Omaha HVAC License: ACAD Board Requirements, Fees, and Exam Steps

How Omaha HVAC Licensing Works

Omaha handles HVAC licensing through the Air Conditioning and Air Distribution Board — usually called the ACAD Board — under the City of Omaha Planning Department. If you want to install, service, or contract for heating and cooling work within Omaha city limits, you need credentials from this specific board.

The ACAD system uses a three-tier classification: apprentice, journeyman, and master. Each tier carries different experience thresholds, exam requirements, and financial obligations. Moving through the tiers is one pathway, but Omaha also allows a master applicant to qualify through eight years of verifiable ACAD installation experience rather than progressing through every lower classification.

Apprentice Registration

An apprentice must register directly with the ACAD Board. The application fee is $27, and you'll need a signature from an actively licensed Omaha ACAD Master on your registration form. This isn't a formality — the board verifies that your sponsoring master holds a current license.

As a registered apprentice, you can only perform HVAC work under the direct, physical supervision of a licensed journeyman or master ACAD contractor. "Direct supervision" means on-site, not remote oversight. The apprentice period is the foundation of your experience clock — Omaha tracks hours for the four-year apprentice pathway against this registration, and unregistered experience before your application date won't count toward that pathway.

Journeyman ACAD License

To sit for the journeyman exam, you need one of these experience paths:

• Five years of verifiable HVAC field experience, or
• Four years as a registered Omaha ACAD apprentice

Omaha gives credit for education: a degree from an accredited post-secondary HVAC program or a valid NATE Core installation certificate can substitute for up to two years of the experience requirement. So a candidate with a two-year technical degree plus three years of field experience qualifies.

The exam is administered through the International Code Council (ICC) and you need a minimum score of 75% to pass. The exam fee is $64.80, and the initial license registration costs $37.80.

Once licensed, journeymen can perform physical HVAC installations under a Master ACAD contractor's supervision, but they cannot pull permits independently. Only a master ACAD contractor can pull permits and contract directly with building owners.

Master ACAD Contractor License

The master license is what authorizes you to operate an independent HVAC business in Omaha — pulling permits, signing off on installations, bidding on projects, and supervising journeymen and apprentices.

Eligibility requires either:

• Eight years of verifiable ACAD installation experience, or
• Four years as a licensed Omaha journeyman working under an active master

The master exam is also administered through the ICC, with a 75% passing threshold. The exam fee is $81, and initial license registration is $54.

Bond and Insurance Requirements

This is where the master license gets expensive relative to the exam fees. Every active ACAD Master Contractor must maintain:

• A $10,000 surety bond filed with the city
• A minimum of $300,000 in general liability insurance

The bond protects the city and property owners against code violations, and the insurance threshold ensures you can cover damages from faulty installations. Let the bond or insurance lapse, and your license goes inactive — you cannot pull permits until both are reinstated and verified.

Continuing Education

Both masters and journeymen must complete 8 hours of approved continuing education annually. Omaha ACAD licenses expire on December 31st each year, so CEU hours must be completed and documented before the renewal deadline.

Confirm with the ACAD Board which courses count toward the requirement, including courses covering current mechanical code updates, safety standards, and energy code changes. Keep physical or digital copies of your certificates of attendance.

Key Fees at a Glance

All licenses are managed through the Omaha Citizen Access Portal. You can process applications, pay fees, and search the license registry through the online system.

Omaha License vs. Other Nebraska Cities

An Omaha ACAD license does not authorize you to work in Lincoln, Bellevue, or any other Nebraska municipality. Each city operates its own mechanical licensing board with separate exams, fee schedules, and insurance requirements. Lincoln, for example, uses a different exam system and requires $500,000 in liability insurance for masters — significantly higher than Omaha's $300,000 threshold.

The one exception is limited reciprocity agreements between neighboring jurisdictions. La Vista, for instance, may accept an Omaha license in the same class along with a local $5,000 bond in lieu of a separate exam. But these arrangements are municipality-specific and change — verify with the target city's building department before assuming reciprocity applies.

If you're working across multiple Nebraska cities, our Nebraska HVAC License Guide maps the licensing requirements for Omaha, Lincoln, Bellevue, Fremont, and Grand Island side by side, so you can see exactly which credentials transfer and which require separate applications.

See more Nebraska guides →