Nebraska contractor licenses: state registration, state trade licenses and city plumbing rules

Nebraska splits contractor rules three ways. The Department of Labor registers anyone who does construction work. State boards and agencies license a few trades. Cities license most plumbing. That structure surprises owners who move from a state with one contractor board, because the first step is a registration number, not an exam. This page goes through each piece, using the agencies' own pages and the Nebraska statutes. Treat it as general information and confirm with each agency before you take work.

Nebraska's contractor registration is annual and covers more than builders

The Department of Labor's contractor registration page says all contractors doing business in Nebraska must register. It defines a contractor as any person or business, including subcontractors and general contractors, that performs or arranges work on real property other than their own. The statute behind it, the Contractor Registration Act, defines construction broadly, from buildings and roads to sewers, water wells and pipelines.

• Who is exempt: under Neb. Rev. Stat. 48-2104, a person who works or has work done on their own property, or who earns less than $5,000 a year for construction services, is not a contractor under the Act. Being exempt does not remove Nebraska income tax withholding duties.
• Fee: the department's page says the annual fee rises to $40 on August 1, 2026. The statute caps the fee at $40.
• Business names: a contractor doing business under more than one name needs a separate registration number for each name.
• Employees: a contractor with one or more employees must provide a workers' compensation certificate (ACORD 25) naming the department as certificate holder. If coverage lapses, the contractor is removed from the registered list. Under 48-2110, the commissioner revokes the registration as of the cancellation date unless the contractor provides a new certification of insurance before then.
• Employee or subcontractor: the department presumes a worker is an employee unless they run an independent business, register before work, control when, where and how they work, can market to others, and bear profit or loss.

The department adds that registration does not ensure quality of work. It is a compliance record, not a license to practice a trade.

What unregistered work can cost

Under Neb. Rev. Stat. 48-2114, the commissioner issues a citation when an investigation shows a contractor was not registered or gave incomplete or inaccurate registration information. The proposed administrative penalty is capped at $500 for a first violation and $5,000 for a second or later one. The contractor has 15 working days from the citation to contest it and receive a hearing.

Electrical: state licenses with a residential and small-town tier

The State Electrical Act requires a license for electrical work done for others. Neb. Rev. Stat. 81-2106 says no person may plan, lay out or supervise wiring for another unless licensed as a Class B electrical contractor, an electrical contractor, or a Class A master electrician. Section 81-2108 requires installers to be licensed journeymen, residential journeymen or Class B journeymen working for such a licensee, and it bars lending your license.

The board can also issue special electrician licenses for limited classes of work, such as 81-2112 describes. Because Class B is limited to municipalities under 100,000 people by the latest census, check your town's population before you count on it. The State Electrical Division lists the application forms.

Plumbing and gas fitting: look to the city

We did not find a statewide plumbing license on the state agencies' pages, and the local examples we checked license plumbers themselves. Lincoln's Building and Safety department lists annual fees of $250 for a master plumbing contractor, $75 for a master, $50 for a journeyman and $25 for an apprentice, with renewal between March 1 and May 31 and 10 hours of continuing education for masters and 6 for journeymen. Lincoln also issues gas fitter and water conditioning licenses. Omaha's Planning Department operates its own Plumbing Board. Each city sets its own exams, so a Lincoln license does not automatically carry to another town. Ask the building department where you plan to pull permits.

Pesticides: lawn care and structural pest work

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture's certification page says anyone applying general use pesticides to ornamental and turf sites or to structures for hire needs a commercial applicator license. Its brochure lists a lawn care business employee treating a customer's property as someone who needs one.

• Exams: a general standards exam plus a category exam, with 70 percent to pass.
• Fee and term: $90 for a three-year commercial license, with certification renewed every three years by retesting or a University of Nebraska training program.
• Not licensed until paid: the department says you are not licensed to apply until payment is processed after certification.

Our Nebraska lawn care startup guide covers the season and sales tax side.

Septic work and home inspection

The Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Contractors Certification and System Registration Act requires onsite systems to be sited, laid out, constructed, repaired, inspected or pumped by a certified professional, a Nebraska professional engineer, or a registered environmental health specialist (Neb. Rev. Stat. 81-15,248). The person who builds or alters a system must register it with the state within 45 days of completion, and the statute sets a $50 registration fee until rules provide a schedule.

Home inspectors register with the Secretary of State under 76-3601 to 76-3606. The registration lasts two years, requires a certificate of at least $250,000 in general liability insurance, and carries a fee capped at $300.

Trades with no state license, and the checklist

Mowing, cleaning, pressure washing, junk removal and handyman work have no state trade license on the agency pages we reviewed. If your handyman work installs fixtures or fencing, the Department of Labor registration can still apply. Nebraska also taxes building cleaning and pest control services under Department of Revenue Regulations 1-098 (building cleaning and maintenance) and 1-100 (pest control), so register for sales tax before your first invoice. The Workers' Compensation Court says coverage starts with your first employee.

1. Register with the Department of Labor unless you fall under 48-2104.
2. Check electrical and pesticide licensing before adding those services.
3. Ask each city about plumbing and any business license.
4. Register for sales tax if your service is taxable.

See the Nebraska startup page for the LLC filing and newspaper notice, and the national contractor license guide for how other states handle exams. Rules change, so confirm each figure with the agency before relying on it.

Frequently asked questions