Nebraska driving law, answered
Every answer here comes from Nebraska Driver’s Manual and, where the manual is silent, the Nebraska Revised Statutes: Chapter 60, Article 1: Motor Vehicle Certificate of Title Act, Chapter 60, Article 3: Motor Vehicle Registration Act, Chapter 60, Article 4: Motor Vehicle Operator's License Act (in part), Chapter 60, Article 5: Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Act, Chapter 60, Article 6: Nebraska Rules of the Road, Chapter 60, Article 7: 24/7 Sobriety Program Act, Chapter 28, Article 3: Offenses Against the Person (section 28-306), Chapter 28, Article 5: Offenses Against Property (section 28-523), Chapter 53, Article 1: Nebraska Liquor Control Act (section 53-180.02), with the page or the section it is in.
Statutes fetched on 8 October 2026; manuals fetched on 14 September 2026. How the answers are made
How far from a fire hydrant must you park?
Do not park within 15 feet of a fire hydrant. Fire crews need to reach the hydrant at once, and a car in the way costs time while a house burns.
Within 15 feet of a fire hydrant.
As of 14 Sep 2026
How far from a crosswalk at an intersection must you park?
Do not park or stop within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection. A car parked at the corner hides people stepping into the crosswalk from drivers turning toward them.
Within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection.
As of 14 Sep 2026
May you park in or near an intersection?
Do not park or stop on a sidewalk, within an intersection, or on a crosswalk. A car on the sidewalk or crosswalk forces people on foot into the street with moving cars.
On a sidewalk, within an intersection, or on a crosswalk.
As of 14 Sep 2026
How far from a stop sign or traffic signal must you park?
Do not park or stop within 30 feet of any flashing signal, stop sign, yield sign or other traffic control device at the side of the roadway. A parked car near a stop sign hides the sign, and drivers who never see it run through the intersection.
Within 30 feet of any flashing signal, stop sign, yield sign or other traffic control device located at the side of the roadway.
As of 14 Sep 2026
How far from a railroad crossing must you park?
Do not park or stop on a bridge, within a highway tunnel, or within 50 feet of railroad tracks. A car parked near the tracks can block a train crew's view or force other cars to stop on the rails.
On bridges, within a highway tunnel, or within 50 feet of railroad tracks.
As of 14 Sep 2026
How far from a fire station driveway must you park?
(v) Within twenty feet of the driveway entrance to any fire station and on the side of a street opposite the entrance to any fire station within seventy-five feet of such entrance when properly signposted; or
Nebraska law, Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-6,166(1)(b)
As of 8 Oct 2026
How close to the curb must you park?
Park within 12 inches of and parallel to the curb or road's edge. A car parked far from the curb sticks out into the lane where passing cars clip its side.
Park vehicle within 12 inches of and parallel to the curb, or road's edge.
As of 14 Sep 2026
When must you stop for a school bus with flashing red lights?
Stop a reasonable distance from a school bus that has its red lights on. Stop too close and you cannot see a child who walks around the front or back of the bus.
Stop a reasonable distance from the bus.
As of 14 Sep 2026
What must you do when passing a stopped emergency vehicle with flashing lights?
On a multi-lane controlled-access highway, a driver approaching a stopped emergency or other listed vehicle with flashing lights must move at least one travel lane away from it. Workers and officers beside a stopped vehicle stand inches from the lane, and a passing car can strike them.
A driver in a vehicle on a multi-lane controlled-access highway approaching a stopped emergency, road assistance, public/private utility maintenance, highway maintenance, or solid waste or recycling collection vehicle with flashing lights must move into a lane at least one travel lane away from the stopped vehicles.
As of 14 Sep 2026
How far behind a fire truck answering an alarm may you follow?
No vehicle may follow a fire apparatus traveling in an emergency status closer than 500 feet. A fire truck can stop or turn without warning, and a car right behind it has nowhere to go.
No vehicle may follow any fire apparatus traveling in an emergency status closer than 500 feet or drive onto or park within the block the fire apparatus has stopped to answer an emergency.
As of 14 Sep 2026
When must you turn on your headlights?
Headlights must be used from sunset to sunrise. A car without headlights after dark cannot be seen by others until it is too close to avoid.
Headlights must be used from sunset to sunrise.
As of 14 Sep 2026
Who must wear a seat belt?
Drivers and front seat passengers must ride buckled up in a seat belt or child safety seat, and this includes autocycles. An unbelted person keeps moving when the car stops, often into the windshield, the dash or the road.
Drivers and front seat passengers are required to ride buckled up in a seat belt or child safety seat, this includes autocycles. (Secondary Law)
As of 14 Sep 2026
When must a child ride in a car seat?
Children up to age 8 must ride correctly secured in a federally approved child safety seat (a primary law). A seat belt built for an adult rides up on a small child's neck and belly and can injure them in a crash.
Children up to age eight must ride correctly secured in a federally approved child safety seat.
As of 14 Sep 2026
What is the legal blood alcohol limit for adult drivers?
It is unlawful to drive on Nebraska roadways with a BAC of .08% or higher, whatever the driver's age or vehicle type. At this level a driver's steering, braking and sense of distance are poor enough to put everyone on the road at risk.
It is unlawful to operate a motor vehicle on Nebraska roadways if the driver has a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of:
As of 14 Sep 2026
What is the blood alcohol limit for drivers under 21?
It is unlawful for a driver under 21 to drive on Nebraska roadways with a BAC of .02% or higher. A young driver has little experience to fall back on, so even a small amount of alcohol makes a crash more likely.
It is unlawful to operate a motor vehicle on Nebraska roadways if the driver has a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of:
As of 14 Sep 2026
What happens if you refuse a breath or blood alcohol test?
A person who refuses to submit to a chemical test for alcohol or drugs must serve a 1-year ALR, even on a first offense. If saying no to the test cost less than failing it, every drunk driver would just say no.
Persons who refuse to submit to a chemical test for alcohol or drugs must serve a one year ALR.
As of 14 Sep 2026
May you use a handheld phone while driving?
In Nebraska it is illegal to use a handheld wireless communication device to read, type, or send written communication while operating a motor vehicle. A driver reading a text looks down for seconds and can travel the length of a field without seeing the road.
Use a handheld wireless communication device to read, type, or send written communication while operating a motor vehicle;
As of 14 Sep 2026
May you text while driving?
In Nebraska it is illegal to use a handheld wireless communication device to read, type, or send written communication while operating a motor vehicle. A driver reading a text looks down for seconds and can travel the length of a field without seeing the road.
Use a handheld wireless communication device to read, type, or send written communication while operating a motor vehicle;
As of 14 Sep 2026
How far before a turn must you signal?
Signal at least 100 feet before turning, or before moving right or left. A driver behind who gets no warning keeps going full speed and runs into the back of the turning car.
Signal at least 100 feet before turning, or moving right or left.
As of 14 Sep 2026
May you turn right on a red light?
Turning right at a circular red light after stopping is allowed unless signs at the intersection prohibit it. Some corners hide cross traffic or carry heavy foot traffic, and a posted sign is the only warning you get.
Turning right at a circular red light after stopping is allowed, unless signs prohibiting it are posted at the intersection.
As of 14 Sep 2026
May you turn left on a red light onto a one-way street?
A left turn at a circular red light after stopping is allowed only from a one-way street onto another one-way street. Turning left on red from a two-way street sends you across oncoming lanes that still have the green.
Turning left at a circular red light after stopping is allowed only if traveling on a one-way street and turning onto another one-way street.
As of 14 Sep 2026
Where are U-turns not allowed?
A no U-turn sign means a U-turn is prohibited. Swinging around across lanes where it is banned puts your car sideways in front of fast traffic.
No U-Turn – U-turn prohibited.
As of 14 Sep 2026
What is the speed limit on a residential street when no sign is posted?
Unless another limit is posted, the speed limit in a Nebraska residential district is 25 MPH. Children run out between parked cars on home streets, and at higher speed there is no time to stop.
25 MPH in residential districts.
As of 14 Sep 2026
What is the speed limit on a highway outside town when no sign is posted?
Unless another limit is posted, the speed limit on the state highway system, other than an expressway, super-two highway or freeway, is 65 MPH. State highways pass through towns and farm crossings, so a car at freeway speed meets turning traffic it cannot avoid.
65 MPH on the state highway system other than an expressway, super-two highway or freeway.
As of 14 Sep 2026
When may you pass another vehicle on the right?
(1) The driver of a vehicle may overtake and pass on the right of another vehicle only under the following conditions: (a) When the vehicle to be overtaken is making or about to make a left turn; (b) Upon a two-way street or highway with an unobstructed roadway, not occupied by parked vehicles, of sufficient width for two or more lanes of moving vehicles going in the same direction when the passing vehicle is traveling in one of such lanes; or (c) Upon a one-way street, or upon any roadway on which traffic is restricted to one direction of movement, when the roadway is free from obstructions and of sufficient width for two or more lanes of moving vehicles.
Nebraska law, Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-6,134(1)
As of 8 Oct 2026
May you have an open container of alcohol in the car?
In Nebraska it is unlawful to drink from or possess an open container of alcohol inside any vehicle on a public roadway or public parking area. A drink within reach in a moving car tempts the driver to sip, and even a little alcohol slows braking.
It is unlawful to consume or be in possession of an open container of an alcoholic beverage inside any vehicle on any public roadway or public parking area in Nebraska.
As of 14 Sep 2026
How old must you be to get a learner's permit?
The minimum age for a Learner's Permit (LPD) is 15. A permit given too young puts a child at the wheel before they can judge speed and distance.
Minimum Age: 15. May apply 60 days before 15th birthday, issuance must be on or after 15th birthday.
As of 14 Sep 2026
How long must you hold a learner's permit before a license?
Before applying for a POP, a person must have held an LPE, SCP or LPD for at least six months. Six months of supervised driving puts a teen through rain, dark and traffic before driving alone.
1) have held a School Learner’s Permit (LPE), School Permit (SCP) or Learner’s Permit (LPD) for at least six months and not accumulated three or more points on their driving record during the six month period immediately preceeding the POP application date; and
As of 14 Sep 2026
Who must ride with you when you drive on a learner's permit?
An LPD holder must be accompanied by a licensed driver at least 21 who sits in the seat beside the driver. A learner alone, or with a young friend, has no one able to grab the wheel or warn of a danger.
Permit holder must be accompanied by a licensed driver at least 21 occupying the seat beside the driver.
As of 14 Sep 2026
What hours may a provisional driver not drive?
A POP holder may not drive from midnight to 6 AM unless going to or from school activities or work. Late at night the roads hold more tired and drunk drivers, and a new driver sees the least in the dark.
Nighttime Driving – Holder of a POP shall not drive from midnight to 6 AM unless to or from school activities or work.
As of 14 Sep 2026
How many passengers may a new provisional driver carry?
For the first 6 months, a Provisional Operator's Permit (POP) holder may carry no more than 1 passenger younger than 19 who is not an immediate family member. Each teen friend in the car adds noise and dares, and a new driver's crash risk climbs with every one.
A holder of a Provisional Operator’s Permit (POP) is limited to one passenger younger than 19 who is not an immediate family member, for the first 6 months.
As of 14 Sep 2026
What is the penalty for littering from a vehicle?
(4) A person who commits the offense of littering shall be guilty of a Class III misdemeanor. A person convicted of the offense of littering for the second time shall be guilty of a Class II misdemeanor. A person convicted of the offense of littering for the third or a subsequent time shall be guilty of a Class I misdemeanor.
Nebraska law, Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-523(4)
As of 8 Oct 2026
When must you install an ignition interlock after a drunk-driving conviction?
(b) As an alternative to subdivision (1)(a) of this section, the court shall order the convicted person, in order to operate a motor vehicle, to obtain an ignition interlock permit and install an ignition interlock device on each motor vehicle owned or operated by the convicted person if he or she was sentenced to an operator's license revocation of at least one year. If the person's operator's license has been revoked for at least a one-year period, after a minimum of a forty-five-day no driving period, the person may operate a motor vehicle with an ignition interlock permit and an ignition interlock device pursuant to this subdivision and shall retain the ignition interlock permit and ignition interlock device for not less than a one-year period or the period of revocation ordered by the court, whichever is longer. No ignition interlock permit may be issued until sufficient evidence is presented to the department that an ignition interlock device is installed on each vehicle and that the applicant is eligible for use of an ignition interlock device. If the person has an ignition interlock device installed as required under this subdivision, the person shall not be eligible for reinstatement of his or her operator's license until he or she has had the ignition interlock device installed for the period ordered by the court.
Nebraska law, Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-6,197.01(1)(b)
As of 8 Oct 2026
At what blood alcohol level do drunk-driving penalties increase?
(2) If such person has not had a prior conviction and, as part of the current violation, had a concentration of fifteen-hundredths of one gram or more by weight of alcohol per one hundred milliliters of his or her blood or fifteen-hundredths of one gram or more by weight of alcohol per two hundred ten liters of his or her breath, such person shall be guilty of a Class W misdemeanor, and the court shall, as part of the judgment of conviction, revoke the operator's license of such person for a period of one year from the date ordered by the court. The revocation order shall require that the person apply for an ignition interlock permit pursuant to subdivision (1)(b) of section 60-6,197.01 for the revocation period and have an ignition interlock device installed on any motor vehicle he or she operates during the revocation period. Such revocation shall be administered upon sentencing, upon final judgment of any appeal or review, or upon the date that any probation is revoked.
Nebraska law, Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-6,197.03(2)
As of 8 Oct 2026
For how many years does a prior drunk-driving conviction count against you?
(a) Prior conviction means a conviction for a violation committed within the fifteen-year period prior to the offense for which the sentence is being imposed as follows:
Nebraska law, Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-6,197.02(1)(a)
As of 8 Oct 2026
How many points on your license lead to a suspension?
Getting 12 points in a 2-year period causes automatic revocation of the operator's license for 6 months. A driver racking up ticket after ticket is likely to hurt someone soon unless they are taken off the road.
Accumulating 12 points in a two-year period causes automatic revocation of the operator's license for six months.
As of 14 Sep 2026
What is the fine for texting while driving?
The fine for texting and driving in Nebraska is $200 to $500. A driver who texts risks a fine on top of the crash that a few seconds of looking down can cause.
The fine for texting and driving is $200 to $500.
As of 14 Sep 2026
Who must wear a protective helmet while operating or riding a motorcycle?
(2) A person shall not be a passenger on a motorcycle or moped on any highway in this state unless: (a) Such person is wearing a protective helmet described in subdivision (1)(a) of this section; or (b)(i) Such person is at least twenty-one years of age; and (ii) The person operating the motorcycle or moped is a person described in subdivision (1)(b) of this section.
Nebraska law, Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-6,279(2)
As of 8 Oct 2026
How much light must a tinted side or rear window let through?
Tint on rear or back windows may not have luminous reflectance of more than 35% or light transmission of less than 20%. Glass that is too dark in back hides cars and people behind you when you back up or change lanes.
Nebraska Law provides restrictions for sunscreening or tinting that limits:
As of 14 Sep 2026
How much distance must you leave when passing a bicycle?
When passing a bicycle going the same direction, a motorist must leave no less than 3 feet of clearance. A gust of wind or a pothole can push a rider sideways, and a car passing close hits him.
The law requires that motorists overtaking a bicycle proceeding in the same direction must leave a safe distance of no less than three feet clearance, when applicable, when passing a bicycle and shall maintain such clearance until safely past the overtaken bicycle.
As of 14 Sep 2026
Must a vehicle driving slower than other traffic keep to the right lane?
A vehicle going slower than the normal speed of traffic must be driven in the right lane, or as close as practicable to the right curb or edge. A slow car in the left lane makes faster drivers weave around it on both sides.
Any vehicle proceeding at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions existing must be driven in the right lane when available for traffic, or as close as practicable to the right curb or edge of the roadway, except when overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction or when preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.
As of 14 Sep 2026
What is the minimum liability insurance coverage for bodily injury or death of one person and property damage?
Nebraska's minimum coverage is $25,000 for bodily injury to or death of one person in any one crash. Even a short hospital stay after a crash can cost a fortune, and too little coverage leaves the victim unpaid.
All motor vehicles operated on public roadways must have financial responsibility (insurance) in the following amounts:
As of 14 Sep 2026
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