Nebraska gives creditors five years to sue on a written contract and four years on one that is not in writing. A voluntary payment restarts the clock, and so does a written acknowledgment or promise to pay. The sentence that says so, § 25-216, has been in Nebraska law since 1867 and was last amended in 1941.
The deadlines, and where each one is written
| What is being collected | Deadline to file suit | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| A specialty, or any agreement, contract, or promise in writing | 5 years | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-205(1) |
| A foreign judgment | 5 years | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-205(1) |
| A contract not in writing, express or implied | 4 years | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-206 |
| A liability created by statute (other than a forfeiture or penalty) | 4 years | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-206 |
| Relief not otherwise provided for in Chapter 25 | 4 years | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-212 |
Section 25-205 has been amended, most recently in 1999, but the five-year rule for “any agreement, contract, or promise in writing” is unchanged. Section 25-206 shows no amendment in its source notes, which go back to the Code of 1867.
Five years or four? The code does not say for credit cards
The Nebraska limitations sections, §§ 25-201 through 25-229, never mention credit cards or revolving accounts. A card balance could be argued as a written contract at five years or a contract “not in writing, expressed or implied” at four. The statutes do not pick one.
What this means in practice: the gap in Nebraska is one year, and because a voluntary payment restarts the clock under § 25-216, the date of your last payment is usually the more important fact.
When the clock starts, and what pauses it
The chapter does not define when an ordinary card or loan claim accrues. It does say when a lawsuit begins. Under § 25-217(1), “an action is commenced on the day the complaint is filed with the court,” and each defendant must then be served within 180 days or the action against that defendant “is dismissed by operation of law.”
Section 25-214 pauses the clock while the debtor is out of the state or “has absconded or concealed himself or herself.” Unlike some states, the Nebraska section contains no exception for a defendant who can still be served while living elsewhere.
What restarts the clock in Nebraska
Section 25-216 reads:
In any cause founded on contract, when any part of the principal or interest shall have been voluntarily paid, or an acknowledgment of an existing liability, debt or claim, or any promise to pay the same shall have been made in writing, an action may be brought in such case within the period prescribed for the same, after such payment, acknowledgment or promise[.]
Three points come straight from that text. The payment has to be voluntary; the word is in the statute, and the section does not define it. An acknowledgment or promise must be “made in writing.” And whichever happens, the new period runs from the date of the payment, acknowledgment, or promise.
Unlike most states’ versions, Nebraska’s does not say the writing must be signed. It says only “made in writing.” The section also does not say whether a payment made after the period has already run revives the debt, and it does not say whether “in writing” applies to the payment as well as the acknowledgment. Read naturally, the writing requirement attaches to the acknowledgment or promise, but the sentence is not punctuated to settle it.
A separate rule in § 25-221 is useful if you are sued: any party may ask that the statute of limitations issue “be tried separately and determined before any other issues in the case.”
How often Nebraska consumers report collection problems
Nebraska consumers filed 573 debt collection complaints with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in the 12 months ending October 7, 2026, which is 0.2% of the 316,737 filed nationwide and ranks 41st among reporting states.
Of those, 101, or 18% of the Nebraska total, were categorized as a collector taking or threatening to take negative or legal action, against 25% nationally.
These are raw complaint counts, not rates. They are not adjusted for population, and a complaint is an allegation the CFPB has published, not a finding that a company broke the law. The figures refresh weekly from the CFPB’s public database.
If you are sued on a debt you believe is too old
The statute of limitations is a defense you have to raise in your answer. A person who does not respond to a Nebraska collection suit can lose by default, even on a debt past its deadline. If you do raise it, § 25-221 lets you ask the court to decide that issue first.
Two Nebraska-specific things to check: the date of any voluntary payment, since § 25-216 runs a new period from it; and whether you have put anything in writing acknowledging the debt. Court deadlines are short, so this is a point at which speaking with a Nebraska attorney or a legal aid organization is worth the call.
How Nebraska compares
The same question gets a different answer a state line away. These are the closest comparisons to Nebraska:
- Iowa: next door, with ten years written and five unwritten
- Kansas: next door, five years written and three unwritten, and payment also needs no writing
- Colorado: next door, six years on a liquidated debt
The full comparison table covers every state we have published.
Sources and verification
Statutes quoted from the Revised Statutes of Nebraska as published by the Nebraska Legislature. Provisions cited: Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 25-205, 25-206, 25-212, 25-214, 25-216, 25-217, and 25-221 (we read every section from 25-201 through 25-229). Source notes show 25-216 last amended by Laws 1941, c. 35, and 25-205 last amended by Laws 1999, LB 550. Text retrieved October 2, 2026. Complaint data: CFPB Consumer Complaint Database, filtered to the Debt collection product and the Nebraska state field over a rolling 12-month window, re-queried weekly by this site. Our data sources and update policy lists every figure on this site that refreshes automatically and how often.
This page explains what the Nebraska statutes say. It is general information, not legal advice. It does not state a single deadline for credit card debt, because no Nebraska statute assigns that category, and it does not resolve whether a payment after the deadline revives a debt, because § 25-216 does not address timing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the statute of limitations on debt in Nebraska?
Five years on any agreement, contract, or promise in writing under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-205(1), and four years on a contract not in writing under § 25-206.
Does a payment restart the statute of limitations in Nebraska?
Yes, if it is voluntary. Under § 25-216, when any part of the principal or interest has been voluntarily paid, an action may be brought within the full period after that payment.
Does an acknowledgment of the debt have to be signed in Nebraska?
The statute says it must be made in writing. Unlike many states, § 25-216 does not add that it must be signed.
Is Nebraska credit card debt four years or five?
No Nebraska statute says. The limitations sections do not mention credit cards. A card balance could be treated as a written contract at five years or an unwritten one at four.