(A) Unless nondisclosure or confidentiality is required by law or court rule, the following exhibits are presumed to be public records: (1) exhibits submitted in support of or in opposition to a motion; or (2) exhibits offered into evidence, whether or not admitted, in a court proceeding open to the public.
§ 6-507.Public review of exhibits.
Article 5: Exhibit Disposition and Review · Last amended November 25, 2020 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceThis section presumes that exhibits filed in support of or opposition to a motion, or offered into evidence in an open court proceeding, are public records, and sets out how a member of the public requests inspection or copies, how objections and hearings work, and what can overcome the presumption of public access.
Full Text of § 6-507
(B) Procedure. A member of the public may submit to the clerk of the court a written request to inspect an exhibit or request a copy of an exhibit that is presumed to be public under § 6-507(A), even if the exhibit has previously been sealed by the court.
(1) The clerk shall forward a copy of the request to the court; to the court reporting personnel, if custodian of the exhibit; to the parties in the case; and if applicable, to any interested person as described in § 6-506. The court may order that notice be given to any other person(s) who may be affected by the release of the exhibit. Unless the court, a party, an interested person as described in § 6-506, or other person as determined by the court objects to the release or unsealing of the exhibit within 3 business days, the custodian of such exhibit shall permit inspection or provide a copy as soon as practicable, but no more than 4 business days unless the request cannot with reasonable good faith efforts be fulfilled within 4 business days after actual receipt of the request. The requestor shall pay all reasonable costs for copies of such exhibit(s) pursuant to Neb. Rev. Stat. § 84-712.
(2) If the court, a party, an interested person as described in § 6-506, or other person as determined by the court objects to the release or unsealing of the exhibit, the court shall hold a hearing as soon as practicable. The presumption of public status of an exhibit may be overcome if the court finds that there exists a countervailing interest in limiting public access. A countervailing interest may include, but is not limited to the following: (a) fair and orderly administration of justice; (b) protection of public safety; (c) use of exhibit for improper purposes; and/or (d) confidentiality.
(3) The court shall first consider reasonable alternatives to sealing or restricting access to an exhibit, including delay in release of the exhibit or ordering the parties to provide a redacted version of the exhibit for public review. An agreement of the parties to seal or restrict exhibits shall not alone constitute a countervailing interest in limiting public access.
(4) A written order restricting such public access to an exhibit shall be entered in the case and shall state with specificity the countervailing interest. If the court finds no countervailing interest exists in restricting access, then the court shall direct the release of the exhibit by the custodian for inspection or copying. (Appendix 2).
(C) If the exhibit is nondocumentary in nature, the court, in its discretion, may place limits on access to the viewing, handling, photographing, or copying of such nondocumentary exhibits.
(D) Unless nondisclosure or confidentiality is required by law or court rule, this rule does not prohibit a court in its discretion, with agreement from the parties and interested persons, if any, from making unsealed exhibits available to the public upon request during the course of a trial or other public proceeding.
Amendment History
§ 6-507 adopted November 25, 2020.
Plain-English Summary
Section 6-507 is the framework that governs public access to exhibits, and it starts from a strong default: unless nondisclosure or confidentiality is required by law or court rule, exhibits submitted in support of or opposition to a motion, and exhibits offered into evidence in a proceeding open to the public — whether or not admitted — are presumed to be public records, even if the exhibit was previously sealed.
A member of the public who wants to inspect or copy such an exhibit submits a written request to the clerk, who forwards it to the court, to any court reporting personnel holding the exhibit, to the parties, and to any interested person under § 6-506. If no one objects within 3 business days, the custodian permits inspection or provides a copy within 4 business days, generally, and the requester pays the reasonable copying costs under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 84-712. If someone does object, the court holds a hearing and can overcome the presumption of public access only by finding a countervailing interest — the fair and orderly administration of justice, protection of public safety, use of the exhibit for an improper purpose, or confidentiality, among others. A bare agreement among the parties to seal an exhibit is not, by itself, enough to establish that interest.
The court is also required to consider reasonable alternatives before sealing or restricting access outright, such as delaying release or ordering a redacted version for public review. Any order restricting access must be written and specify the countervailing interest found. The section adds separate provisions for nondocumentary exhibits, which a court can limit in how they are viewed, handled, photographed, or copied, and confirms that a court may, with the parties’ and any interested persons’ agreement, make even unsealed exhibits available to the public during a trial or other public proceeding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are court exhibits automatically public once they are filed?
Generally yes, if they were submitted in support of or opposition to a motion, or offered into evidence in a proceeding open to the public, unless a law or court rule requires nondisclosure or confidentiality.
How does a member of the public request to see or copy an exhibit?
By submitting a written request to the clerk of the court, who forwards it to the court, any court reporting personnel holding the exhibit, the parties, and any interested person under § 6-506.
What happens if someone objects to releasing the exhibit?
The court holds a hearing as soon as practicable, and the presumption of public access can be overcome only if the court finds a countervailing interest, such as protecting public safety or preserving confidentiality.
Can the parties just agree between themselves to keep an exhibit sealed?
An agreement of the parties to seal or restrict an exhibit does not, by itself, count as a countervailing interest sufficient to overcome the presumption of public access.
Are exhibits that are not documents, like physical objects, handled differently?
Yes. For nondocumentary exhibits, the court has discretion to limit how the exhibit is viewed, handled, photographed, or copied.
How quickly must the clerk respond to a request to inspect or copy an exhibit if no one objects?
Inspection or a copy must generally be provided as soon as practicable and no more than 4 business days after the request is received, unless the request cannot reasonably be fulfilled in that time.
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
Also known as: public access to court exhibits nebraskarequest copy of trial exhibitinspect exhibit court recordcountervailing interest sealing exhibitobjecting to release of exhibit