The judgment for unpaid court costs in any court of this state shall cease to be a lien on real estate unless action has been brought thereon within (1) five years after the latest partial payment has been made thereon, or (2) five years after such case becomes inactive or is closed by final judgment. The lien of any unpaid costs as of February 20, 1974, which would otherwise be terminated by this section shall continue for one year from such date at which time it shall terminate unless an action has been brought thereon within such year.
§ 25-1716.Unpaid costs; lien; terminates.
Article 17: Costs · Last amended 1974 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceThis section lets a judgment lien for unpaid court costs attach to real estate only if an action to enforce it begins within five years of the last partial payment, or within five years after the case becomes inactive or closes by final judgment, whichever governs.
Full Text of § 25-1716
Source
Laws 1974, LB 666, § 1.
Plain-English Summary
An unpaid court costs judgment does not create a permanent claim on real estate. Section 25-1716 puts a five-year clock on it: the lien ceases to exist unless an action to enforce it has been brought within five years after the latest partial payment made on it, or within five years after the case becomes inactive or closes by final judgment.
The statute also preserved older liens for a limited window. Any lien for unpaid costs that existed as of February 20, 1974, and would otherwise have terminated under this rule, continued for one more year from that date — after which it, too, terminated unless an action to enforce it had been brought within that year.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a lien for unpaid court costs last on real estate in Nebraska?
Until five years after the last partial payment, or five years after the case becomes inactive or closes by final judgment, unless an enforcement action is brought sooner.
What starts the five-year clock?
Either the date of the latest partial payment on the costs, or the date the case becomes inactive or closes by final judgment.
What if partial payments keep being made on the costs?
Each partial payment restarts the five-year period running from that payment.
What happened to liens that already existed before 1974?
Those liens continued for one additional year from February 20, 1974, and then terminated unless an enforcement action had been brought within that year.
Can an expired lien be revived later?
No. The statute terminates the lien once the applicable period runs without an enforcement action.
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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