Nebraska Made Unlicensed Electrical Work a Felony. Renewals Close Nov. 30.

Nebraska's rewritten State Electrical Act is in force, and the first license renewal cycle under it is open. LB889 took effect July 18, 2026, moving the on-time renewal window for every electrical license and registration in the state to October 1 through November 30 of even-numbered years, pushing a deadline that previously fell on October 1. Holders who miss November 30 can still renew between December 1 and December 31 by paying the standard fee plus an additional 10 percent. The State Electrical Division says there is no grace period after that. An expired license cannot be reinstated.

The bill was introduced January 8 by Sen. Stan Clouse of Kearney, passed final reading April 10 on a 41-8 vote, and was signed into law that month. An amendment adopted April 7 folded in provisions of LB725, sponsored by Sen. Dan Quick of Grand Island. The measure amends Sections 81-2118 and 81-2143 of the state statutes. It does not adopt a new code edition, which the Division tracks as a separate action.

The penalty change is the sharper half of the law. Five violations of the State Electrical Act, when knowingly and willfully committed or directed, move from a Class I misdemeanor to a Class IV felony: filing false statements on applications, inspection requests, certificates or other required forms; performing electrical work for another without the proper license while claiming to hold one; failing to file a required inspection request; interfering with or refusing entry to an inspector lawfully engaged; and failing to comply with the act or a lawful board rule or order.

A Class IV felony in Nebraska carries up to two years of imprisonment, twelve months of post-release supervision, a $10,000 fine, or a combination of those. Two of the five acts are ordinary jobsite procedure rather than fraud: the inspection request that closes out permitted work, and the inspector who shows up to look at it. LB889 also narrows the unlicensed-work offense to paid work and exempts electrical work performed for close relatives, including parents, spouses, descendants and siblings.

The renewal consequence is the one that reaches payroll. Journeyman, contractor and specialty license holders who let a license expire cannot pay a fee to restore it. They must apply for a new one and sit for the exam again, which can idle a qualified hand for weeks in the middle of a project. Continuing education runs 12 hours for a license held the full two-year cycle and 6 hours for one held a single year, with hours completed before December 31. Registered apprentices owe no continuing education and instead add three months per cycle toward exam eligibility.

Nebraska's reciprocity terms are unchanged: a 75 percent exam score and a year holding the license in good standing, with in-state candidates needing four years of registration and 8,000 hours worked in the state. For contractors staffing Nebraska work with out-of-state crews, the license file now carries felony exposure, not just a renewal fee. The window closes November 30.