Nebraska
Vehicle Resource Center
Nebraska is home to more than 1.4 million licensed drivers, many of whom own their own vehicles. All those drivers must understand the state's laws, regulations, and paperwork expectations to maintain legal vehicles and to drive successfully.
Ownership and Maintenance
Each vehicle registered in Nebraska must be meticulously cared for, which includes carefully following state requirements for registration renewals, insurance coverage, and more.
In the state of Nebraska, there is no requirement to conduct safety or emissions inspections on vehicles on a regular basis. A VIN inspection is required when bringing in vehicles from out of state. Vehicle owners can skip all other inspections without any legal retribution, though experts recommend having safety inspections periodically to monitor a vehicle's health.
Each vehicle owner in Nebraska must carry liability insurance or prove their financial responsibility to drive in the state. A driver who causes an accident is responsible for paying any damages caused by the accident. If the driver has auto insurance, the liability coverage will pay for the damages of the accident; if not, the driver must pay for the damages themselves. Some drivers opt to carry bonds, to maintain a certificate of deposit or a property bond worth $75,000 instead of maintaining a liability insurance policy.
Required Insurance Coverage
The most common way that Nebraska vehicle owners can legally protect themselves from most damages caused by auto accidents is by maintaining liability insurance coverage. A vehicle is considered legally insured when the following limits are met:
When the limits above are met, an owner's vehicle is legally protected in an accident. Owners are still recommended to get higher coverage limits because some accidents may exceed the above limits, in which case the at-fault driver would be responsible for covering the cost of any excess damages.
For more information about meeting Nebraska's insurance requirements, see the state's insurance guide page.
Each year, vehicle owners in Nebraska must renew their vehicle's registration for it to continue being legal to drive. The renewal process is straightforward and can be completed online, in person, or through the mail.
Meeting Renewal Requirements
To successfully renew a vehicle's registration, owners must provide the following:
Drivers should also carry their driver's license with them to go through the renewal process. With these items at hand, the registration process can be completed in person at a County Treasurer's location, online via the eDMV tool, or through the mail by sending an addressed envelope to the County Treasurer's office, along with insurance documentation and the expiring registration and any applicable fees to complete the renewal.
Once the registration renewal process is complete, the Treasurer issues validation tabs, license plates, and a registration certificate. These documents may be provided in person when renewing at the office, but in all other instances, they will be mailed to the address listed on the registration instead.
Online Renewal is Possible If:
Renew Online
To renew online, residents must have a valid MasterCard, Visa, or Discover credit card with which to pay the fees. They must also have a valid phone number and email address. With these requirements met, the individual can go through the renewal process and will receive their replacement license by mail within 20 days.
Renew In-Person
Drivers can renew in person easily by searching for the appropriate Driver's License Office using the state's search tool.
To renew in person, the driver must complete an Operators License ID Data Form and provide a single acceptable form of identification, such as an unexpired driver's license or passport. As long as these things are provided and the driver can pay the fees, they can renew their license successfully.
Prove a New Address
Drivers seeking an address change must provide two documents to prove their address. Place of residence can be proved using bank statements, magazine subscriptions, insurance policy paperwork, or other documents with the driver's name issued to the new address. For more examples of acceptable documentation, see the Nebraska driver's license document guidelines page.
Registration Renewal
When renewing a vehicle's registration in Nebraska, the owner must pay an annual tax based on the MSRP of the vehicle, as well as an adjusted Motor Vehicle fee and, finally, a set of fixed registration fees.
The fixed fees include:
License Renewal
A standard Nebraska driver's license comes with a $24.00 renewal fee for a five-year license. Drivers renewing for a shorter period will pay a smaller fee. It's important to note there is a $5.00 security charge whenever a license or another official document is issued through the mail. Learn more about license renewal fees and requirements at the state's license page.
Buying & Selling
When buying or selling vehicles in Nebraska, some strict rules and procedures must be followed:
Hand Over the Original Title
The seller must provide the original vehicle title without any liens on it. The title must be fully filled out, and each person listed on the title must sign the back to approve the vehicle's sale. It's essential that the seller completes the Odometer Certification section on the title to verify the current odometer reading.
If there is an issue with the original title, the seller can obtain a duplicate title using this Duplicate Certificate of Title form.
Provide a Bill of Sale
Create two copies of the official Bill of Sale form and fill them out. Provide one to the buyer and retain one as the seller.
Cancel Vehicle Insurance
It's recommended that sellers cancel their vehicle's insurance policy soon after the buyer removes the vehicle from their property. There is no reason to continue paying for an insurance policy for a vehicle that has been sold.
Remove the License Plates
The vehicle's license plates must be removed before the buyer takes the vehicle away. The plates can be returned to the state or transferred to a different vehicle.
Research the Vehicle
Buyers must never purchase a vehicle without having as much information about it as possible. To obtain information quickly, the buyer can get a Vehicle History Search or License Plate Lookup from GoodCar. These reports provide ownership history, accident history, title brands, odometer readings, an overview of features and specifications for the vehicle, data about open recalls, and more.
Obtain the Original Title
Closely look over the vehicle's Certificate of Title to verify the VIN listed matches the vehicle and that there are no liens present. Ensure the seller fills out the proper sections on the back and signs the buyer's section of the title to finalize the sale.
Obtain a Bill of Sale
Have the seller fill out a Bill of Sale form that will serve as additional proof of the vehicle purchase.
Invest in Insurance
The buyer must talk with a licensed Nebraska insurance agent and obtain the necessary liability insurance, as well as underinsured and uninsured coverages. Proof of insurance or financial responsibility is required to register and title the vehicle.
Title the Vehicle
Once the buyer has possession of the vehicle, it's time to title it. The buyer must bring an Application for Certificate of Title form to a County Treasurer, along with $10.00 to pay the titling fee and the original title and Bill of Sale forms. The buyer must also bring a driver's license or another state ID to title the vehicle.
Register the Vehicle
To register the vehicle, the buyer must provide proof of insurance and pay the required sales tax for the vehicle to the County Treasurer. The Bill of Sale or Certificate of Title may be required to help determine the tax requirements for the vehicle purchase.
Vehicle Title
There is a $10.00 fee to title a vehicle.
Sales Tax
The vehicle sales tax rate in Nebraska is 5.5%, and this must be paid to register the vehicle.
Registration
To register a new vehicle, there is a $15.00 registration fee, as well as several small fees totaling approximately $10.00.
Laws and Regulations
Nebraska drivers and vehicle owners are governed by carefully designed laws. The laws are optimized to keep people safe and to help manage the roads and vehicles. Residents must know the automotive laws to avoid tickets, lawsuits, and avoidable accidents.
Nebraska has secondary seat belt laws that state that anyone in a vehicle must be appropriately secured using a seat belt or child safety seat. Drivers cannot be pulled over for seatbelt violations, but police officers can ticket the driver for $25 if a seatbelt violation is noted during a traffic stop for another reason.
Children Eight and Under Must Be In Child Safety Seats
Any children ages eight and under must be in appropriate child safety seats and should not be in a vehicle's front seat if any rear seats are available to use in the vehicle.
Children should start off fastened by a rear-facing car seat up until age 2. A rear-facing seat should be used until the child surpasses the weight or height limits of the seat. Once surpassed, a child should be moved to a forward-facing car seat where they should remain until they surpass the weight or height restrictions of the seat.
Finally, children should be placed in a booster seat, where they will remain until they are over eight years old or 4'9" in height.
Nebraska has strict DUI laws that punish drivers heavily if they are caught driving with a BAC above 0.08. BAC stands for blood alcohol content, and it can be measured using a breathalyzer or a blood test. Drivers caught driving with more than a 0.08 BAC face serious fines, license suspensions, and possible jail time.
The punishments for DUI charges become more serious for drivers who have a BAC of 0.15 or higher. When this happens, the charge then becomes aggravated DUI. Drivers who receive repeat DUI charges also receive much harsher penalties.
Learn the specifics about Nebraska DUI penalties on this page provided by the Nebraska Legislature.
Adding tint to vehicle windows in Nebraska is a simple way to increase passenger privacy and protect the upholstery of the vehicle at the same time. Nebraska restricts the type of tint that can be used on vehicle windows. Front-side windows must allow at least 35% of visible light to pass through. Rear windows must all allow a minimum of 20% of light to pass through. Any non-reflective tint is allowed above the AS-1 line on the windshield of the vehicle. If the tint used does not meet these requirements, the vehicle owner can be ticketed and may be required to remove the tint.
Learn more about window tint legislation from this page created by the Nebraska Legislature.
Under Nebraska laws, vehicles less than one-year-old that are still under the manufacturer's warranty are protected by a Lemon Law. This law gives personal vehicle owners the ability to sue manufacturers if their vehicle is suffering from a significant defect that makes the vehicle unsafe or significantly reduces its value.
A vehicle can be considered a lemon if:
If the conditions above are met, it's possible for the vehicle owner to sue the manufacturer to get the company to refund the value of the vehicle or replace it with another of equal value.
For more specifics about the Nebraska Lemon Law and to learn about arbitration options, see the Nebraska government's Lemon Law information page.
Useful Things to Know
Nebraska drivers and vehicle owners have a significant number of laws, rules, and everyday requirements to remember. Additional resources can help make meeting these requirements simpler:
Find a County DMV: Vehicle owners and drivers must sometimes visit a Nebraska DMV location for driver's license or vehicle documentation needs. The state offers a simple search tool to look up locations based on county location: Nebraska County DMV Lookup
Locate Nebraska EV Charging Stations: EV or electric vehicle owners in Nebraska will sometimes need access to public charging stations. They can find a nearby charging station using this search tool: Nebraska EV Charging Station Search Tool
Nebraska Driver's Manual: See the online version of the Nebraska Driver's Manual and prepare for the written test or brush up on state driving laws: Online Nebraska Driver's Manual
Nebraska Crash Trends: While Nebraska is among the 15 safest states, there are still many traffic fatalities that occur each year. In 2021, drivers in Nebraska suffered from 221 motor vehicle fatalities, with fatal crashes occuring 1.04 times every 100 million miles traveled approximately. Those figures make Nebraska far safer than the national average of 1.37 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. Get the complete picture using Nebraska car crash trends from GoodCar.
Get the Latest Nebraska Vehicle Information with GoodCar
Nebraska vehicle owners owe it to themselves to have the most up-to-date information about state laws, maintenance requirements, recalls, and more. Refer to this useful resource for residents looking for help and GoodCar's VIN and license plate lookup tools for help getting additional information about specific vehicles.