Nebraska has no statewide HVAC license. Here is what actually governs the work: $40 NDOL registration, Omaha's ACAD license (70 percent exam, $10,000 bond), Lincoln's three year mechanical ladder, the state electrical layer, and EPA 608.
Nebraska has no statewide HVAC license. There is no state mechanical board, no state HVAC contractor credential, and no single application that makes you legal to install heating and cooling equipment across the state.
At a glance
- Statewide license: Nebraska has no statewide HVAC license.
- Contractor registration: Nebraska Department of Labor (NDOL); $40 application or renewal fee effective August 1, 2026; annual; no exam
- Omaha: Master ACAD license; 70 percent exam; $10,000 bond; $300,000 insurance
- Lincoln: Master mechanical contractor; 1 year as a Lincoln journeyman; $400 exam fee; $350 yearly registration
- Refrigerant: EPA Section 608 certification, required to service refrigerant equipment and buy refrigerant
What Nebraska has instead is a stack of requirements run by separate authorities: contractor registration with the Nebraska Department of Labor, city mechanical licensing in Omaha and Lincoln, the state electrical scheme run by the Nebraska State Electrical Division, and federal EPA Section 608 certification. Each answers a different question. This guide lays out each layer with the figures the issuing authority publishes, then the one rule that decides whether a mechanical company can pull a permit: who holds the master license, and whether that person is a full time employee of the company.
Nebraska HVAC requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Who issues it | Where it applies | Key figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contractor registration | Nebraska Department of Labor (NDOL) | Statewide | $40 application or renewal fee effective August 1, 2026; annual; no exam |
| Master ACAD license | City of Omaha Permits and Inspections, ACAD board | Omaha | 8 years, or 4 years under a master after a journeyman ACAD license; 70 percent exam; $10,000 bond; $300,000 insurance |
| Journeyman ACAD license | City of Omaha | Omaha | 5 years, or 4 years under a master; 70 percent exam |
| Master mechanical contractor | City of Lincoln Building and Safety | Lincoln | 1 year as a Lincoln journeyman; $400 exam fee; $350 yearly registration |
| Mechanical journeyman | City of Lincoln | Lincoln | 3 years practical experience; $50 exam fee; $25 yearly registration |
| Electrical licensing | Nebraska State Electrical Division (NSED) | Statewide | 2025 to 2026 license period ends December 31, 2026 |
| Section 608 certification | U.S. EPA | Nationwide | Required to service refrigerant equipment and buy refrigerant |
Every fee here is set by a state agency, a city, or a testing body, and every one can change. Verify current amounts with the issuing office before you budget.
Layer 1: Contractor registration with the Nebraska Department of Labor
Before performing construction work in Nebraska, you register with NDOL under the Contractor Registration Act, Neb. Rev. Stat. sections 48-2101 through 48-2117. "Construction" under section 48-2103(2) means work on real property including new work, additions, alterations, reconstruction, installations, and repairs. HVAC installation is squarely inside that.
Section 48-2102 says it is "not the intent of the Legislature to endorse the quality or performance of services provided by any individual contractor."
No exam. No experience requirement. No bond. It is a filing.
What it takes
Section 48-2105 requires the business name and federal tax identification number, the Nebraska principal place of business (or the out of state address plus a Nebraska registered agent), a phone number, entity type, owners or officers, a business description, and proof of workers' compensation coverage.
Contractors with one or more employees file a current ACORD 25 certificate naming the Department of Labor as certificate holder. If coverage lapses, section 48-2110 has the commissioner revoke the registration, and under section 48-2111 a revoked registration is never permanently reinstated; you reapply. Under section 48-2108 NDOL issues the registration number within thirty days of a completed application.
The August 1, 2026 fee change
LB847, approved by the Governor on April 7, 2026, amended section 48-2107. The statute now reads that each application or renewal "shall be signed by the applicant and accompanied by a fee not to exceed forty dollars." NDOL's binding guidance document issued under Neb. Rev. Stat. section 84-901.03 states:
"Effective August 1, 2026, the application and renewal fee required under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 48-2107 shall be forty dollars ($40.00)."
Registration renews annually (section 48-2105).
The small operator exemption and the penalty
Section 48-2104(1) exempts a person working on their own property and "any person who earns less than five thousand dollars annually for construction services." Below the threshold you are not a contractor under the Act, but under section 48-2104(2) you are still subject to Nebraska withholding requirements, and still bound by whatever the city where the equipment sits requires.
Section 48-2114 authorizes an administrative penalty of not more than $500 for a first violation and not more than $5,000 for a second or subsequent violation, with fifteen working days to contest.
Layer 2: The state electrical layer and the Heating/AC/Refrigeration line
The Nebraska State Electrical Division publishes a license and registration fee schedule. On the 2025 to 2026 schedule, alongside Electrical Contractor, Class A Master, Journeyman Electrician and Residential Wireman, there is a line item reading:
Heating/AC/Refrigeration, $37.50
That figure is per year of the two year license period, January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2026, and licenses on that schedule expire December 31, 2026. NSED groups it with Irrigation, Sign Installer, and Fire Alarm Installer at the same $37.50 rate, and publishes specialty license exam dates, most recently September 16, 2026 and October 14, 2026.
What that license actually is
Section 81-2102(17) defines a special electrician as a person qualified in special classes of electrical work, which "shall include irrigation system wiring, well pump wiring, air conditioning and refrigeration installation, and sign installation." Section 81-2112 has the State Electrical Board issue special licenses limited to the class printed on the license.
The board's Rule 1 lists "Limited to Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Systems" among special electrician licenses issued before September 9, 1993. The special licenses the rule says may be issued now are Irrigation Systems, Sign Installer and Fire Alarm. Rule 1 also bars special licenses from any wiring on the line side of the disconnect and requires 12 hours of continuing education at renewal.
So the Heating/AC/Refrigeration line reads as the renewal fee for an older limited class, and the September and October specialty exams do not by themselves mean a new one is available. Confirm directly with NSED before planning a crew around it.
This is not a mechanical license. It does not replace an Omaha ACAD license or a Lincoln mechanical registration, and it does not make anyone a licensed HVAC contractor in Nebraska, because no such statewide thing exists.
Why the electrical layer still matters
Section 81-2108 says no person shall, for another, wire for or install electrical wiring, apparatus, or equipment unless licensed by the board as a Class B electrical contractor, an electrical contractor, a Class A master electrician, or a fire alarm installer, subject to the Act's exceptions. Wiring the circuit that feeds a condenser or furnace is electrical wiring under the State Electrical Act, so plan for a licensed electrical contractor on that part of the job.
NSED exams cover the 2023 National Electrical Code, basic electricity theory, the Nebraska State Electrical Act, and emergency circuits including fire alarm circuits. The 2023 NEC took effect for Nebraska electrical permits and exams, including PSI testing and specialty exams in the NSED office, on August 1, 2024; section 81-2104(5) now adopts the NEC "beginning in the 2023 edition" through LB716, approved by the Governor on March 11, 2024. NSED also awards 6 hours of continuing education credit for passing an exam.
The practical takeaway: in Nebraska, electrical licensing is a state function and mechanical licensing is a city function, so the wiring and the ductwork on one job answer to two different levels of government. Our Nebraska electrician license guide covers the state electrical ladder in full.
Layer 3: Omaha's ACAD board
Omaha licenses HVAC work under Chapter 40, Article II of the Omaha Municipal Code, "Air Conditioning and Air Distribution." The credential is an ACAD license rather than an HVAC license, and the Permits and Inspections Division administers it. Section 40-26 makes it unlawful to engage in the business of installing, altering, repairing or servicing any ACAD system on commercial or residential property without a master ACAD license; journeymen need a journeyman ACAD license, which also covers unlimited sheet metal installation; apprentices register first.
| Omaha license | Experience (OMC 40-30) | Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Master ACAD | 8 years, or 4 years employed by a master after an Omaha journeyman ACAD license (or an equal license from another city) | 70 percent minimum |
| Journeyman ACAD | 5 years, or 4 years employed by a master | 70 percent minimum |
| Apprentice ACAD or sheet metal installer | Proof of employment by a master | None |
| Omaha license | Bond and insurance | City fees (OMC 40-43) |
|---|---|---|
| Master ACAD | $10,000 surety bond; $300,000 combined liability insurance | $25 application, $50 new license, $160 renewal |
| Journeyman ACAD | None | $25 application, $35 new license, $120 renewal |
| Apprentice ACAD or sheet metal installer | None | $25 yearly registration |
Journeyman applicants may credit up to two years of post high school ACAD trade school, or two years for NATE "Core" and installation certifications. Exams are given by the board or a third party testing agency it designates, within one year of board approval. The board may waive the exam for someone who already scored 70 percent on the same exam or who holds a Bellevue, Nebraska, or State of Iowa ACAD license earned with 70 percent. Section 40-106 also refers to a master ACAD (residential) contractor license, a residential restricted master tier.
Term, renewal, CE. Master and journeyman ACAD licenses are valid for up to two years, expiring December 31 of odd years; apprentice registrations expire December 31 every year (OMC 40-41). Every master and journeyman needs at least 8 hours of approved continuing education per two year term (OMC 40-42). Late penalties run $25 at 31 to 60 days, $50 at 61 to 365 days, $100 at 365 to 730 days, and after 730 days the holder retests.
Permits. Section 40-106 requires a permit to install, alter, repair or replace any air conditioning or air distribution system, exhaust system, or equipment. A homeowner may work on a single family home they own and live in, with inspection (OMC 40-107).
Other Omaha mechanical licenses. Article VII requires a master or journeyman steamfitter/pipefitter certificate for hydronic work, with a $10,000 bond and $300,000 of insurance for the master, expiring December 31 of odd years. Article III issues first, second and third grade stationary engineer certificates, and Article IV licenses flammable liquid storage tank installers. Which one you need depends on what equipment you touch, not on your job title.
Layer 4: Lincoln's mechanical ladder
Lincoln's Building and Safety Department licenses mechanical trades under Title 25 of the Lincoln Municipal Code, where Chapter 25.06, the Lincoln Mechanical Code, carries the registration rules for master mechanical contractors and mechanical technicians. It is a completely different structure from Omaha's.
Lincoln requires three years, not four
Mechanical apprentice. Register while working for a firm regularly engaged in mechanical installation; each full time year earns one year of credit.
Mechanical journeyman. Lincoln requires three years of practical experience before you may sit the exam. Lincoln's own plumbing journeyman requires four years, same city, same department.
Lincoln's substitutions: a two year board approved course counts for one year; a four year accredited engineering course counts for two; a professional mechanical engineer registered in Nebraska receives all three; and military, extension, and adult education training may count at the board's discretion.
Master mechanical contractor. Hold a valid Lincoln mechanical journeyman certificate for at least one year, then pass the master exam. An applicant with a journeyman or master license earned by examination in another state or city may sit the equivalent Lincoln exam without additional qualifications.
Three years plus one is the standard path to a master mechanical license in Lincoln (the education credits above can shorten it), shorter than Omaha's eight year master ACAD route and shorter than Lincoln's own four plus one plumbing route.
Lincoln exams
| Exam | Lincoln parts | ICC exam | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Journeyman | Gas Piping Code test (1 hour, LMC 24.05); Adopted Amendments test (30 minutes, LMC 25.06 and 25.12) | G31 National Standard Journeyman Mechanical | $50 |
| Master | Manual J, duct sizing, Gas Code (1 hour), Adopted Amendments (30 minutes), up to 4 1/2 hours; bring the 2018 IMC, 2018 IFGC and ACCA Manual J Seventh Edition | G29 National Standard Master Mechanical | $400 |
Exams run the third Wednesday of January, April, July and October at 8:00 a.m. at Associated Builders and Contractors, 830 West Gate Boulevard. The application and fee are due by 4 p.m. two weeks before the exam (45 days with an accommodation request). The exam sheet still lists 2018 books while LMC 25.06.010 now adopts the 2021 International Mechanical Code, so confirm the book list with Building and Safety when you apply.
Lincoln's fees and renewal window
| Lincoln registration | Yearly fee |
|---|---|
| Mechanical, Master Contractor | $350 |
| Mechanical, Inactive Master | $50 |
| Mechanical, Journeyman | $25 |
| Mechanical, Apprentice | $15 |
| Refrigeration/Mechanical, Master Contractor | $250 |
| Deco Fireplace, Fireplace Contractor | $150 |
| Deco Fireplace, Fireplace Installer | $25 |
Lincoln's Inactive Master status at $50 a year holds the credential without practicing, which matters when a master leaves a company or steps back. Refrigeration is a separate Master Contractor license at $250, distinct from the general mechanical master at $350.
Renewal runs October 1 through December 31. Failure to renew within 60 days of expiration revokes the license and requires retaking any exams the license requires. A Master Contractor needs 8 hours of CEUs and a Journeyman 4 hours, submitted and approved before renewal.
| Lincoln trade | Renewal window | Master CEU | Journeyman CEU |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanical | October 1 to December 31 | 8 hours | 4 hours |
| Plumbing | March 1 to May 31 | 10 hours | 6 hours |
A Lincoln company holding both a mechanical and a plumbing master registration manages two renewal windows on opposite sides of the calendar with two CEU totals. Missing either by 60 days revokes that credential and puts the exam back on the table. Our guide to contractor license renewal state by state covers how this compounds across jurisdictions.
Layer 5: EPA Section 608 is federal and applies everywhere
EPA requires Section 608 certification for technicians who maintain, service, repair, or dispose of equipment that could release refrigerants, and only certified technicians, or employers who show the wholesaler proof they employ one, may buy refrigerant for stationary equipment. It applies in every Nebraska city regardless of whether that city licenses HVAC at all.
Because Nebraska has no state HVAC license, EPA 608 is the only credential many rural Nebraska technicians hold, which leads people to believe 608 is the HVAC license. It is not. It authorizes nothing about installing equipment or pulling a permit. See EPA 608 certification vs HVAC license.
Outside Omaha and Lincoln
Nebraska's smaller jurisdictions set their own rules. Bellevue, for one, issues its own ACAD licenses, and Omaha's code names a Bellevue license as grounds for waiving its exam (OMC 40-30). NDOL registration applies statewide; a city mechanical license applies only where that city says it does. On any job outside the two big cities, the first call goes to the office that issues the permit.
This mirrors Kansas and Missouri, which also lack a statewide HVAC license. It is the opposite of Iowa, which runs a statewide mechanical license. Our guide to state vs. local contractor licensing explains which layer controls a given job site.
Step by step: licensing a Nebraska HVAC company
- Register with NDOL, pay the $40 fee, and file an ACORD 25 certificate if you have employees.
- List every city you will work in. Omaha and Lincoln each require their own master credential.
- Line up the master: a master ACAD license in Omaha, a master mechanical contractor in Lincoln.
- Post Omaha's $10,000 bond and $300,000 insurance before the master ACAD license issues.
- Certify technicians under EPA Section 608.
- Assign electrical wiring to a licensed electrical contractor and confirm any special license with NSED.
- Pull the permit before work starts, signed by the responsible license holder (OMC 40-108).
- Calendar renewals: NDOL yearly, Omaha December 31 of odd years, Lincoln October 1 to December 31, NSED December 31, 2026.
The business problem: who can actually hold the company's license?
The NDOL registration is easy and confers nothing. The city mechanical license is hard and confers everything.
Omaha's code says it outright. Only a master ACAD license holder may apply for an ACAD permit, and "the applicant must be a full time employee of the company providing the bonds and insurance" (OMC 40-106(b)).
A master ACAD license is issued to an individual on behalf of one firm, unless the holder owns 50 percent or more of an additional company (OMC 40-33(b)). If the master leaves through termination or death, the board may certify a temporary master ACAD license for up to six months (OMC 40-33(d)). Omaha applies the same logic in its plumbing code, covered in the Omaha master plumber full time employee rule.
So a mechanical contractor that wants Omaha or Lincoln work needs an owner who holds the master credential, or a full time employee who does. There is no third option that survives an inspection.
That is the qualifying agent problem, and it is why a qualifying agent exists as a role at all: a qualifying agent qualifies the company as a full time W-2 employee who actually supervises the work, the structure Omaha's code describes. Why it must be real employment is covered in can a qualifying agent be a 1099 contractor.
If your mechanical company has the crews and the work but not the master credential, our founders, Marshall Schofield and Jeremiah Jaskulski, built The Licensing Company around exactly this problem, and we place qualifiers as W-2 full time employees. Start here, or see consultation packages.
Frequently asked questions
Does Nebraska require an HVAC license? Not at the state level. Nebraska issues no statewide HVAC or mechanical contractor license. Cities set the rules, Omaha through its ACAD board and Lincoln through Building and Safety, and every contractor separately registers with NDOL, which is a registration rather than a competency license.
How do I get an HVAC license in Nebraska? Start with the city. In Omaha, a journeyman ACAD license takes five years of experience (or four under a master) and a 70 percent exam. In Lincoln, three years as a registered apprentice qualifies you for the journeyman exam and one year as a journeyman for the master exam. Add NDOL registration and EPA 608.
What is the "Heating/AC/Refrigeration" license on the state fee schedule? A special electrician class on NSED's schedule at $37.50 per year of the two year period. Board Rule 1 ties the air conditioning and refrigeration class to licenses issued before September 9, 1993, and bars special licenses from wiring on the line side of the disconnect. It does not replace an Omaha or Lincoln license; confirm with NSED.
How much does an HVAC license cost in Nebraska? There is no single figure. State registration is $40 annually as of August 1, 2026. Lincoln charges $350 a year for a Mechanical Master Contractor and $25 for a Journeyman, plus a $400 or $50 exam fee. Omaha charges $25 to apply and $50 for a new master ACAD license, plus the $10,000 bond and $300,000 of insurance, whose premiums vary.
What score does Omaha's ACAD exam require? Seventy percent. Omaha Municipal Code section 40-30 sets a 70 percent minimum grade for both the master and journeyman ACAD exams. Many guides still quote 75 percent.
How long does it take to become a master mechanical contractor in Lincoln? Three years of practical experience for the journeyman exam, then one year as a Lincoln journeyman for the master exam. An accredited four year engineering degree counts for two of the three years, and a Nebraska registered professional mechanical engineer receives all three.
Do I need an Omaha ACAD license to work in Lincoln? No. They are separate credentials under separate municipal codes, with different qualifications, fees, renewal windows and CEU totals. Lincoln lets holders of licenses earned by examination elsewhere sit its exam directly, and Omaha may waive its exam for Bellevue and Iowa license holders.
What are the HVAC installer requirements in Omaha? An installer needs a journeyman ACAD license or an apprentice registration with proof of employment by a master. On commercial work an apprentice must be directly supervised by a master or journeyman who is a full time employee of the company (OMC 40-39).
Is EPA 608 enough to work as an HVAC contractor in Nebraska? No. Section 608 is a federal refrigerant certification. It does not authorize you to install equipment or pull a mechanical permit. In Omaha or Lincoln it is one requirement among several.
Who regulates electricians in Nebraska? The Nebraska State Electrical Division, statewide, the reverse of mechanical and plumbing, which are city controlled. Lincoln's Building and Safety page directs all electrical licensing to NSED.
Sources
- NE Legislature, Contractor Registration Act 48-2101 to 48-2117 (retrieved 2026-09-25)
- NE Legislature, 48-2107 (retrieved 2026-09-25)
- LB847 (2026) (retrieved 2026-09-25)
- NDOL fee guidance (retrieved 2026-09-25)
- NDOL Contractor Registration (retrieved 2026-09-25)
- NSED 2025 to 2026 fees (retrieved 2026-09-25)
- NSED Licensing (retrieved 2026-09-25)
- NSED exam information (retrieved 2026-09-25)
- NSED 2023 code adoption (retrieved 2026-09-25)
- State Electrical Board Rules (retrieved 2026-09-25)
- NE Legislature, 81-2102 (retrieved 2026-09-25)
- NE Legislature, 81-2104 (retrieved 2026-09-25)
- NE Legislature, 81-2108 (retrieved 2026-09-25)
- NE Legislature, 81-2112 (retrieved 2026-09-25)
- LB716 (2024) history (retrieved 2026-09-25)
- Omaha Municipal Code Ch. 40 Art. II (ACAD) (retrieved 2026-09-25)
- Omaha Municipal Code Ch. 40 Art. VII (steam fitting) (retrieved 2026-09-25)
- Omaha Municipal Code Ch. 40 Art. III (retrieved 2026-09-25)
- Omaha Municipal Code Ch. 40 Art. IV (retrieved 2026-09-25)
- Lincoln Municipal Code Title 25 (Chapter 25.06, Lincoln Mechanical Code) (retrieved 2026-09-25)
- Lincoln Mechanical Trade Registration (retrieved 2026-09-25)
- Lincoln Mechanical Trade Exams (retrieved 2026-09-25)
- Lincoln journeyman requirements (retrieved 2026-09-25)
- Lincoln master requirements (retrieved 2026-09-25)
- Lincoln journeyman exam details (retrieved 2026-09-25)
- Lincoln master exam details (retrieved 2026-09-25)
- Lincoln Plumbing Trade Registration (retrieved 2026-09-25)
- Lincoln, What it Takes to Become a Licensed Trade Professional (retrieved 2026-09-25)
- EPA Section 608 certification (retrieved 2026-09-25)
- EPA refrigerant sales restriction (retrieved 2026-09-25)
Talk to us about qualifying your Nebraska mechanical company
If you are expanding into Omaha or Lincoln, replacing a master who is leaving, or building a mechanical company that needs a full time master on staff, call 615-219-2110 or start here. See the state licensing directory, the Nebraska contractor licensing guide, the national contractor license guide, and the HVAC contractor license overview. Mechanical contractors holding an active master license can become a qualifying agent.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice, licensing guidance, or an offer of services. Licensing requirements vary by jurisdiction. For specific compliance questions, contact The Licensing Company for a confidential consultation.