In any civil or criminal case in which a party is permitted to proceed in forma pauperis, the court shall direct the responsible officer of the court to issue and serve all the necessary writs, process, and proceedings and perform all such duties without charge.
§ 25-2302.Costs of action.
Article 23: Costs in In Forma Pauperis Proceedings · Last amended 1999 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceDirects the responsible court officer to issue, serve, and complete all necessary process and duties free of charge whenever a party has been permitted to proceed in a Nebraska case in forma pauperis.
Full Text of § 25-2302
Source
Laws 1972, LB 1120, § 2; Laws 1999, LB 689, § 5.
Plain-English Summary
In forma pauperis status would mean little if court officers still charged for their services. Section 25-2302 closes that gap: once a party is permitted to proceed in forma pauperis, the court directs the responsible court officer to issue and serve all necessary writs, process, and proceedings, and perform every related duty, without charge.
The sections that follow build on this baseline, addressing specific costs — publication expense, printed appellate records, and appellate briefs — that this general no-charge rule alone might leave in doubt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Once I have in forma pauperis status, do court officers still charge fees for serving my papers?
No. The officer performs the required duties without charge once the status is granted.
What is covered by this section’s “without charge” requirement?
Issuing and serving necessary writs, process, and proceedings, and performing related duties.
Who directs the officer to waive charges?
The court.
Does this section itself grant in forma pauperis status?
No. It addresses the consequence once status has already been granted under Sections 25-2301.01 and 25-2301.02.
Does this cover criminal as well as civil cases?
Yes, it applies in any civil or criminal case where in forma pauperis status is granted.
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: ifp free process service nebraskacourt officer no charge ifpwaived service fees nebraskafree process in forma pauperis