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Guide

Locksmith licensing in Nebraska and Iowa

Neither state licenses locksmiths. Nebraska used to require county registration, but LB 169, signed April 7, 2021, repealed it. Iowa is not among the 13 states with a locksmith license. So the checks are up to you: the business name, the Secretary of State's records, the price and the invoice.

Updated October 28, 2026 ยท Sources listed at the end

On this page
  1. Nebraska
  2. Iowa
  3. City rules
  4. How to check a business instead

Nebraska

Until 2021, Nebraska law (sections 28-1402 to 28-1405) required locksmiths to register. LB 169, approved by the Governor on April 7, 2021, repealed those sections outright, in the bill's words "to eliminate locksmith registration requirements." There is no state locksmith license now.

Separately, the Nebraska Department of Labor requires contractors doing work on real property to register, and that registration may apply to some lock installation work. The department's page doesn't mention locksmiths by name, so ask the business.

Iowa

Iowa is not on the list of states that license locksmiths. Industry reviews count 13: Alabama, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas and Virginia. The same review notes that Nebraska and Tennessee dropped their requirements in 2021.

City rules

We could not confirm a locksmith license requirement in the Omaha or Council Bluffs city codes. If you need to know for a specific job, ask the city clerk.

How to check a business instead

Questions people in Omaha ask

Is it legal for anyone to work as a locksmith in Omaha?

There is no state locksmith license in Nebraska since 2021. General business, tax and any contractor registration rules still apply.

Keep reading

Serving Council Bluffs, Bellevue, Papillion, La Vista, Millard, Elkhorn, Ralston, Gretna, Bennington, Benson and all of Omaha.

Sources

  1. Nebraska Legislature: LB 169 slip law, approved April 7, 2021
  2. Locksmith Ledger: Locksmith Licensing, A State-by-State Review (May 23, 2022)
  3. Service Fusion: Do locksmiths need a license? (July 9, 2024)
  4. Nebraska Department of Labor: Contractor Registration, Who Needs to Register
  5. Nebraska Secretary of State: Corporation and Business Entity Searches
  6. Iowa Secretary of State: Business Entities Search