Nebraska auto insurance laws require every registered vehicle to carry liability coverage of at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $25,000 for property damage, along with uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage at those same limits. Driving without that coverage is a Class II misdemeanor that suspends your license, registration, and plates, and forces you to file proof of financial responsibility for three years.
Minimum Coverage You Must Carry
State law sets the floor for any auto liability policy issued in Nebraska:
- $25,000 per person for bodily injury or death in one accident
- $50,000 per accident for bodily injury or death when two or more people are hurt
- $25,000 per accident for damage to someone else’s property
These numbers appear in the statutory definition of an automobile liability policy and in the minimum limits for any policy or bond filed to satisfy financial responsibility.1Nebraska Legislature. Nebraska Code 60-310 – Automobile Liability Policy, Defined2Nebraska Legislature. Nebraska Code 60-509 – Automobile Liability Policy; Corporate Surety Bond; Effective When; Limits
Nebraska also makes uninsured motorist (UM) and underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage mandatory. No policy can be issued or renewed for a vehicle primarily garaged in the state without both, at minimum limits of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident.3Nebraska Legislature. Nebraska Code 44-6408 – Motor Vehicle Liability Policy; Uninsured and Underinsured Motor Vehicle Insurance Coverages; When Required UM pays your injury costs if the at-fault driver has no insurance or flees the scene. UIM pays when the at-fault driver’s limits run out before your losses do. You can request higher UM/UIM limits up to $100,000/$300,000 in writing, but you cannot drop below the 25/50 floor.
One point to be clear about: liability coverage pays the other party’s losses when you cause a crash. It does not pay for your own medical bills, your own repairs, or your lost wages. If you want that protection, you need collision and medical-payments coverage on top of the required minimums.
Proof You Have to Keep in the Vehicle
Carrying a policy is not enough. You must have proof of financial responsibility in the vehicle at all times, either as a paper card or an electronic image on a phone, tablet, or laptop.4Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles. Insurance Requirements (Proof of Financial Responsibility)
The proof document has to show the carrier’s name, the policy number, the vehicle’s year and make, the model or last three digits of the VIN, and the policy’s effective and expiration dates.4Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles. Insurance Requirements (Proof of Financial Responsibility) You’ll also present it when you register a vehicle or renew plates. An expired or incomplete card doesn’t count, so check the details before renewal.
Penalties for Driving Without Insurance
Driving uninsured in Nebraska is a Class II misdemeanor. Conviction brings an automatic suspension of your driver’s license, vehicle registration, and license plates, which stay suspended until you file proof of financial responsibility with the DMV and meet all reinstatement conditions.5Justia Law. Nebraska Code 60-3,167 – Financial Responsibility; Owner; Requirements; Prohibited Acts; Violation; Penalty; Dismissal of Citation; When
You then have to maintain proof of financial responsibility for a continuous three-year period after the violation. In practice that means an SR-22 filing through your insurer. An SR-22 is not a separate policy; it’s a form the insurance company files with the DMV verifying you carry at least the required minimums. If the policy lapses at any point during those three years, the insurer notifies the DMV and your license is suspended again.5Justia Law. Nebraska Code 60-3,167 – Financial Responsibility; Owner; Requirements; Prohibited Acts; Violation; Penalty; Dismissal of Citation; When
The ongoing cost usually outweighs the criminal fine. Being flagged as high-risk tends to push premiums up substantially, and three years of elevated rates adds up well beyond the SR-22 filing fee itself.
The 10-Day Grace Period
If you’re pulled over and can’t produce proof, you aren’t automatically convicted. Nebraska gives you ten days after the stop to show the prosecutor or county attorney that you actually had valid coverage at the time. If you can, the citation is dismissed without cost.5Justia Law. Nebraska Code 60-3,167 – Financial Responsibility; Owner; Requirements; Prohibited Acts; Violation; Penalty; Dismissal of Citation; When This covers people who left the card at home. It does nothing for drivers who genuinely lacked coverage.
Alternatives to a Standard Policy
Most drivers meet the requirement through a regular policy, but Nebraska also recognizes a surety bond, a cash or securities deposit with the DMV, or a certificate of self-insurance.6Nebraska Legislature. Nebraska Code 60-528 – Proof of Financial Responsibility; How Furnished Self-insurance is generally limited to businesses with large fleets, so a standard policy is almost always the practical option for individual drivers.
What Happens After a Crash
If you’re in a crash that causes any injury, death, or property damage of $1,500 or more to any one person’s property (including your own), you must file a written crash report with the Nebraska Department of Transportation within ten days. The only exception is when a law enforcement officer investigates the scene and files an official report.7Nebraska Legislature. Nebraska Code 60-699 – Accident Reports Failing to file, or filing false information, is a Class V misdemeanor. The Department of Transportation posts the required forms online.8Nebraska Department of Transportation. Crash Reporting
Separately, when the DMV receives a report of an accident involving $1,500 or more in damage or any bodily injury, it can require you to deposit security to cover potential judgments and to file proof of financial responsibility. If your policy already meets the minimums, this is routine. If it doesn’t, the DMV can suspend your license within 90 days of receiving the accident report.9Nebraska Legislature. Nebraska Code 60-507 – Automobile Liability Policy; Corporate Surety Bond; Suspension
How Shared Fault Affects Your Claim
Nebraska uses a modified comparative fault system. If you share blame for a crash, your compensation drops by your percentage of fault, and if your share hits 50 percent or more, you recover nothing at all.10Nebraska Legislature. Nebraska Code 25-21,185.09 – Civil Actions to Which Contributory Negligence Is a Defense; Effect on Recovery A $40,000 award drops to $28,000 at 30 percent fault; at 50 percent, it drops to zero. That cutoff is why adjusters fight hard over small shifts in fault percentages, and why your own photos, witness contacts, and the police report matter from day one.
Deadline to Sue After an Accident
You have four years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit for personal injury or property damage in Nebraska. The deadline applies to tort actions generally, including car crash injury claims and vehicle damage claims.11Nebraska Legislature. Nebraska Code 25-207 – Actions for Trespass, Conversion, Other Torts, and Frauds; Exceptions
Four years sounds like plenty, but evidence disappears, witnesses move, and insurers sometimes drag negotiations hoping the deadline forces a cheaper settlement. If the four-year mark is approaching without a resolution, filing suit preserves the claim while negotiations continue.