1.1 Nebraska Licensing Framework & State Electrical Act
Key Takeaways
The State Electrical Act is Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 81-2101 through 81-2144; the State Electrical Board has seven Governor-appointed members, including two journeyman electricians.
A Nebraska journeyman license requires 4 years (8,000 hours) of Board-accepted experience under § 81-2109, with up to 1 year of credit for a two-year electrical course.
Under § 81-2113, a licensee may supervise no more than three apprentices, working at the same project location though not necessarily within sight.
Nebraska electrical licenses expire December 31 of even-numbered years; renewal runs October 1–November 30, with a 10% late fee in December.
Renewal requires 12 contact hours of continuing education, at least 6 of them on the NEC; passing a license exam earns 6 hours.
Nebraska Licensing Framework & State Electrical Act
Every Nebraska license question traces back to one statute and one set of rules. The State Electrical Act is Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 81-2101 through 81-2144. The State Electrical Board Rules are 18 numbered rules (April 2024 edition) that the Board adopted to carry out the Act. The State Electrical Division (SED) lists the Act as a tested subject for every license exam. After you pass the PSI exam, the Division also sends a short quiz on the Act and Board Rules that you return with your paperwork. Expect a few questions where knowing the right statute number, deadline, or ratio is the whole answer.
The State Electrical Division and Board (§ 81-2103)
The State Electrical Division is an independent state agency run by an executive director. The director also serves as executive secretary of the Board and keeps its records. The State Electrical Board sets policy for the Division and has seven members appointed by the Governor with the consent of the Legislature. All members must be Nebraska residents, and they serve staggered five-year terms.
| Board seat (§ 81-2103) | Number |
|---|---|
| Journeyman electricians (one is selected from a list recommended by an electrical workers' labor organization) | 2 |
| Electrical contractor or master electrician | 1 |
| Certified electrical inspector | 1 |
| Licensed professional electrical engineer | 1 |
| Public power district or rural electric cooperative representative | 1 |
| Municipal electric systems representative | 1 |
There is no "public member" seat. Under § 81-2104, the Board's powers include:
- adopting rules and the minimum wiring standard (the NEC, covered in section 1.2);
- revoking, suspending, or refusing to renew licenses;
- ordering power disconnected or wiring removed when it is proximately dangerous;
- investigating every electrocution death in Nebraska;
- refusing renewal when continuing education is missing; and
- setting inspection fees.
License Classes Under the Act
The definitions in § 81-2102 and the qualification sections describe the license ladder:
| License | Statute | Experience to qualify | What it allows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice electrician (registration, no exam) | 81-2102(1), 81-2113 | Registers with the Board and pays a fee | Learns and assists as an employee of a licensee, only under supervision |
| Residential journeyman | 81-2109(2) | 3 years acceptable to the Board | Residential installations only: a one- or two-family dwelling, or a multifamily dwelling no more than three stories tall |
| Journeyman electrician | 81-2109(1) | 4 years acceptable to the Board | Wires and installs equipment and supervises apprentices while employed by a contractor |
| Electrical contractor | 81-2107, Rule 8 | 1 year as a licensed journeyman, or a four-year electrical engineering degree plus 1 year as a journeyman | Plans, lays out, installs, and supervises work for others; must carry liability insurance of $100,000 per person, $300,000 per accident, and $100,000 property damage (Rule 7) |
| Fire alarm installer | 81-2112.02 | 2 years planning, laying out, and installing fire alarm systems | Only the fire alarm components that operate at 50 volts or less |
| Special electrician | 81-2112, Rule 1 | Experience in the limited class | Irrigation (from the first point of overcurrent), sign installer, and similar limited classes; no wiring on the line side of the disconnect |
The Act still mentions Class A master, Class B electrical contractor, and Class B journeyman licenses. No new licenses of those types have been issued since September 9, 1993 (§ 81-2117.02). Existing holders may only renew them.
Journeyman Qualifications and the Exam Application
Section 81-2109(1) requires four years of experience acceptable to the Board, which the Division counts as 8,000 hours. Policy 36 (effective November 8, 2019) spells out the evidence the Division checks:
- registration as an apprentice for the time you worked;
- 8,000 hours of employment history while employed by an electrical contractor; and
- any education credit under Rule 8.
Education credit. The Board grants one year of experience credit for a two-year post-high-school electrical course it accepts. Rule 8 counts 700 contact hours as one year of instruction. The Division's journeyman page describes this as a two-year program with an associate degree in electrical technology. The Division's journeyman page also says experience credit may be given for qualified electrical experience in military service.
Where you earned the hours matters.
- If fewer than 4,000 of your verified hours were worked in Nebraska, the Division issues a "Restricted" license that cannot be reciprocated to another state.
- If you qualify with hours or a license from a state Nebraska does not reciprocate with, Policy 36 says the license is issued as a non-reciprocal license.
Fees. The Division charges a $90 application fee. PSI separately charges a $120 exam fee. A journeyman license costs $37.50 for each year of the two-year license period. A license issued in an odd-numbered year therefore costs $75, and one issued in an even-numbered year costs $37.50.
Apprentices and Supervision (§ 81-2113)
An apprentice may do electrical wiring only under "direct personal on-the-job supervision and control and in the immediate presence of a licensee." The statute defines that phrase: the licensee and apprentice must be working at the same project location, but they do not have to be within sight of each other at all times. Supervision includes both on-the-job training and Board-approved related classroom training.
- Ratio: a licensee may employ or supervise no more than three apprentices. The ratio does not apply to a teacher-student relationship in a community college classroom.
- Fire alarm installers may supervise only apprentices installing fire alarm equipment of 50 volts or less (§ 81-2108(2)).
- Apprentice continuing education is optional. However, an apprentice who renews without the 12 contact hours can have up to six months added to the experience needed before exam eligibility (§§ 81-2113(1), 81-2117.01(1)(b)).
Who Must Be Licensed, Exemptions, and Penalties
Under § 81-2108, no one may wire or install electrical equipment for another without the proper license. A journeyman, residential journeyman, or Class B journeyman must also be employed by a licensed contractor (or fire alarm installer). Subsection (3) states that no licensee may lend a license to any person or knowingly permit its use by another.
Section 81-2121 lists situations where the Act does not require a license:
- employees of utilities, public power districts, railroads, telephone companies, and manufacturing employers working for their employer;
- holders of an equivalent city or political-subdivision license working inside that jurisdiction;
- elevator work beyond the controller terminals;
- plugging in an appliance where approved outlets already exist;
- an owner working on a principal residence no larger than a single-family dwelling, or on farm property (not commercial, industrial, or public-use installations);
- licensed pump installers wiring a water-well pump to the first control.
Penalties (§ 81-2143). It is a Class IV felony to knowingly and willfully do any of the following:
- make a false statement on an application or inspection request;
- perform electrical work for another without a proper license while claiming to have one;
- fail to file a request for inspection when one is required;
- interfere with an inspector; or
- disobey the Act, the rules, or a Board order.
LB 889 (effective July 18, 2026) added an exception to the license-claiming offense for work done for close relatives such as a parent, spouse, sibling, cousin, uncle, or aunt.
Renewal and Continuing Education
| Item | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Expiration | All licenses and registrations expire December 31 of each even-numbered year, whenever they were issued | § 81-2118 |
| Renewal window | October 1 through November 30 of the even-numbered year | § 81-2118 (LB 889) |
| Late renewal | December 1–31, with the fee plus 10% | § 81-2118 |
| Expired license | You may not install electrical equipment. You must apply for a new license, and the Division requires a new exam | § 81-2118; SED renewal page |
| Continuing education | 12 contact hours, including at least 6 hours on the NEC, with certificates attached at renewal | § 81-2117.01; SED |
| Contact hour | 50 minutes of approved classroom attendance. Missing more than 10% of a course means no certificate | § 81-2117.01(1)(c), (4) |
| Exam credit | Passing a license exam earns 6 hours of CE credit | SED exam information page |
Under § 81-2117.01, the elective hours may cover circuit theory, blueprint reading, transformer and motor theory, controls, programmable controllers, or other Board-approved electrical topics. The Board may refuse to renew a license when proof of CE is missing (§ 81-2104(10)).
Reciprocity
The Division's reciprocal-information page lists journeyman reciprocity with Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. Of those, only Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Texas also reciprocate electrical contractor licenses. Check the list with the Division before applying, because agreements change.
Conditions on that page:
- You must have scored 75% or higher on the state exam for the license you want to reciprocate.
- You must have held that license in good standing for at least one year.
- The issuing state must have a record of your exam, so licenses obtained without a state exam are rejected.
- Nebraska licensees reciprocating out must have been registered for 4 years and have worked 8,000 hours in Nebraska.
- Reciprocation is one-time only. If the license lapses, you must test to get it back. Fees are not refunded.
Section 81-2120 is the statutory basis for reciprocity. Since LB 16 (2024), it also requires a license for applicants who have held, for at least one year, any of the following:
- a credential from a state with a reciprocal agreement;
- a qualifying military occupational specialty; or
- a license built on a U.S. Department of Labor–registered apprenticeship.
The Board may require a jurisprudence exam on Nebraska law. A license issued this way is valid only in Nebraska.
Common Exam Traps
- Wrong statute range: The Act runs from 81-2101 to 81-2144. Journeyman experience is in 81-2109, and reciprocity is in 81-2120.
- "Immediately available" supervision: Nebraska requires the licensee at the same project location, though not necessarily within sight.
- Ratio: Three apprentices per licensee, set in the statute itself.
- Renewal timing: Renew between October 1 and November 30. December renewals cost 10% more. After December 31, the license is expired.
- CE split: At least 6 of the 12 hours must cover the NEC.
Under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2103, which statement correctly describes the Nebraska State Electrical Board?
Nine members elected by Nebraska licensees to staggered four-year terms
Seven members appointed by the Governor, one of whom must be a public member and none of whom may be inspectors
Seven members appointed by the Governor with the consent of the Legislature, including two journeyman electricians
Five members appointed by the State Fire Marshal, including one public member with no industry ties
A journeyman electrician is running a farm-shop job with apprentices. Under § 81-2113, what are the supervision limits?
No more than three, with the journeyman at the same project location but not always in sight
No more than two apprentices, each kept within sight of the journeyman at all times
No more than four apprentices, provided the supervising journeyman can be reached by phone or radio at all times
Any number of apprentices, if each holds at least one year of registration
A Nebraska journeyman forgets to renew during the regular window and submits the renewal on December 10, 2026. What applies?
The license already expired on November 30, so the journeyman must retest
Renewal is still allowed in December by paying the renewal fee plus 10 percent
Renewal is allowed without penalty until April 1, 2027, under a statutory grace period
The license expires on the journeyman's birthday, so the date does not matter
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.