprocal agreements for the Electrical Contractor license with the states of Minnesota and South Dakota. Electrical Journeyman licenses are reciprocal with the Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Arkansas. A reciprocal state license can also be obtained if you have a valid city license from the city of Fremont, Lincoln, Hastings, or Omaha. For more reciprocity information, please check here.

You can obtain a state electrical license if you successfully pass one of the three available Nebraska municipality examination programs, or if you already hold a current license issued by one of these municipalities:

• Fremont
• Hastings
• Lincoln

The exam is open book, consisting of at least 50 questions, and lasts three hours. The examination questions are focused on:

• 2014 National Electrical Code
• Basic electricity information
• The Nebraska State Electrical Act
• Blueprint reading
• Emergency circuits - including fire alarm circuits

• Liability insurance - to apply for all types of licenses, you must present liability insurance for $100,000 for each employee, $300,000 for each accident, and $100,000 for property damage.
• Electrical Contractor - to apply for this license, you need to cover one of the following requirements:
  • A four-year electrical engineering course and at least one year experience as a licensed journeyman electrician.
  • At least five years of experience in planning for, laying out, supervising, and installing wiring apparatus, or for electrical light, heat, and power equipment.
• Journeyman Electrician - to apply for this license you need to cover one of the following requirements:
  • At least 4 years of verifiable experience.
  • 3 years of experience and a diploma from a post-high school course in electrical wiring with a Degree in Electrical Technology.
• Residential Journeyman - to apply for this license, you need to cover one of the following requirements:
  • At least 3 years of verifiable experience.
  • 2 years of experience in the field, plus post-high school course diploma in electrical wiring and a degree in electrical technology.
• Fire Alarm Installer - to apply for this license you need to meet one of the following requirements:
  • At least 2 years of verifiable experience in planning, laying out, and installing fire alarm systems.

Contractor Insurance

There are several types of insurance coverages that are recommended for contractors, but the recommended coverage will vary based on your operation.

If you’d like to learn more about all of the insurance coverages available to you, please read our contractor insurance guide.

• Application for reciprocal license can be found here
• Application for licensure examination can be found here
• Application for state electrical license of all types can be found here

How to fill out your application

After downloading and printing your application forms, you must have them filled in with a pen or typed.

Additional instructions

All applications must be notarized.

Licensing and Application Fees

Electrical Contractor License:

• Examination
  • Electrical Contractor - $125.00
  • Journeyman Electrician - $60.00
  • Residential Journeyman Electrician - $60.00
  • Fire Alarm Installer - $60.00

• License
  • Issued during even years:
    • Electrical Contractor - $125.00
    • Journeyman Electrician - $25.00
    • Residential Journeyman Electrician - $25.00
    • Fire Alarm Installer - $25.00
    • Apprentice Registration - $20.00
  • Issued during odd years:
    • Electrical Contractor - $250.00
    • Journeyman Electrician - $50.00
    • Residential Journeyman Electrician - $50.00
    • Fire Alarm Installer - $50.00
    • Apprentice Registration - $40.00

Mailing Address

Mail you Electrical License and Exam Applications to:

521 South 14th Street, Suite 400
PO Box 95066
Lincoln, NE 68508-2707
Phone: 402.471.3550
Fax: 402.471.4297

For any contract you receive in the State of Nebraska for more than $2,500, you must post a Nebraska contractor license bond.

• A $1,000 Nebraska surety bond is required for a contract between $2,500 and $10,000.
• A bond for contracts over $10,000 must be 10% of the contract amount for the first $100,000, and 5% of any amount over $100,000.

Be sure to check with your local authorities for city-specific requirements like such as in following cities:

• City of Blair
• City of Lincoln
• City of Scottsbluff
• City of Omaha

License Expiration and Renewal

Licenses expire on December 31 of even-numbered years.