An action to recognize a foreign-country judgment must be commenced within the earlier of the time during which the foreign-country judgment is effective in the foreign country or fifteen years from the date that the foreign-country judgment became effective in the foreign country.
§ 25-1345.Statute of limitations.
Article 13: Judgments · Last amended 2021 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceThis section requires an action to recognize a foreign-country judgment to be filed within whichever comes first: the period the judgment remains effective in the country that issued it, or fifteen years from the date it became effective there.
Full Text of § 25-1345
Source
Laws 2021, LB501, § 9.
Plain-English Summary
Recognition actions don’t stay open forever. Section 25-1345 sets an outer deadline measured two ways at once, and whichever period runs out first controls. The first measuring stick is the judgment’s own effective life in the foreign country — if that country’s law treats the judgment as no longer effective after a certain point, the Nebraska recognition window closes with it. The second measuring stick is a flat fifteen years from the date the judgment became effective abroad, regardless of how long the foreign country itself would let it run.
Because the rule picks the earlier of the two, a judgment that stays effective abroad for decades still can’t be brought to Nebraska for recognition after fifteen years have passed. A judgment whose effective period abroad expires quickly loses its Nebraska recognition window on that faster schedule instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to bring an action to recognize a foreign-country judgment in Nebraska?
Within the earlier of two dates: when the judgment stops being effective in the foreign country, or fifteen years after it became effective there.
Does the fifteen-year period always apply?
Only if it’s the shorter of the two measures. If the foreign country’s own law cuts off the judgment’s effectiveness sooner, that shorter period controls instead.
What if the foreign country lets the judgment remain effective for twenty years?
Nebraska recognition is still limited to fifteen years from the date the judgment became effective, since the statute uses whichever period is earlier.
When does the clock start running?
From the date the foreign-country judgment became effective in the country where it was entered.
Does this deadline apply to registering a Canadian judgment under the companion Act?
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
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