Article 15: Uniform District Court Rules of Practice and Procedure · Last amended January 1, 2022 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceSection 6-1503 sets the formatting, filing, identification, and copy requirements for pleadings filed in district court, requires attorney contact information on every pleading, and lets the court strike anything that doesn’t comply.
(1)All pleadings filed electronically with the district court shall comply with Neb. Ct. R. App. P. § 2-103, (General formatting and service rules), as to page size, text, fonts, margins, and hyperlinking and bookmarks.
(2)Paper pleadings may only be filed when the self-represented party is not a registered user of the court- authorized service provider. All pleadings filed in paper format shall be on white 8½ x 11-inch paper; printed on only one side of each sheet, and shall be bound by a paper clip and not stapled. Paper pleadings shall comply with all formatting requirements of § 2-103(A), and pages shall be sequentially numbered with placement of the page number at the bottom center of the page. Exhibits attached to pleadings shall be similarly prepared in permanent form, shall be readable, and shall not be subject to unusual fading or deterioration.
(B)Identification of Pleadings: All complaints and petitions offered for filing shall plainly show the caption of the case, a description or designation of the contents, and on whose behalf they are filed. All further pleadings shall show the number of the case.
(C)Orders: All proposed orders shall be by separate document and not a part of any other pleadings.
(1)For electronically filed cases in a civil action, the clerk shall provide copies of the initial pleading, together with all exhibits, or shall return the summons to the filing party electronically for attachment of copies for service.
(2)For cases not filed electronically, upon the initial filing of a civil action, there shall be presented to the clerk clear and legible duplicate copies of each pleading, together with all exhibits, in sufficient number to provide one copy for each adverse party.
(3)After the filing of the initial pleading, all other pleadings shall be served upon all opposing parties or their counsel pursuant to Neb. Ct. R. of Pldg. § 6-1105. Proof of service shall be as provided in § 6-1105(d).
(E)Identification of Attorney: The name, address, Nebraska attorney identification number, email address, and the telephone number of the attorney handling the matter shall be stated on each pleading. Signatures shall be as provided in Neb. Ct. R. App. P. § 2-201(M).
(F)Criminal Case Informations: Informations in criminal cases shall cite the statute under which each count of the information is brought and shall cite the class of offense and statute prescribing the penalty. A proposed amended pleading that is filed prior to obtaining leave of the court shall have no operative effect until the court grants leave to amend.
(G)Improperly Filed Pleadings: Any pleading which does not conform to these rules will be subject to a motion to strike from the file or such other action as the court deems proper.
(H)Attorneys: Active status verification. The court’s automated case management system may notify a court clerk that a filing has been received from an attorney who does not have an active license to practice law in Nebraska. Upon receipt of this notice, the clerk shall attempt to verify the attorney’s status as active. If the clerk cannot do so, the clerk shall notify the judge assigned to the case. If no judge has been assigned to the case, the clerk shall notify the presiding judge. See Neb. Rev. Stat. § 7-101.
Amendment History
§ 6-1503(H) amended May 8, 2013; § 6-1503(E) amended September 24, 2014, effective January 1, 2015; § 6- 1503 amended June 9, 2021, effective January 1, 2022; § 6-1503 amended November 17, 2021, effective January 1, 2022.
Plain-English Summary
Section 6-1503 covers the mechanics of getting a pleading properly before the court. Electronically filed pleadings have to comply with the formatting rules in Neb. Ct. R. App. P. § 2-103 for page size, fonts, margins, and hyperlinking. Paper filing is the exception, not the default — it’s reserved for self-represented parties who aren’t registered users of the court-authorized e-filing service, and even then the paper has to meet size, formatting, and page-numbering requirements, with exhibits prepared so they won’t fade or fall apart.
Beyond formatting, the section tells you what a pleading has to identify. Complaints and petitions need the case caption, a description of the contents, and whose behalf they’re filed on; later pleadings just need the case number. Proposed orders can’t be tucked inside another pleading — they have to stand alone as a separate document. Copy requirements differ depending on how the case was filed: in e-filed civil actions, the clerk supplies copies of the initial pleading and exhibits (or returns the summons electronically for the filer to attach copies), while in non-electronic filings the filer has to bring enough legible duplicate copies for every adverse party. After that first pleading, service on all other parties follows Neb. Ct. R. of Pldg. § 6-1105.
Every pleading has to identify the attorney handling it — name, address, Nebraska attorney identification number, email, and phone number — with signatures following Neb. Ct. R. App. P. § 2-201(M). Criminal informations carry their own citation requirements, and an amended pleading filed before the court grants leave to amend has no operative effect until that leave is granted. A pleading that doesn’t conform to these rules can be struck from the file or otherwise dealt with as the court sees fit. The section also builds in a safeguard for active-license verification: if the case management system flags a filing from an attorney without an active Nebraska license, the clerk tries to confirm the attorney’s status and, failing that, notifies the assigned judge or, if none is assigned, the presiding judge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I file a paper pleading if I have a lawyer representing me?
Generally no. Paper filing under this section is reserved for self-represented parties who aren’t registered users of the court-authorized e-filing service; represented parties file electronically under the formatting rules in Neb. Ct. R. App. P. § 2-103.
What has to appear on the first pleading in a case?
The case caption, a description or designation of the contents, and whose behalf the pleading is filed on. Every pleading after that needs the case number.
Can I include a proposed order as part of my motion?
No. Section 6-1503(C) requires proposed orders to be filed as a separate document, not as part of any other pleading.
What happens if my pleading doesn’t meet the formatting requirements?
It’s subject to a motion to strike from the file, or whatever other action the court finds appropriate under subsection (G).
What contact information does an attorney have to put on a pleading?
Name, address, Nebraska attorney identification number, email address, and telephone number for the attorney handling the matter, with a signature that complies with Neb. Ct. R. App. P. § 2-201(M).
Does an amended pleading take effect as soon as it’s filed?
Not if it’s filed before the court grants leave to amend. A proposed amended pleading filed ahead of that leave has no operative effect until the court grants leave.
How does the court find out if an attorney’s license isn’t active?
The automated case management system can flag a filing from an attorney lacking an active Nebraska license. The clerk then tries to verify status, and if unable to, notifies the assigned judge, or the presiding judge if no judge has been assigned.
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Nebraska Judicial Branch, adopted by the
Supreme Court of Nebraska. Last verified July 22, 2026. ·
Official source
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