Oregon to Nebraska: journeyman electrician license reciprocity
Nebraska has no reciprocity agreement with Oregon. A Oregon journeyman electrician applies by endorsement.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Out-of-state journeyman without a reciprocity agreement
The board reviews your out-of-state credentials case by case. Some exam is usually still required, often only a law or code exam.
The Division's pages describe only two routes: reciprocity with the thirteen listed states, or the PSI examination. A journeyman from any other state files the standard Application for State Electrical License, lists current licenses and documents four years of verifiable experience with employer verification letters on company letterhead (out-of-state experience is accepted, but an applicant with fewer than 4,000 hours in Nebraska receives a 'Restricted' license that cannot later reciprocate onward), pays the $90 application fee, and must pass the Nebraska exam. Separately, Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2120(1) lets the Board license without examination an electrician licensed for at least one year by a state that offers similar treatment and whose qualifications equal Nebraska's, and § 81-2120(2) (2024) directs the Board to issue a license to an applicant who has held for at least one year a license whose prerequisite was completion of a U.S. Department of Labor registered apprenticeship, provided the license was obtained by exam or training standards and there is no disqualifying record or pending complaint. The Division does not describe how it applies these statutory routes outside its agreement list. There is no separate law exam; State Electrical Act questions are part of the trade exam.
The PSI exam fee is paid to PSI when scheduling and is not published on the Division's pages, so no amount is listed. Whether the Board grants § 81-2120(2) apprenticeship-based licenses without examination in practice could not be confirmed from an official page.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Four years of verifiable experience acceptable to the Board (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2109); three years plus an associate degree in electrical technology also qualifies.
What you'll do to get licensed in Nebraska
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($90). Journeyman Electrician application fee, non-refundable once processed.
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Nebraska journeyman exam administered by PSI: 2023 NEC (open book), basic electrical theory, Nebraska State Electrical Act, emergency and fire alarm circuits.
- 3License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($37.50). License fee when issued in an even-numbered year (2026); $75 when issued in an odd-numbered year, covering the remainder of the two-year term ending December 31 of the even year.
Published fees on this path total $127.50, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
What you'll need to buy or arrange
Exam preparation
Most boards contract PSI, Prov, or ICC for exams. Check which code edition the exam is written to before buying a prep course.
- Trade exam
How Nebraska licenses journeyman electricians
Nebraska journeyman electrician · “Journeyman Electrician”
Statewide license
Issued by Nebraska State Electrical Division (State Electrical Board)
Nebraska issues a statewide Journeyman Electrician license through the State Electrical Division under the State Electrical Act. A new applicant needs four years (8,000 hours) of verifiable experience acceptable to the State Electrical Board (apprentice registration counts, and an associate degree in electrical technology earns one year of credit), pays a $90 application fee, and passes the PSI-administered exam covering the 2023 NEC (open book), electrical theory, the State Electrical Act and emergency circuits. The license fee is $37.50 when issued in an even-numbered year or $75 in an odd-numbered year; all licenses expire December 31 of even-numbered years and renewal requires 12 hours of continuing education. The Board has reciprocal journeyman agreements with thirteen states, and reciprocal applicants are licensed without the Nebraska exam. A Residential Journeyman (RW) license with a three-year requirement also exists.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Nebraska journeyman electrician exam if I'm licensed in Oregon?
- Yes. Nebraska requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Nebraska journeyman electrician license from Oregon?
- Published fees on this path total $127.50, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Oregon work hours count in Nebraska?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Nebraska's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Nebraska to Oregon?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Nebraska to Oregon, the mechanism is experience credit.
Sources
- Nebraska State Electrical Division - Application for State Electrical License (updated 3/2026) · Nebraska State Electrical Division · Form · verified September 15, 2026One form for Electrical Contractor, Journeyman Electrician, Residential Journeyman, Fire Alarm Installer, Special Installer and Apprentice; applicants tick 'Application for License By: PSI Examination / Reciprocity with Other States / Having Passed an Approved Municipal Examination' and list current licenses with whether each was obtained by written exam. Application fees: Electrical Contractor $180; Journeyman $90; Residential Journeyman $90; Fire Alarm Installer $90. License fees issued in even years: Contractor $187.50, Journeyman $37.50; odd years: Contractor $375, Journeyman $75. 'Applicants for reciprocal licenses are required to submit a registration fee equal to the application fee plus license fee.' Experience: contractor needs an EE degree plus one year as a journeyman, one year as a licensed journeyman, or five years planning, laying out, supervising and installing electrical wiring; journeyman needs four years verifiable experience or three years plus an electrical technology degree.
- Nebraska State Electrical Division - Exam Information and Licensing Applications · Nebraska State Electrical Division · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Exams for all license types except apprentice registration cover the 2023 National Electrical Code, basic electricity theory, the Nebraska State Electrical Act and emergency circuits including fire alarm circuits. Links the 2026 mail-in licensing application, the online application portal, and Policy 37 on the retest waiting period (effective July 11, 2025).
- Nebraska State Electrical Division - Exam Scheduling · Nebraska State Electrical Division · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Applicants submit an Exam Application to the Division, and after approval receive an email from PSI (the third-party testing provider) with a link to schedule and pay for the exam. The page does not state the PSI exam fee.
- Nebraska State Electrical Division - Journeyman Electrician · Nebraska State Electrical Division · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Requires at least four years (8,000 hours) of verifiable experience acceptable to the board in the electrical trade; apprentice registration counts; one year of credit for an associate degree in electrical technology; military experience may be credited. Application fee $90; license fee $37.50 in an even-numbered year or $75 in an odd-numbered year. An applicant with fewer than 4,000 hours in Nebraska receives a 'Restricted' license that cannot reciprocate to other states. Lists the same thirteen reciprocal states.
- Nebraska State Electrical Division - Reciprocal Information · Nebraska State Electrical Division · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Journeyman Electrician reciprocity with Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming; Electrical Contractor reciprocity with Minnesota, South Dakota and Texas. Conditions: the applicant must have passed a state examination with 75% or greater for the license to be reciprocated and must have held that license in good standing for at least one year. One-time reciprocation policy: a reciprocal licensee who lets the Nebraska license lapse must take an exam to get it back. Refunds are not made for processed applications. Applications are filed through the online portal or the mail-in form.
- State Electrical Act and State Electrical Board Rules (March 2026 booklet) · Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 81-2104(6), 81-2107, 81-2108, 81-2109, 81-2115, 81-2118, 81-2120 · Nebraska State Electrical Division · Statute · verified September 15, 2026'Important Facts' section: all state electrical licenses expire December 31 of each even-numbered year; 12 hours of continuing education (six on the NEC) per two-year period; reciprocal journeyman agreements with the thirteen listed states and reciprocal Electrical Contractor agreements with Minnesota and South Dakota. §81-2108: wiring for others requires licensure as a Class B electrical contractor, electrical contractor, Class A master electrician or fire alarm installer; journeymen must be employed by one of those. §81-2118(4): Class B electrical contractor, Class A master electrician and Class B journeyman fees apply only to renewal of licenses issued before September 9, 1993. §81-2104(6)(c): the board may revoke the license of an electrical contractor or master electrician who fails to keep in force a public liability insurance policy as required by the board. §81-2115: the written exam covers the current NEC and electrical theory; the NEC portion is open book.
- Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2109 - Journeyman electrician license; qualifications · Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2109 · Nebraska Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026A journeyman electrician applicant shall have at least four years' experience, acceptable to the board, in the electrical trade; apprentice registration constitutes evidence of such experience; the board may allow one year of credit for an approved two-year post-high-school electrical course. Residential journeyman: three years, valid only for residential installations.
- Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2118 - Licenses and registrations; expiration; fees · Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2118 · Nebraska Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026All licenses expire December 31 of each even-numbered year; the board sets examination, issuance and renewal fees by unanimous vote; expired licenses may be renewed for three months with a 10% per month penalty, after which a new application is required.
- Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2120 - Licenses; issued without examination based on reciprocity; qualifications; reciprocal credentialing agreement, military occupational specialty, or apprenticeship training program · Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2120 (as amended by Laws 2024, LB16) · Nebraska Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026(1) To the extent another state provides for similar action, the board may grant licenses without examination, of the same grade and class, to an electrician licensed by that state for at least one year, on payment of the fee and proof that the applicant's qualifications equal those of Nebraska licensees. (2) The board shall issue a license to an applicant who holds a credential in a state with a reciprocal credentialing agreement, a qualifying military occupational specialty, or a license whose prerequisite was completion of a U.S. Department of Labor registered apprenticeship, if the credential has been held at least one year, was obtained by exam or education/training/experience standards, and the applicant has no disqualifying criminal record, revocation, surrender or pending complaint, and pays the fees; the board acts within 60 days or five business days after its next meeting.
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.