§ 25-505.01.Service of summons; methods; State Court Administrator; maintain list.
Article 5: Commencement of Actions and Service of Process · Last amended 2011 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceThis section lists the four methods a plaintiff may choose for serving a summons — personal, residence, certified mail, or designated delivery service — and says a mistaken method choice does not itself invalidate otherwise valid service.
Full Text of § 25-505.01
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(1) Unless otherwise limited by statute or by the court, a plaintiff may elect to have service made by any of the following methods:
(a) Personal service which shall be made by leaving the summons with the individual to be served;
(b) Residence service which shall be made by leaving the summons at the usual place of residence of the individual to be served, with some person of suitable age and discretion residing therein;
(c) Certified mail service which shall be made by (i) within ten days of issuance, sending the summons to the defendant by certified mail with a return receipt requested showing to whom and where delivered and the date of delivery, and (ii) filing with the court proof of service with the signed receipt attached; or
(d) Designated delivery service which shall be made by (i) within ten days of issuance, sending the summons by a designated delivery service to the defendant, (ii) obtaining a signed delivery receipt showing to whom and where delivered and the date of delivery, and (iii) filing with the court proof of service with a copy of the signed delivery receipt attached. As used in this subdivision, a designated delivery service means a delivery service designated as such pursuant to 26 U.S.C. 7502(f) and a signed delivery receipt includes an electronic or facsimile receipt with an image of the recipient's signature.
(2) Failure to make service by the method elected by the plaintiff does not affect the validity of the service.
(3) The State Court Administrator shall maintain on the website of the Supreme Court a list of designated delivery services.
Workers' compensation cases, manner and time of service, see sections 48-174, 48-175, 48-175.01, and 48-190.
Plain-English Summary
Nebraska gives plaintiffs a menu of service methods rather than one rigid procedure. Section 25-505.01 lays out four choices. Personal service means leaving the summons directly with the individual being served. Residence service means leaving it at the person’s usual residence with someone of suitable age and discretion who lives there. Certified mail service means sending the summons by certified mail with a return receipt within ten days of issuance and then filing proof of service with the signed receipt attached. Designated delivery service works the same way through a delivery service designated under federal tax law, with a signed delivery receipt (which can be electronic or a facsimile image of the signature) filed as proof.
The plaintiff picks the method, subject to any limits set by statute or by the court for a particular situation. And the section adds a forgiving rule: if service ends up not matching the method the plaintiff originally elected, that mismatch alone does not undo otherwise valid service. What matters is whether the summons reached the right person the right way, not whether the paperwork correctly predicted which method would be used.
The State Court Administrator maintains a list of designated delivery services on the Supreme Court’s website, which is where to check whether a particular courier or shipping company qualifies for that method.
Frequently Asked Questions
What methods can a Nebraska plaintiff use to serve a summons?
Personal service, residence service, certified mail service, or designated delivery service, chosen by the plaintiff unless a statute or the court limits the choice.
What counts as residence service?
Leaving the summons at the individual’s usual place of residence with a person of suitable age and discretion who lives there.
How does certified mail service work?
The summons is sent by certified mail with a return receipt requested within ten days of issuance, and proof of service with the signed receipt attached is filed with the court.
What is a designated delivery service?
A delivery service designated under 26 U.S.C. 7502(f). A signed delivery receipt showing who received it, where, and when is obtained and filed as proof, and that receipt can be electronic or a facsimile image of the signature.
Does it matter if service does not match the method I originally chose?
No. Failure to make service by the elected method does not affect the validity of service that was otherwise properly made.
Where can I find out which companies qualify as designated delivery services?
The State Court Administrator maintains a list on the Nebraska Supreme Court’s website.
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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