To apply, you must:
10 Nebraska Dealer License Requirements
Nebraska Dealer Licenses are issued by the Motor Vehicle Industry Licensing Board (MVILB). This page covers Nebraska's 7 Dealer License types, their requirements, bond size, costs, and how to apply.
Name your Dealership
Your company name is the first step, because you use it through the entire Dealer License process. Nebraska's Dealer application accepts an Individual Owner, a Partnership, or a Corporation or LLC.
An LLC keeps your business separate from your personal life and adds trust to the name. A corporation or LLC must be registered with the Nebraska Secretary of State before you apply.
Start as the business type you'll keep, because any change of ownership requires a new application and a new license (§60-1411.01). A name change with no ownership change costs $50 and a new license.
Choose your Dealer License Type
Nebraska issues 7 Dealer License types, and the Motor Vehicle, Motorcycle, and Trailer Dealer's Licenses share one application. The Board's 13 license classes also include 6 for manufacturers, distributors, their representatives, factory branches, and finance companies. There is no separate salesperson license: the Motor Vehicle Dealer's License names one owner, officer, partner, or member as the dealership's salesperson.
| License Type | What It Lets You Do |
|---|---|
| Motor Vehicle Dealer's LicenseThe combination Motor Vehicle/Trailer/Motorcycle box on the application | Buy and sell new or used motor vehicles, trailers, and manufactured homes from your licensed lot, to the public and at the dealer auctions. The combination box adds motorcycles |
| Motorcycle Dealer's License | Buy and sell new or used motorcycles to the public and at the dealer auctions |
| Trailer Dealer's License | Buy and sell new or used trailers and manufactured homes. Trailer-only Dealers skip the education hours and the automobile liability insurance |
| Motor Vehicle Auction Dealer's License | Sell motor vehicles and trailers through an auction. Requires a bond of at least $100,000 |
| Wrecker or Salvage Dealer License | Acquire motor vehicles or trailers to dismantle, and sell their parts and accessories, not whole vehicles. Requires “a permanent place of business” that conforms to local law |
| Supplemental Motor Vehicle, Motorcycle, or Trailer Dealer's License | Sell from a second location more than 300 feet from your licensed lot, in the same city or county, without a whole new license |
| Dealer's Agent License | Buy at auctions or from other Dealers for one or more licensed Dealers, under a written contract filed with the Board. An agent can't sell any vehicle |
Get your Dealer Bond (Surety Bond)
A Nebraska Motor Vehicle Dealer's License requires a $50,000 corporate surety bond, filed with the Board when you apply (§60-1419). The bond protects customers if you break Nebraska's dealer laws. A $50,000 Dealer Bond costs only $500 a year, after a credit check.
The bond goes on the Attorney General's form, signed by a Nebraska registered agent, the agent who issues the bond.
| License Type | You Pay | Bond Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Motor Vehicle Dealer's LicenseNebraska - Motor Vehicle, Trailer, Wholesale, or Motorcycle Dealer ($50,000). Credit check required | $500/yearabout $42 a month | $50,000 |
| Motorcycle Dealer's LicenseNebraska - Motor Vehicle, Trailer, Wholesale, or Motorcycle Dealer ($50,000). Credit check required | $500/yearabout $42 a month | $50,000 |
| Trailer Dealer's LicenseNebraska - Motor Vehicle, Trailer, Wholesale, or Motorcycle Dealer ($50,000). Credit check required | $500/yearabout $42 a month | $50,000 |
| Motor Vehicle Auction Dealer's LicenseNebraska - Motor Vehicle Auction Dealer ($100,000). Credit check required | $1,000/yearabout $83 a month | $100,000 |
Get your Dealer Liability Insurance (Automobile Liability Insurance)
A Nebraska Motor Vehicle Dealer's License requires a certificate of automobile liability insurance covering your fleet, from a carrier licensed in Nebraska (§60-1407.01). The Board won't issue or renew the license without it. Trailer Dealers are exempt from this certificate.
The same section requires evidence of compliance with the Nebraska Workers' Compensation Act, or a signed waiver if you want no coverage. Your insurance agent sets the price of the policy.
Set up your Dealer Office (Established Place of Business)
A Nebraska Motor Vehicle Dealer's License requires an established place of business: “a permanent location within this state, easily accessible to the public, owned or leased by the applicant” for at least the license year (§60-1401.15). The table below is the statute's own list.
The state's own application asks for directions to a rural dealership, so a farm address with a lot and shop is an expected case. The Wrecker or Salvage Dealer License has its own rule: “a permanent place of business at which the activity requiring licensing is performed and which conforms to all local laws” (§60-1403.01).
| What Nebraska Requires | |
|---|---|
| Office | Office space in a building or mobile home, clean, dry, safe, and well lit, holding all business records and open to Board inspection |
| Display area | One contiguous area to display 10 or more motor vehicles, motorcycles, or trailers in a presentable manner |
| Sign | Permanent, sound, and well maintained, legible from a public road, with the dealership name in letters at least 8 inches high. A photo of the sign goes in with the application |
| Hours | Open at least 40 hours a week, with at least 20 of them between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., and posted |
| Telephone | A working landline connected to a public exchange, on the premises, listed with Directory Assistance under the exact dealership name |
| Repairs | Repair facilities on the premises, or a service contract filed with the Board |
| Zoning | Local zoning applies. A zoning permit, or a letter from the zoning authority confirming auto or trailer sales is a permitted use, goes in with the application |
| Size | The statute sets no minimum square footage; the application asks you to describe the building and display area |
Complete 8 Hours of Dealer Education (Continuing Education)
A Nebraska Motor Vehicle Dealer's License requires 8 hours of Board-authorized continuing education, completed in the 12 months before you apply (§60-1408). At renewal it is 4 hours in the 12 months before the renewal application. Nebraska has no Dealer exam.
- Who is exempt: trailer-only Dealers, franchised new-car Dealers and their employees, manufactured-home-only Dealers, and salvage-only Dealers selling for insurers.
- Where to sign up: the Board refers applicants to the Nebraska Independent Auto Dealers Association (NEIADA), 402-474-3810, for the approved courses.
- Cost: the price isn't published anywhere public; NEIADA gives it by phone or text.
- Proof: certificates of completion totaling 8 hours, dated within the previous 12 months, go in with your application.
Answer the Background Questions (Felon Interview)
A Nebraska Dealer License application asks 4 yes/no questions of every named owner, and Nebraska takes no fingerprints. No fingerprint card, FBI check, or Live Scan is part of it. The screening is your own sworn answers, with a follow-up only if you answer yes.
The 4 questions, from item 10 of the application:
- Ever been found guilty of any felony that has not been pardoned?
- Ever been found guilty of any misdemeanor concerning fraud or conversion?
- Suffered any judgment in any civil action involving fraud, misrepresentation, or conversion?
- Are any felony charges pending at the present time?
A yes to any of them means a background report for that person and an interview with one of the Board's investigators. That interview determines whether a license may be issued. The application is signed under oath before a notary, and a false material statement is its own ground for denial (§60-1411.02).
The questions reach every owner, officer, stockholder, partner, LLC member, and anyone with a financial interest in the dealership. For a publicly held corporation, only the corporation and its managing officers and directors are screened.
If you have a record
- Denial is discretionary, not automatic. The Board “may” deny for any felony not pardoned, a misdemeanor concerning fraud or conversion, or a civil judgment involving fraud, misrepresentation, or conversion (§60-1411.02).
- No waiting period. The Act sets no number of years; a pardon removes the felony from the list entirely.
- Ordinary misdemeanors don't count. Only a misdemeanor concerning fraud or conversion is a ground, and the application asks exactly that.
- Pending felony charges pause, not bar. The Board may hold the license until the charges are decided.
- A court set-aside removes the conviction's civil disqualifications (§29-2264), but a motor vehicle offense, including DUI, can't be set aside. The form still asks about any felony not pardoned.
- You get a hearing. The Board gives at least 30 days' written notice before any denial (§60-1413), and you have 30 days after its decision to appeal to district court.
Submit your Dealer License Application
You apply online through the Board's AccessGov portal, and the license fee is $400 for the Motor Vehicle, Motorcycle, or Trailer Dealer's License. Every fee is itemized under costs. The Board's Instructions for Dealer License Application list every item to prepare.
An Individual Owner gives the last 4 digits of an SSN. Partners, LLC members, and corporate officers give names and addresses only, and the form asks no one for an EIN (§60-1407). The oath at the end is signed before a notary.
Pass the Dealership Inspection (Inspection Report)
A Nebraska Dealer License location is inspected after you file the application and before the license is issued. A Board investigator contacts you to schedule the appointment, and the license can't issue without a passed inspection.
After the inspection and approval, you send the Board the Inspection Report, any remaining items, and the fee, and the license issues. The Board may also interview you, with at least 10 days' notice (§60-1407.01).
Get your Dealer License Plates
Nebraska dealer license plates cost $30 for the first plate and $15 for each additional plate you earn (§60-3,114). Dealer tags let you drive your inventory, and the registration carries “DLR” beside the number.
Additional plates follow your sales from the previous October 1 to September 30:
- 1 plate for every 20 vehicles sold at retail
- 1 plate for every 30 vehicles sold at wholesale, up to 5 wholesale plates
A personal-use dealer plate is its own category, at $250 a year each (§60-3,116). It goes on any dealer-owned vehicle of 6,000 pounds or less, for personal use by you, your immediate family, or any bona fide employee. It follows the same count limits as the regular plates.
Dealer License Cost
A Nebraska Motor Vehicle, Motorcycle, or Trailer Dealer's License costs $400. The Board sets each other license class's fee under a limit in state law (§60-1411.01). Every other fee on this page is in the table.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Motor Vehicle, Motorcycle, or Trailer Dealer's License | $400 initial$400 renewal |
| Dealer Bond | $500 a year, $50,000 bond, credit check required$1,000 a year, $100,000 auction bond, credit check required |
| Automobile liability insurance | Covers your fleet, priced by your agent |
| Workers' compensation | Proof of coverage, or a signed waiver |
| Dealer education | 8 hours initial, 4 hours at renewal; price by phone from NEIADA |
| Dealer plates | $30 first plate$15 each additional plate$250 a year, personal-use plate |
| Change of locationSame city or county | $100 |
| Change of nameNo change of ownership | $50, plus a new license |
Dealer License Renewal
A Nebraska Dealer License expires December 31 of the year it is issued, and you apply each year for a new or renewal license (§60-1411.01). The renewal portal opens October 1, and no reduced renewal fee is published.
A Motor Vehicle Dealer's renewal includes:
- a report of vehicles sold from October 1 to September 30
- a fresh bond
- a current insurance certificate
- 4 hours of continuing education from the previous 12 months
Common Questions
Can you get a Nebraska Dealer License with a felony?
Yes. A felony isn't an automatic bar to a Nebraska Dealer License. The Board “may” deny for an unpardoned felony, a misdemeanor concerning fraud or conversion, or a civil fraud judgment (§60-1411.02). It sets no waiting period, and a pardon removes the ground. A yes on the application means a background report and a Board interview.
Can you get a Dealer License in Nebraska without a lot?
Not on the Motor Vehicle Dealer's License. It requires an established place of business with one contiguous area to display 10 or more vehicles, an 8-inch-letter sign, and 40 posted hours a week. The Wrecker or Salvage Dealer License has its own rule: “a permanent place of business” that conforms to local law. The full list is under Office.
How many cars can you sell in Nebraska without a Dealer License?
In Nebraska, no Dealer License is required to sell up to 8 vehicles you titled and registered in your own name in any 12-month period. Selling more than 8 in that window means you no longer qualify as a “bona fide consumer” (§60-1401.07), and a Dealer License is required.
How old do you have to be to get a Nebraska Dealer License?
19. Nebraska issues no dealer's license to a minor (§60-1403.01), and Nebraska's age of majority is 19, not 18 (§43-2101). An 18-year-old can sign contracts in Nebraska but can't hold the license until 19. Minority also ends at marriage, so a married 18-year-old qualifies.
Can you drive a Nebraska dealer plate for personal use?
Yes, on a personal-use dealer plate. Nebraska sells one for $250 a year (§60-3,116). It covers personal or private use by the dealer, the dealer's immediate family, or any bona fide employee. The vehicle must be dealer-owned and 6,000 pounds or less. Details under Dealer Plates.
Do salespeople need a license in Nebraska?
No. Nebraska issues no separate salesperson license. The Motor Vehicle Dealer's License itself names one person, the owner or a stockholder, officer, partner, or member, to act as the dealership's salesperson (§60-1406). The pocket card in Nebraska law is for dealer's agents and factory or distributor representatives only.
Do I need a business bank account?
No. No section of the Motor Vehicle Industry Regulation Act, and neither the application nor its instructions, asks for a business bank account. The one record rule is that your dealer records are kept separately from other business or personal records.
How long does a Nebraska Dealer License take?
No Nebraska statute sets a deadline for the Board to decide. After you file, an investigator schedules the inspection; after approval you send in the Inspection Report and the fee, and the license issues. The Board may interview you first, with at least 10 days' notice (§60-1407.01).
Support
The Motor Vehicle Industry Licensing Board issues every license class on this page, and its 5 field investigators run the inspections.
| Contact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Department | Nebraska Motor Vehicle Industry Licensing Board (MVILB) |
| Phone | (402) 471-2148(402) 471-4563 fax |
| [email protected] | |
| Address | 301 Centennial Mall South, P.O. Box 94697Lincoln, NE 68509-4697 |
Additional sources (14)
The forms and the portal for each step are linked in the steps. These are the law, the rules, and the agency pages the page was checked against.
- §60-1406, the license classes — the 13 classes the Board issues, and the one named salesperson on a dealer's license
- §60-1407, application contents — an SSN for an individual applicant; names and addresses for partners, LLC members, and corporate officers
- §60-1407.01, conditions of issuance and renewal — why insurance is required: the automobile liability certificate and workers' compensation proof; the 5-sale renewal floor; the 10-day interview notice
- §60-1419, the corporate surety bond — $50,000 for a motor vehicle, trailer, or motorcycle dealer; at least $100,000 for an auction dealer; the Attorney General's form
- §60-1411.01, fees, expiration, and ownership changes — fee limits, the December 31 expiration, the $100 relocation fee, and a new application on any change of ownership
- §60-1403.01, who may be licensed — no dealer's license to a minor; the wrecker or salvage place-of-business rule
- §43-2101, age of majority — 19 in Nebraska, or marriage before 19
- §60-1401.26, motor vehicle dealer defined — anyone other than a bona fide consumer “actively and regularly engaged” in selling, leasing, or exchanging vehicles
- §60-1401.41, persons not considered dealers — fleet owners, finance companies, insurers, and similar businesses disposing of vehicles incident to their regular business
- §29-2264, setting aside a conviction — nullifies the conviction and removes its civil disqualifications; motor vehicle offenses are excluded
- §60-1413, hearings — 30 days' written notice of the charges before the Board acts
- §60-1415, the Board's decision and appeal — written findings, and an appeal under the Administrative Procedure Act
- §84-917, Administrative Procedure Act review — the 30-day window to file in district court
- MVILB Misc. Forms — the Dealer's Agent Application and the Board's other forms
