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Nebraska · checked October 24, 2026

Payday loans in Nebraska: the rules and your way out

Typical payday loans not allowed

Nebraska still licenses delayed deposit (payday) businesses, but since Initiative 428 (approved by voters in November 2020) they may not charge more than 36% APR, and any loan over that is void.

Law: Delayed Deposit Services Licensing Act, Neb. Rev. Stat. 45-901 to 45-931 (esp. 45-917, 45-918, 45-918.01 to 45-918.04, 45-919, 45-919.01). Nebraska Revised Statutes as published by the Nebraska Legislature (latest amendments shown: Laws 2020, LB909; Initiative Law 2020, No. 428), read 2026-10-24

Nebraska's rules, line by line

Largest loan
A licensee may not hold checks from one maker with an aggregate face amount over $500 (Neb. Rev. Stat. 45-919(1)(b)); required disclosure says the transaction may not exceed $500 in total, including fees, from one lender (45-917(1)(b)).
Longest term
34 days; a licensee may not hold or agree to hold a check for more than 34 days (45-919(1)(c)).
Fee or rate cap
"A licensee shall not impose an annual percentage rate greater than thirty-six percent in connection with a delayed deposit transaction. Any delayed deposit transaction made in violation of this section is void, and the licensee ... has no right to collect, receive, or retain any principal, interest, fees, or any other charges" (45-918(1), Initiative Law 2020, No. 428). APR includes all fees, interest and charges (45-902(1)).
Renewals and rollovers
Prohibited. A licensee may not renew, roll over, defer or extend a transaction by letting the maker pay less than the full amount, except through the extended payment plan; it may agree, at the maker's request and with no added fee, to hold a check longer up to the 34-day limit (45-919(1)(e)-(f)).
Waiting period between loans
No new transaction with the same maker on the same business day a prior one is completed unless both verify completion on a department form (45-919(1)(g)). No longer waiting period in the statute.
Loans at once
No more than two checks from any one maker at one time, and no more than $500 aggregate face amount, per licensee (45-919(1)(a)-(b)).
Payment plan if you cannot pay
Yes, required by law at no additional cost. A maker who cannot repay may elect it once in any 12-month period; must request it before the due date and sign an amendment to the agreement. At least four equal payments that coincide with the maker's pay dates; no interest or additional fees; may prepay without penalty; on a missed installment the licensee may accelerate (45-919.01).
State loan database
No statewide real-time loan database found in the Delayed Deposit Services Licensing Act (45-901 to 45-931).
Limits on collection
One returned-check charge of no more than $15 per transaction, plus court costs and reasonable attorney's fees awarded by a court (not to exceed the amount of the check); no other default fees (45-918.01). No deposit or presentment after two consecutive failed collection attempts without a new written authorization (45-919(1)(l)). No ancillary-product charges (45-919(1)(h), (2)). Military: fees may not exceed what 10 U.S.C. 987 allows (45-918(2)).
Other rights
Right to rescind before 5 p.m. the next business day (45-918.03(1)); right to redeem the check by paying in full before it is presented (45-918.03(2)); prepayment without penalty (45-918.02); right to rescind authorization for electronic payment (45-917(1)(b)); electronic payment only with written authorization (45-918.04(2)). A loan above 36% APR is void, with no right to collect principal or charges (45-918(1)).

If you are behind on a payday loan in Nebraska

  1. Ask for the payment plan before the due date. Nebraska law gives borrowers a way to repay in installments. The details are in the table above. Ask in writing and keep a copy.
  2. Check whether the loan was legal to make. Nebraska does not allow payday loans at typical payday prices. If a lender charged more than the state's limit, report it to the Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance through its complaint page.
  3. Stop the automatic withdrawals if they are emptying your account. You can revoke the lender's permission to debit your account and tell your bank. How to do it.
  4. Look at a credit union payday alternative loan. Federal credit unions can lend $200 to $2,000 at much lower cost. How they work.
  5. Talk to a nonprofit credit counselor. A counselor can look at all your bills, not just this one. How to find a real one.

Check a lender, or report one

Sources

This page summarizes the law; it is not legal advice. Laws change, and the statute and regulator control. If something here is out of date, write to hello@paydayloan.help.

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