Debt collector laws in Nebraska

What Nebraska law says about collectors

State law

Nebraska Collection Agency Act (a licensing law; Nebraska has no separate state fair debt collection practices act)

Law

Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 45-601 to 45-622

Covers original creditors

No

Official text

Read the law

Protections Nebraska adds to federal law

• Collection agencies must be licensed by the Collection Agency Licensing Board; operating without a license is a crime (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 45-601).
• A creditor collecting its own accounts under a different name that suggests a third party counts as a collection agency and needs a license (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 45-602(2)(b)).

Suing a collector in Nebraska

The Collection Agency Act does not give consumers a damages claim in the sections reviewed. You can sue a debt collector under the federal FDCPA for actual damages, up to $1,000 extra, and attorney's fees (15 U.S.C. § 1692k).

The federal FDCPA adds a claim of its own: actual damages, up to $1,000 more and attorney's fees, if you sue within 1 year (15 U.S.C. 1692k).

Good to know in Nebraska

• Companies that buy debts and collect in their own name are excluded from the state's collection agency definition (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 45-602(3)(k)); they are still covered by the federal FDCPA if they meet its definition.

Medical bills and collectors in Nebraska

No law found. LB779 (2026), which would have capped medical-debt interest at 3% and barred liens or foreclosure on a primary residence for medical debt, was indefinitely postponed on April 17, 2026.

Licenses for collection agencies in Nebraska

License required

Yes

Who licenses

Nebraska Collection Agency Licensing Board (Nebraska Secretary of State); licensing through NMLS

Check a license

Official license lookup

Nebraska is one of 28 states in our 48 state guides that require a license.

In nearby states

• Iowa: No statewide license
• Missouri: No statewide license
• Colorado: Yes
• Wyoming: Yes

Reporting a collector in Nebraska

• Nebraska: Nebraska Attorney General – Consumer Protection Division · 402-471-2785
• Federal: the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau takes complaints about debt collectors at consumerfinance.gov/complaint · (855) 411-2372.
• You can also report a collector to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

When a collector crosses the line in Nebraska

1. Keep a record

   Log each call (date, time, who) and keep every letter, voicemail and text.

2. Identify the collector

   Nebraska requires a license, so check the collector's: Official license lookup.

3. Write to the collector

   Send a letter to dispute a debt or to stop collector calls. Keep a copy and proof of mailing.

4. Complain

   Complain to Nebraska Attorney General – Consumer Protection Division. You can also complain to the CFPB at consumerfinance.gov/complaint.

5. Know your right to sue in Nebraska

   Under Nebraska law: The Collection Agency Act does not give consumers a damages claim in the sections reviewed.

Questions about collector laws in Nebraska

More for Nebraska

• Nebraska: every collection right on one page
• Statute of limitations in Nebraska: 5 years
• Wage garnishment in Nebraska: 25% (federal limit); 15% for head of family
• Sued by a debt collector in Nebraska: 30 days
• “Is my debt too old?” checker for Nebraska
• Dispute a debt and ask for proof (validation letter)
• Tell a collector to stop or limit contact
• Debt collector licensing by state
• Guide: how to dispute a debt
• Guide: how to stop collector calls

Debt collector laws in nearby states