Nebraska Business License Requirements for an LLC

A Nebraska business license gives your Limited Liability Company (LLC) permission to operate in a certain location or within a specific industry.

We can’t walk you through any applicable license applications step-by-step, because every business is unique. But we do provide helpful resources like:

• information about state licensing rules
• instructions for researching municipal licenses

And if you want to just hire a company to do the research for you, we have a recommendation below.

Nebraska Business License Requirements

After you form a Nebraska LLC, you may need to obtain a business license or permit.

Your requirements are determined by the industry you are in and where your Nebraska Limited Liability Company is located.

Because of the large number of industries and all of the municipalities in Nebraska, it’s not possible for us to explain them all. However, you can use the search tools below, call your local municipality, or hire a company for help.

How to get a Business License in Nebraska

You can obtain a business license in Nebraska by applying with the relevant licensing or regulatory agency. The agency you apply with will depend on where your business is located and what business activities it engages in.

The business license application typically requires basic information, such as your LLC name, EIN Number, business address, and contact information. Many also include a questionnaire that asks about your business activity.

There are three main licensing jurisdictions:

• State licensing
• Local licensing, such as county, city, township, etc.
• Federal licensing

Does Nebraska Require a Business License?

That depends on where your business is located, and what it does.

There are two types of state-level business licenses:

• a general business license
• and an occupational license

Nebraska General Business License

Some states have a general license requirement, which means all businesses operating in those states must have the license, regardless of what they do.

But good news: Nebraska doesn’t require a general license to do business in the state.

Meaning, your Nebraska LLC doesn’t need a general state business license. But depending on what type of business you run, your LLC might need an occupational license (aka “industry-specific” license).

Nebraska Occupational License

Most states have occupational business license requirements. This means a license or permit may be required depending on what your business does or what your occupation is. For example, if you sell used cars, or run a hair salon, you may need an occupational business license. But a license may not be required for other types of businesses.

Start by using the Nebraska One-Stop Business Registration System. This interactive tool asks you a series of questions about your business, and then generates a checklist of registrations you may need. This will help you determine if your Nebraska business needs an occupational license or permit, and which agency to contact about applying for the license.

You can also check the NebraskAccess Licenses page. This list shows the professions/occupations that are licensed in Nebraska with links to the board or agency that tissues the license.

The Nebraska Department of Labor also has a complete list of licensed occupations in a PDF document.

This Business Licensing page has links to the different departments and government agencies that issue licenses in Nebraska. Scroll down for a list to see if your industry or occupation needs a business license in Nebraska.

Licensing Departments and Agencies

The Nebraska Secretary of State’s Licensing Division issues licenses to certain industries.

Depending on what your LLC does, you might need business licenses issued by the Department of Agriculture.

The majority of professional licenses in Nebraska are issued by the Department of Health and Human Services. Their list of occupations links directly to the license page with application and contact information.

Note: Some Nebraska business licenses are issued by the Secretary of State. But the majority of occupational and professional licenses are not, and are instead issued by other departments. The Secretary of State is responsible for business entity administration, for example Limited Liability Company formation.

How much is a Nebraska Business License?

Nebraska doesn’t have a general business license at the state level, so there are no fees there.

However, your business may need a state-level occupational license or municipal-level license or permit to operate. The filing fee for these licenses will vary depending on where you’re doing business and what industry you’re in. To be honest, we can’t predict your specific Nebraska business license cost.

For example, licenses issued by a county that contains a large city are usually more expensive than licenses in less populated, rural counties. And licenses for regulated industries, like child care facilities, are usually more expensive than generic business licenses.

But your LLC might not need a license or permit at all. So your Nebraska business license cost could be $0.

See LLC Cost in Nebraska to learn about all the possible LLC fees.

Municipal Business License

Municipal business licenses can be issued by the city, town, county, parish, township, borough, etc. We refer to all of these as a “municipality” to keep things simple.

There are two types of municipal business licenses:

• general business license
• industry-specific license

For example, if a municipality has a general business license requirement, all businesses operating in that municipality must have the license, regardless of what they do.

And if a municipality has industry-specific business licenses, a license or permit may be required depending on what your business does. For example, if you operate a food truck, or run a daycare, you may need an industry-specific municipal business license. Or if you’re purchasing or leasing real estate, you may need a zoning permit.

But a license may not be required for other types of businesses, like making wedding invitation templates or offering marketing consulting.

You can contact your municipality to check on their local licensing requirements: Nebraska Cities, Counties, and Villages.

Nebraska Sales Tax License

If you sell products to consumers in Nebraska, you may need to collect sales tax and file a Sales and Use Tax Return.

If your business activities are subject to sales and use tax, your LLC must register with the Department of Revenue to get a Nebraska Tax ID and a Sales Tax Permit.

Note: This requirement will apply whether you sell products online or in a physical location in Nebraska. Review the rules for remote sellers.

You can register for business tax with the Department of Revenue online.

For additional information about the Sales Tax License, see these resources from the Nebraska Department of Revenue:

• Sales and Use Tax
• Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Registration
• Starting a Business in Nevada

Do I need any federal business licenses?

Most businesses in Nebraska don’t need a federal business license. However, certain industries do need federal licenses:

Check out the Small Business Administration’s Licenses and Permits page for a full list of industries with federal license requirements.

If your business isn’t one of these special cases, then the only federal requirements are that your LLC get a Nebraska EIN Number (aka Federal Employer Identification Number) and that you file taxes.

Nebraska Business License FAQs

Matt Horwitz

Founder & Educator, LLC University®

Matt Horwitz is the leading expert on LLC education, and has been teaching for 15 years. He founded LLC University in 2010 after realizing people needed simple and actionable instructions to start an LLC. He's cited by Entrepreneur Magazine, Yahoo Finance, and the US Chamber of Commerce, and was featured by CNBC and InventRight.
 
Matt holds a Bachelor's Degree in business from Drexel University with a concentration in business law. He performs extensive research and analysis to convert state laws into simple instructions anyone can follow to form their LLC - all for free! Read more about Matt Horwitz and LLC University.