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§ 25-2703.Cities and villages; prosecution of complaints; ordinances; file with court.

Article 27: County Court Rules of Procedure and Probate Practice · Last amended 1984 · Last verified July 22, 2026

In one sentenceThis section lets a city or village attorney sign and prosecute complaints in county court for ordinance violations within that municipality, but bars such prosecutions after January 1, 1974 unless the city or village has filed a current copy of its ordinances with the court in the form the court prescribes.

Full Text of § 25-2703

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Any city or village attorney may sign and prosecute complaints in the county court for any violation of any ordinance of the city or village for which he or she is attorney.
After January 1, 1974, no city or village may prosecute complaints for violations of ordinances unless such city or village has on file with the court a current copy of the ordinances of such city or village. Subject to guidelines provided by the State Court Administrator, the court shall prescribe the form in which such ordinances shall be filed.

Source

Laws 1972, LB 1032, § 33; Laws 1973, LB 226, § 8; Laws 1984, LB 13, § 17; R.S.1943, (1985), § 24-533.

Plain-English Summary

Section 25-2703 lets a city or village attorney sign and prosecute county court complaints for violations of that municipality’s own ordinances. The attorney’s authority runs only to ordinances of the city or village he or she represents.

Since January 1, 1974, that authority comes with a condition: the city or village may not prosecute ordinance violations unless it has filed a current copy of its ordinances with the court. The court, guided by the State Court Administrator, prescribes the form in which those ordinances must be filed, giving courts a consistent way to keep municipal ordinances on record and giving prosecutions a documented basis to rest on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can prosecute a city or village ordinance violation in county court?

The city or village attorney for that municipality may sign and prosecute the complaint.

Can a city prosecute ordinance violations without filing its ordinances with the court?

No, not since January 1, 1974. A city or village must have a current copy of its ordinances on file with the court before it may prosecute.

Who decides the form in which a municipality must file its ordinances?

The court prescribes the form, subject to guidelines the State Court Administrator provides.

Does this requirement apply to villages as well as cities?

Yes. The section covers both cities and villages equally.

What happens if a municipality’s filed ordinances become outdated?

The section requires a current copy on file, so a municipality needs to keep its filed ordinances up to date to continue prosecuting violations.

Does this section limit prosecutions to ordinance violations only, or does it cover other complaints too?

It addresses complaints for violations of a city’s or village’s own ordinances specifically.

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: prosecuting city ordinance violations nebraskavillage attorney county court complaintfiling municipal ordinances with the courtmunicipal ordinance prosecution requirementscity attorney complaint county court