Article 13: Judgments · Last amended 2021 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceThis section lists bases for personal jurisdiction — personal service abroad, voluntary appearance, a prior jurisdiction agreement, domicile, a local business office tied to the claim, or operating a vehicle or airplane there — that block a Nebraska court from refusing recognition for lack of personal jurisdiction, while leaving room for other adequate bases.
Full Text of § 25-1341
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(a) A foreign-country judgment may not be refused recognition for lack of personal jurisdiction if:
(1) the defendant was served with process personally in the foreign country;
(2) the defendant voluntarily appeared in the proceeding, other than for the purpose of protecting property seized or threatened with seizure in the proceeding or of contesting the jurisdiction of the court over the defendant;
(3) the defendant, before the commencement of the proceeding, had agreed to submit to the jurisdiction of the foreign court with respect to the subject matter involved;
(4) the defendant was domiciled in the foreign country when the proceeding was instituted or was a corporation or other form of business organization that had its principal place of business in, or was organized under the laws of, the foreign country;
(5) the defendant had a business office in the foreign country and the proceeding in the foreign court involved a cause of action or claim for relief arising out of business done by the defendant through that office in the foreign country; or
(6) the defendant operated a motor vehicle or airplane in the foreign country and the proceeding involved a cause of action or claim for relief arising out of that operation.
(b) The list of bases for personal jurisdiction in subsection (a) of this section is not exclusive. The courts of this state may recognize bases of personal jurisdiction other than those listed in subsection (a) of this section as sufficient to support a foreign-country judgment.
Source
Laws 2021, LB501, § 5.
Plain-English Summary
Section 25-1341 fills in what counts as adequate personal jurisdiction for purposes of recognizing a foreign-country judgment. It lists six specific bases; if any one of them existed in the foreign proceeding, a Nebraska court may not refuse recognition of the judgment for lack of personal jurisdiction over the defendant. The defendant was served with process personally in the foreign country. The defendant voluntarily appeared, other than to protect seized or threatened property or to contest jurisdiction. The defendant had agreed, before the proceeding began, to submit to the foreign court’s jurisdiction over the subject matter involved. The defendant was domiciled in the foreign country when the proceeding started, or was a business organized under that country’s laws or with its principal place of business there. The defendant had a business office in the foreign country and the claim arose from business done through that office. Or the defendant operated a motor vehicle or airplane in the foreign country and the claim arose from that operation.
None of these bases operates as a ceiling. The list in subsection (a) is not exclusive, and a Nebraska court may recognize other bases of personal jurisdiction — beyond the six listed — as sufficient to support a foreign-country judgment. The section guarantees a floor of acceptable jurisdictional bases without shutting the door on others a court finds adequate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What bases for personal jurisdiction guarantee a foreign judgment will not be refused recognition on that ground?
Personal service in the foreign country, voluntary appearance (other than to protect seized property or contest jurisdiction), a prior agreement to submit to jurisdiction, domicile or principal place of business or organization there, a local business office tied to the claim, or operating a vehicle or airplane there tied to the claim.
Does contesting jurisdiction in the foreign proceeding count as a voluntary appearance?
No. Appearing solely to contest jurisdiction, or to protect seized or threatened property, does not count as the kind of voluntary appearance this section treats as adequate.
Is the list of jurisdictional bases in this section exhaustive?
No. It is expressly not exclusive; a Nebraska court may recognize other adequate bases as well.
Does a business office in the foreign country always establish personal jurisdiction under this section?
Only if the proceeding involved a claim arising out of business done through that office in the foreign country.
What if the defendant operated a vehicle in the foreign country but the lawsuit had nothing to do with that operation?
That specific basis applies only when the claim arises out of the vehicle or airplane operation, so an unrelated claim would not qualify under this ground.
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:personal jurisdiction foreign judgment nebraskabases for jurisdiction foreign country judgmentvoluntary appearance foreign judgment nebraskanonexclusive personal jurisdiction bases nebraska