The usual duplicate receipt of the receiver of any land office, or, if that be lost or destroyed, or beyond the reach of the party, the certificate of such receiver that the books of his office show the sale of a tract of land to a certain individual is proof of title equivalent to a patent against all but the holder of an actual patent.
§ 25-1283.Land office receipts; effect as evidence.
Article 12: Evidence and Witnesses · Not amended since original codification · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceThis section makes the duplicate receipt from a federal land office, or, if that receipt is lost or unavailable, the receiver’s certificate that the office’s books show the land sale, proof of title equal to an actual patent against everyone except the person who holds the patent itself.
Full Text of § 25-1283
Source
R.S.1867, Code § 411, p. 462; R.S.1913, § 7976; C.S.1922, § 8917; C.S.1929, § 20-1283; R.S.1943, § 25-1283.
Plain-English Summary
Before a settler received a formal government patent to land, that settler typically held a receipt from the local land office receiver acknowledging the purchase. Section 25-1283 tells Nebraska courts how much weight to give that receipt. The usual duplicate receipt is proof of title equivalent to a patent, good against every claimant except someone who holds the patent.
The section also covers the situation where the receipt itself is gone. If the duplicate receipt is lost, destroyed, or beyond the party’s reach, the receiver’s certificate, stating that the land office’s books show the sale of the tract to a particular individual, steps in and carries the same evidentiary weight. Either way, an actual government patent, where one exists and can be produced, still outranks the receipt or certificate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a land office receipt prove under this section?
Proof of title equivalent to a patent.
Does the receipt outrank an actual patent?
No. It is equivalent evidence of title against all but the holder of an actual patent.
What if the original receipt cannot be found?
The receiver’s certificate that the books of the office show the sale of the tract to a certain individual serves in its place.
What must the receiver’s certificate state?
That the books of the land office show the sale of the tract of land to a certain individual.
Is this section still relevant today?
It mainly comes up when tracing older land titles that originated from federal land office sales.
Source & verification. Section text and the amendment-history citation are
reproduced verbatim from the Nebraska Legislature, Revisor of Statutes, enacted by the
Nebraska Legislature. Last verified July 22, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: land office receipt evidence nebraskaproof of title equivalent to patentfederal land patent receipt evidencenebraska real estate title proofreceiver certificate land office