Small Claims Court Limits in Nebraska

In Nebraska, small claims court hears claims up to $7,500 (since July 1, 2025), filing fees total $58, and parties may not be represented by attorneys.

Last checked October 2026. General information, not legal advice.

Maximum claim: $7,500; Limit in effect since July 1, 2025 (it was $6,000 from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025). Excludes interest and costs.
Filing fee: $58; Total county court filing fees for a small claims case (schedule effective July 1, 2026), including the $6.25 small claims docket fee under Neb. Rev. Stat. 25-2804. The plaintiff also pays the cost of service.
Lawyers allowed: No; Attorneys may appear only for limited motions after a default judgment; a case moved to the regular county court docket may use attorneys.

Sources

Last checked October 2026

The rules in Nebraska

What is the small claims court limit in Nebraska?

Maximum claim in Nebraska: $7,500. Limit in effect since July 1, 2025 (it was $6,000 from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025). Excludes interest and costs.

How much does it cost to file a small claims case in Nebraska?

Filing fee in Nebraska: $58. Total county court filing fees for a small claims case (schedule effective July 1, 2026), including the $6.25 small claims docket fee under Neb. Rev. Stat. 25-2804. The plaintiff also pays the cost of service.

Can you bring a lawyer to small claims court in Nebraska?

No. Lawyers allowed in Nebraska: no. Attorneys may appear only for limited motions after a default judgment; a case moved to the regular county court docket may use attorneys.

Where do the Nebraska small claims court limits come from?

The rules above come from Neb. Rev. Stat. 25-2802, Neb. Rev. Stat. 25-2803 and Neb. Rev. Stat. 25-2804. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

A party may not file more than two claims in a calendar week or ten in a calendar year.

What this means in practice

Before filing, send the other side a written demand that states what is owed, why, and a deadline to pay. A clear demand letter sometimes settles the dispute without court, and some courts ask whether you tried to resolve the matter first.

Bring organized evidence to the hearing: contracts, receipts, invoices, photos, text messages and any written promise to pay. Prepare a short timeline of what happened. Judges in small claims court decide cases quickly, so a clear, document backed explanation helps.

Winning a judgment does not mean you are paid automatically. If the other side does not pay voluntarily, you may need to use collection tools such as wage garnishment, a bank levy or a lien, and each of those has its own forms, fees and rules.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.

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