South Dakota to Nebraska: master electrician license reciprocity
Nebraska has a reciprocity agreement with South Dakota: a South Dakota master electrician can get a Nebraska license without retaking the trade exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Reciprocal agreement with South Dakota (Electrical Contractor)
A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.
The State Electrical Board lists South Dakota as an Electrical Contractor reciprocity state on its Reciprocal Information page, its Electrical Contractor page and in the State Electrical Act booklet. A South Dakota electrical contractor who passed the South Dakota state exam with 75% or better and has held the license in good standing for at least one year applies for an Electrical Contractor license by reciprocity and pays the application fee plus the license fee ($180 + $187.50 in 2026); no Nebraska exam is required. The one-time reciprocation policy applies: if the Nebraska license lapses, the holder must pass the exam to get it back.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Agreement
- Active
What you must already have
- You must have passed a licensing exam in South Dakota that the destination considers comparable.
- You must have held your South Dakota license for at least 1 year.Held in good standing for not less than one year.
- Your South Dakota license must be active and in good standing.
- Your South Dakota license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
What you'll do to get licensed in Nebraska
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($180). Electrical Contractor application fee (reciprocal applicants pay the application fee plus the license fee as one registration fee).
- 2License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($187.50). License fee when issued in an even-numbered year (2026); $375 in an odd-numbered year.
- 3Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Public liability insurance policy as required by the State Electrical Board.
Published fees on this path total $367.50, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
What you'll need to buy or arrange
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- Insurance
How Nebraska licenses master electricians
Nebraska master electrician · “Electrical Contractor”
Statewide license
Issued by Nebraska State Electrical Division (State Electrical Board)
Nebraska's highest person-held electrical license is the Electrical Contractor license, issued by the State Electrical Division to an individual who has at least one year of experience as a licensed journeyman electrician (or a four-year electrical engineering degree plus one year as a journeyman) and passes the PSI-administered contractor exam. Nebraska stopped issuing new Class A Master Electrician licenses in 1993; the master, Class B contractor and Class B journeyman fees in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2118(4) apply only to renewals of licenses issued before September 9, 1993, so this site maps the Electrical Contractor license to the master level. The application fee is $180 and the license fee is $187.50 per year of the two-year term ($187.50 when issued in an even-numbered year, $375 in an odd-numbered year); licenses expire December 31 of even-numbered years. A contractor who owns and operates an electrical contracting firm must keep in force the liability insurance required by Board Rule 7 ($100,000 per person, $300,000 per accident, $100,000 property damage). The Division's Electrical Contractor and Reciprocal Information pages list reciprocal Electrical Contractor agreements with Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota and Texas.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Nebraska master electrician exam if I'm licensed in South Dakota?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path under the agreement with South Dakota.
- How long do I need to have held my South Dakota license?
- At least 1 year before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Nebraska master electrician license from South Dakota?
- Published fees on this path total $367.50, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Sources
- Nebraska State Electrical Division - Application for State Electrical License (updated 3/2026) · Nebraska State Electrical Division · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- State Electrical Board Rules (April 2024) · Nebraska State Electrical Board · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- Nebraska State Electrical Division - Electrical Contractor · Nebraska State Electrical Division · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Nebraska State Electrical Division - 2025-2026 License and Registration Fees · Nebraska State Electrical Division · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Nebraska State Electrical Division - Reciprocal Information · Nebraska State Electrical Division · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- State Electrical Act and State Electrical Board Rules (July 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 23, 2026
- Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2107 - Electrical contractor license; applicant; qualifications · Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2107 · Nebraska Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2118 - Licenses and registrations; expiration; fees · Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2118 · Nebraska Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- 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
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.