Nebraska STOP Class: Eligibility, Deadlines, and Registration

The Nebraska STOP class is a four-hour defensive driving course that lets you get an eligible minor traffic ticket dismissed instead of paying the fine and taking the points. Complete it before your county’s deadline and the citation is dismissed with no conviction, no points on your license, and nothing reported to your insurance company. The program, formally the Safety Training Option Program, is authorized under Nebraska law and runs statewide, though counties set their own deadlines and fees.¹

Do Not Pay the Ticket First

This is the mistake that ends the option before you’ve even considered it. Paying the fine counts as a conviction. Once that happens, points hit your license, the violation goes on your record, and the STOP class is no longer available to you.² If you think you might want the class, hold off on paying and contact the county attorney’s office listed on your citation.

Which Tickets Qualify

Most minor moving violations are eligible: routine speeding, improper turns, failure to signal. You can use the program once every three years, measured from the date of your previous ticket rather than when you finished the last course.³

Commercial Driver’s License holders are excluded, even if the ticket happened in a personal vehicle.² The following violations also don’t qualify:⁴

Speeding 20 or more mph over the limit²
DUI or refusing a breath or blood test
Reckless or willful reckless driving
Leaving the scene of an accident, or causing an injury accident
Driving on a suspended or revoked license
Operating without insurance
Fleeing to avoid arrest, or participating in a speed contest
School bus violations and texting while driving
Any violation classified as a misdemeanor or felony

Counties can vary slightly on their exclusion lists. If your ticket sits near a line, ask the county attorney before the enrollment window closes.

County Deadlines Vary

There is no statewide deadline. Each county sets its own registration window, and missing it can cost you the dismissal or add court costs on top of the course fee. A few examples:

Lancaster County: register within ten business days of receiving your ticket and court costs are waived. Register later and you can still take the class, but court costs get added to the course fee.⁴
Douglas and Washington Counties: register within 12 days of the ticket and finish the course at least 7 calendar days before your court date.⁵
Dakota County: all registration paperwork must be completed at least seven days before your court appearance.⁶
Hall County (Grand Island): the course itself must be completed 14 days before your court date.²

Check your court date on the citation and reach out to your county’s program administrator the same week you get the ticket. A few days of delay can change what you owe.

How to Register

Registration usually runs through one of three channels: the county’s own portal, the National Safety Council Nebraska chapter at safenebraska.org, or in person at a county office. When you enter your citation into the system, it checks eligibility automatically against the violation type and your three-year history.⁵

You’ll need your paper citation and a valid Nebraska driver’s license. The citation supplies the citation number, violation date, and offense description the system requires. Enter these exactly as they appear on the ticket, because mismatched information will be rejected. If your ticket was for not having a valid license, registration, or insurance and you’ve since resolved that underlying issue, some counties still let you enroll if you register in person with proof.⁴

Course Length and Cost

The class runs four hours and is offered in person, online, or over Zoom depending on your county and provider. Online versions typically take four to six hours because the platform tracks active participation time.⁵ A short quiz at the end confirms you completed the material; most providers let you retake it if you don’t pass.

Fees are separate from any court costs and depend on your county. Current examples run from about $100 to $125:

Lancaster County: $100, paid by cash, credit card (with a processing fee), or money order. Non-refundable.⁴
Sarpy County: $125 as of November 15, 2025.⁷

If you enroll and don’t complete the course, you lose the fee and still face the original ticket in court.

After You Finish

When you pass the quiz, the course provider electronically submits your completion certificate to the Nebraska DMV and notifies the county attorney or court. Processing typically takes three to five business days.⁸ After that, the citation is dismissed, no points are assessed, and no conviction appears on your record.²

Because there’s no conviction, the ticket also stays off your insurance company’s radar. A dismissed STOP citation shouldn’t trigger the rate increase a paid ticket would.⁵

If You Register but Don’t Finish

Signing up doesn’t pause your case on its own. The original charges stay pending in court while you work through the class, and dismissal only lands after you finish.⁶ Miss the completion deadline and the ticket reverts to a standard traffic case: appear on your court date, owe the fine plus court costs, and forfeit the registration fee you already paid.

Some counties allow limited extensions. In Hall County, you can request one from the court in person on your court date, though you’ll then be required to attend an in-person class rather than the online version.² Don’t assume the same option exists elsewhere without asking.

Why the STOP Class Matters for Your License

Nebraska revokes your license if you accumulate 12 or more points in any two-year period, calculated from the date of each violation.⁸ A single speeding ticket can add several points, and two or three tickets in a short stretch can push you close to that threshold.

The STOP class doesn’t erase points already on your record. It prevents them from ever being assessed by keeping the ticket from becoming a conviction. Once you’ve paid the fine or pled guilty, those points are locked in and the STOP option is gone. That’s why the timing at the very start, before you do anything with the ticket, is what decides whether this option is available to you at all.

1
Nebraska Legislature. Nebraska Revised Statutes 29-3606
2
University of Nebraska at Kearney. STOP Classes
3
National Safety Council, Nebraska. Traffic Ticket Dismissal Class
4
Lancaster County, NE. Safety Training Option Program (STOP)
5
National Safety Council, Nebraska. Traffic Ticket Dismissal Course
6
Dakota County, NE. Stop Class
7
Sarpy County, NE. 4-Hour STOP Class
8
Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles. Point Revocations