How to Renew a Nebraska Electrical License

The Nebraska State Electrical Division (NSED) gives a little grace when it comes to license renewals, but not much. If you miss the renewal deadline, you can technically renew at any time in the next three months provided you pay the late fee. But you’re not allowed to install electrical equipment until your license is properly renewed, so it won’t do you much good. Plus, if you miss the three-month mark and keep working, you can get hit with a misdemeanor and a $1,000 fine.

All told, you want to avoid any issues with your license. And that means you need to make sure you renew your Nebraska electrical license on time.

To make that process a little bit easier for you, here are all the key things Nebraska electricians need to know to renew their licenses with NSED.

When to renew

Every electrical license in Nebraska expires on December 31 in even-numbered years. That means your license renewal deadline is the end of the year in 2022, 2024, 2026, etc.
NSED sends out renewal reminders on October 15 to give you a heads-up, but this is just a courtesy. Your renewal is due whether or not you get this notice.

To make sure you get the renewal reminder and any other important information from the state, notify NSED if you move. You can email them at SED.OfficeStaff@nebraska.gov or call them at (402) 471-3550.

What to do to renew

To be eligible to renew your license, you’re required to complete state-approved continuing education (CE).

Specifically, all Nebraska electricians need 12 hours of CE, with six of those hours focusing on updates to the National Electrical Code (NEC). Your remaining hours can also focus on the NEC or topics including:

Electrical circuit theory
Blueprint reading
Transformer and motor theory
Electrical circuits and devices
Control systems
Programmable controllers
Microcomputers

Basically, your CE hours just need to be focused on something that’s relevant for electrical professionals. The main thing is to double-check that your CE provider has state approval since that will ensure the hours you take are on topics that count.

Fortunately for you, NSED has approved certain CE providers to offer their hours online. This allows you to take the hours at your own pace whenever you have the time. You can take an hour here and there when it works for you.

Plus, you can take your online Nebraska electrical CE hours from your phone, tablet, or laptop, which gives you the flexibility to work on them from any location that’s comfortable and convenient for you.

How to renew

Once the renewal window opens on October 15, you’ll use the state’s online license renewal system. The actual process is pretty simple. You basically just need to pay the renewal fee, which is $250 for:

Electrical contractors
Class A masters
Class B electrical contractors
Class B masters

The renewal fee is $50 for:

Journeyman electricians
Residential journeyman wiremen
Class B journeymen
Fire alarm installers
Special licensees (heating/AC/refrigeration, water well, and sign installers)
Residential appliance installers

With a credit card handy, you can pay the fee and submit your renewal online.