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Yes: 164 • No: 1
NebraskaLB972A109th Legislature 1st and 2nd SessionslegislatureWALLET
Appropriation Bill
Sponsored By: John Fredrickson
Signed by Governor
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
37 provisions identified: 18 benefits, 6 costs, 13 mixed.
Stronger protections for RV dealers
The law strengthens recreational vehicle dealer contracts. Agreements must name the dealer’s sales area and basic terms. Dealers get at least two business days after delivery to inspect and refuse. Terms, including the sales area, cannot change during the term without both sides’ written consent. Makers must show good cause to end a dealer and carry the proof. On renewal, makers cannot force stocking or sales targets above local market growth. For ownership changes, makers can object only for listed reasons and must give written reasons within seven business days or the change is approved. RV dealer agreements signed before the law’s operative date stay under their old terms.
Stronger termination and buyback rights for RV dealers
Manufacturers must give 120 days’ written notice before ending a dealer agreement (30 days for severe reasons). The dealer can give notice within 30 days and has 90 days to fully cure; if cured, termination may not proceed. For qualifying terminations, makers must buy back new vehicles from the last 18 months at 100% of original net invoice (minus damage), accessories/parts from the last 12 months at 105% of original net invoice, and listed tools/signs from the last five years at 100% of net cost, plus freight and sales tax; payment comes before removal. Dealers may sell any inventory the maker does not repurchase. A dealer may also end the agreement with 30 days’ notice and must prove good cause if claiming it.
Dealer payout when franchise ends
Beginning October 1, 2026, franchisors must pay dealers when a franchise ends. They pay dealer cost for unused vehicles bought in the last 12 months and for unused parts in original packaging. They pay fair market value for required signs and special tools and cover handling and transport. If a maker ends a line-make, it must pay the goodwill value for that line. If that was the only line, it must also help with facility costs (up to the unexpired lease or two years’ rent; owned buildings get two years’ reasonable rent value). Makers must pay within 90 days after the dealer tenders property with clear title. Dealers who get facility help must list the building for lease within 30 days and send any net rent back to the maker up to the help received. These timing rules do not apply when the franchise ends because the dealer sold the business.
Car buyers get price and rebate protections
Beginning October 1, 2026, if you ordered a new car before the dealer got written notice of a price hike, the maker cannot raise your price after delivery. If the maker gives a price cut or cash rebate, the dealer must pass it on to you. Any price cut over $5 applies to all affected cars in stock. Exceptions include additions required by law, U.S. dollar revaluation for foreign-made parts, and higher carrier transportation charges.
Stronger warranty rules for auto dealers
Warrantors must perform warranty duties and pay dealers per the time allowances. Factory campaign notices to owners or dealers must include when needed parts are expected to be available. Warrantors must pay dealers for authorized consumer care damaged in manufacturing or transit when the warrantor chose the carrier. They cannot claim the dealer is the warrantor or force the dealer to warrant manufacturing.
Grants for disability service providers’ equipment
The law creates a cash fund for developmental disability providers to help pay for capital and equipment. Providers under contract with DHHS can apply for grants for vehicles, safety features, technology and remote supports, and facility changes to add capacity. DHHS sets the application and may adopt rules by January 1, 2027. The fund cannot be used for general program operations.
Fair supply and export rules for dealers
Beginning October 1, 2026, makers must deliver vehicles, parts, and accessories in reasonable time and quantities, unless events beyond their control or excess orders apply. Makers must disclose how they allocate vehicles and how many of a model sold in the dealer’s region. Dealers cannot be punished just because a buyer later exports a vehicle, unless the dealer knew or should have known. If the vehicle was titled, registered, and taxes were paid in the U.S., the law presumes the dealer did not know.
Fair warranty pay for RV dealers
Warrantors must put dealer duties in writing and pay dealers for covered warranty work. Pay must be at least your lowest retail labor rate for similar non‑warranty jobs, with reasonable time allowances. For warranty parts you replace, the warrantor must pay your actual wholesale cost plus a handling fee up to 30% (capped at $300), and freight if they ask you to ship the part. You must file claims within 45 days; they must be denied in writing within 45 days or they are approved and paid within 60 days. If the warrantor’s negligence or willful misconduct causes a loss, the warrantor must defend and indemnify you.
Makers cannot own dealerships
Beginning October 1, 2026, manufacturers and distributors generally cannot own, run, or control a dealer franchise. Short-term transitional ownership is allowed in limited cases, usually up to 12 months, with a possible one-time 12‑month extension for good cause. Publicly traded stock without control is allowed. This protects independent dealers.
Signed agreements and fair allocation for dealers
Beginning January 1, 2028, a maker may not sell new RVs to or through a dealer without a signed dealer agreement. Makers must allocate vehicles to dealers fairly and, within 30 business days, answer written dealer requests on how vehicles were distributed. Makers must also give contracted dealers the technical data needed to service and repair the vehicles they sell.
New definitions for manufactured homes and RVs
Starting October 1, 2026, the law updates key definitions in the manufactured home and recreational vehicle code. It revises terms like camping trailer, dealer, manufactured home, manufacturer, defect, imminent safety hazard, and gross trailer area. These changes affect which products and businesses must follow the rules.
Tougher penalties for uninsured vehicles
It is a Class II misdemeanor to let your vehicle be driven or towed on Nebraska highways without current auto insurance. Your license, registration, and plates are suspended until you prove coverage, and after a conviction you must follow a three‑year compliance period. You have 10 days to show proof to the prosecutor to seek dismissal. The DMV restores your records at no cost if you prove you had valid coverage at the time of the citation.
Register Nebraska-kept vehicles or pay penalties
If a vehicle is kept in Nebraska more than 30 days, the state can presume it must be registered and taxed in Nebraska. The resident gets notice and has 30 days to register and pay or to appeal. If you do not pay the assessed taxes and fees after notice, the state adds a late fee equal to 50% of the unpaid amount.
New plate, sticker, and SR-22 rules
Through December 31, 2028, most vehicles get two plates, but you can request one rear plate for a $50 yearly fee. Starting January 1, 2029, the DMV issues one plate per vehicle, shown on the rear (front for certain trucks). The DMV may mail plates and charge postage. An In Transit sticker lets you drive for 30 days while registering; display locations change on January 1, 2029. The law defines “In Transit” as a temporary placard for unregistered vehicles. If a Nebraska registration expires, expired status is not a violation until 30 days after expiration. Beginning July 1, 2027, SR‑22 proof must be filed electronically by an authorized insurer. The DMV lists available plate types; special interest plates are limited to applications received by December 31, 2028. New registrations must include owner IDs and vehicle details; trailers without titles may use listed documents, and trailers without an ID number get one assigned.
Rules for ATVs, snowmobiles, and RV size
Certain buses, fifth-wheel trailers, travel trailers, and motor homes may be up to 45 feet long. A child under 12 cannot operate a snowmobile alone and must be accompanied by an adult. ATVs and UTVs may use some highways if rules are met: a Class O license or farm permit, liability insurance, a 30 mph speed limit, a white headlight and red taillight visible 500 feet after dark in towns, and a bright triangle flag at least five feet high. Operators must show proof of insurance within five days if asked. Ages 12–16 face added limits.
Caps on motor vehicle license fees
The state sets top amounts for many motor vehicle industry licenses. Examples: dealer up to $1,400; supplemental dealer $520; dealer’s agent $100; manufacturer or distributor $1,600; finance company $1,400; wrecker/salvage $200; motorcycle, trailer, or auction dealer $1,400; factory branch $200; factory/distributor rep $120. A change of location fee is $125, and a change of name without ownership change is $55. Licenses expire December 31 after issuance. Fees must not be more than needed to run the program.
Dealer warranty duties and audit limits
Dealers must perform predelivery checks and do authorized warranty work for transient customers of the same line‑make, with limits. Dealers must track actual time on warranty work when no set time allowance applies and may not misstate warranty terms. Warrantors can audit dealers who request warranty pay, but not more than once every three months per dealer.
Faster pay and fairer warranty rates
Starting October 1, 2026, makers must approve or deny dealer incentive and warranty claims in 30 days and pay in 30 days. Undenied claims are approved. Dealers must file warranty claims within six months. Warranty pay must cover diagnostics, parts, and labor at rates not less than the dealer’s retail or fleet rates, with fair time allowances. Dealers can set parts pay using their average retail markup based on recent customer-paid repair orders. Makers can audit within one year, or up to four years if there is reason to believe intentional fraud, and may request up to 100 extra repair orders once per year to check rates. Recall notices must state when parts will arrive, and dealers are paid for recall work. Component makers with their own warranties must follow the same dealer pay rules. Recreational vehicle makers and sellers are excluded from several franchise and warranty sections.
Stronger enforcement and legal tools for dealers
The board can suspend or revoke licenses and impose civil fines after finding a violation. The board can license, make rules, hire investigators, and inspect licensee facilities and records. Dealers, manufacturers, distributors, or warrantors can go to court for temporary or permanent orders to stop violations, and a single violative act can justify an order.
Cleanup: several statutes repealed
The act removes listed statutes from Nebraska law. It repeals sections including 60‑1402, 60‑1430.02, 60‑1437, 60‑1401, 60‑1438.01, 71‑4603, 60‑6,290, 60‑1438, many others in the act, and section 60‑6,341. These sections no longer apply.
More specialty and military plate options
The state adds many new special license plates. Some start on January 1, 2026 (for example, Space Force and Inherent Resolve medal plates, and new “veteran” and “veteran + wheelchair” designs). Other themed plates start on January 1, 2027. The Blackout plate has a $100 fee, and Choice Color plates cost $70 for a regular number or $100 for a personalized plate. One Military Honor Plate type allows up to five characters and no county name. For Military Honor Plates, the DMV checks the veterans registry to confirm eligibility.
Rules for utility vehicle highway crossings
Utility‑type vehicles may cross large, controlled‑access highways only at certain intersections. In cities, the crossing must be at a traffic signal. Outside cities, it must be at stop signs. A city ordinance or county resolution must allow that crossing, and drivers must obey traffic controls.
Cities can reserve disabled parking
Cities and villages can reserve parking spaces and access aisles for people with disabilities. Your vehicle must show a disabled plate or a disabled parking permit, including one issued by another state.
Low-cost transporter plates and records
Authorized transporters can get a transporter certificate and one plate. Extra pairs cost $10 each. Plates must be displayed on the unit being delivered or on the towing truck. Transporters must keep records for three years and prove they are bona fide transporters. Plates are serially numbered with a distinct mark.
Protections for damaged shipments and parts
If a new vehicle is damaged before or during transit and the maker chose the carrier, the dealer must notify the maker on the timeline in the dealer agreement and request authorization to fix or replace the damaged item. Dealers may refuse delivery if the odometer shows too many miles: at least 100 miles plus the shortest paved‑road (or routed distributor) distance. After a factory campaign ends, dealers may return excess unused parts for credit.
Grants for law enforcement and service members
The law creates the Back the Blue Cash Fund and the Military Department Aid Fund, and also creates a Women Veterans Cash Fund. The State Patrol can grant Back the Blue money to law‑enforcement associations to help injured officers, their spouses, or children under 19; the fund cannot pay for State Patrol gear or salaries. The Patrol must offer an application form by January 1, 2027, and grants do not have to be repaid. The Adjutant General runs the Military Department Aid Fund, and starting January 1, 2027, needy uniformed members can apply under rules due by that date. Money in the Women Veterans Cash Fund may be used for events that serve women veterans.
Tougher penalties for motor-vehicle homicide
The law sets criminal classes for motor vehicle homicide and longer driving bans. Some violations are now felonies. For certain convictions, the court must order 15 years without driving and revoke the license. For others, the court may order up to two years off the road. The goal is improved public safety.
University museum plate fund created
The law creates the University of Nebraska State Museum License Plate Fund run by the Board of Regents. Money from plate proceeds and private gifts supports science and natural history research, public education, and outreach at university museums.
New plate fees and surrender rules
Cornhusker Spirit plates cost $70 each time you apply or renew; $42 goes to the DMV Cash Fund and $28 goes to the Highway Trust Fund. Special interest plates cost $50 per application or renewal; $25 goes to the DMV Cash Fund and $25 goes to the Highway Trust Fund. Alphanumeric Military Honor Plates cost $5 per application or renewal. If you lose eligibility for a Military Honor Plate, you must surrender it, pay a $3 transfer fee for regular plates, and you do not get a refund for unused time.
Stricter timelines for abandoned vehicles
A car with no plates left on public property more than 6 hours is treated as abandoned. A vehicle left on public property more than 24 hours, or on private property without permission more than 7 days, is also abandoned. A vehicle in police custody 30 days after notice is abandoned. Similar timing rules apply to ATVs and mobile homes.
Special interest plates end after 2028
You can apply for a special interest plate only until December 31, 2028. The DMV does not accept new applications on or after January 1, 2029. Special interest plates cannot be renewed after December 31, 2028.
Dealer notice for new lines and ownership
Before you sign a new agreement to sell the same line‑make, you must give each current maker or distributor 30 days’ written notice that lists the line‑make and proposed term. You must also give at least 10 business days’ written notice before any ownership change. After your notice, a maker or distributor has three business days to request documents, and you must provide any requested documents within three business days.
Abandoned car titles and boat bonds
If an abandoned vehicle has no current‑year plates or a valid In Transit sticker and is worth $500 or less wholesale, title goes immediately to the local authority, which gets a free title. For motorboats with unclear ownership, the DMV issues a bonded title when you show ownership proof, file the bond, pay $50 and $20 fees, and give written notice to any secured parties.
Fees and transfers for Military Plates
You pay $40 to get or renew a personalized-message Military Honor Plate. $10 goes to the DMV Cash Fund and $30 goes to the designated recipient; the recipient changes from the Nebraska Veteran Cemetery fund to the Military Department Aid Fund on January 1, 2027. If you ask the DMV to mail your items, it may charge postage and handling up to the actual mailing cost. You can transfer your plate to another vehicle you own, get a credit for the unused months at 8 1/3% per full month left, and pay a $3 transfer fee.
Military Honor Plate eligibility changes
Starting January 1, 2026, a trust that owns a vehicle can get Military Honor Plates if it names a beneficiary who qualifies. To get a wheelchair-symbol plate, you must apply and provide the disability proof the law requires, and the disability must be certified as permanent. If fewer than 100 vehicles per year receive these plates in any two-year span, the DMV stops issuing them beginning with the issuance cycle after the 2023 cycle.
When parts of this law take effect
Sections 1–33, 62, 65, 66, 68–72, 75, and 85 take effect on October 1, 2026. All other sections take effect on their own dates.
Controls on Military Plate costs
The DMV must choose Military Honor Plate designs so each plate costs no more to make than a regular plate. If making these plates ever costs more than the regular plate charge, fee money first covers the extra in the Highway Trust Fund, and only the remainder goes to the usual recipient.
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Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
John Fredrickson
legislature
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
legislature vote • 4/24/2026
Vote
Yes: 39 • No: 0 • Other: 10
legislature vote • 4/10/2026
Final Reading
Yes: 48 • No: 1
legislature vote • 4/7/2026
Vote
Yes: 39 • No: 0 • Other: 10
legislature vote • 3/30/2026
Vote
Yes: 38 • No: 0 • Other: 11
Actions Timeline
Presented to Governor on April 10, 2026
4/17/2026legislatureApproved by Governor on April 14, 2026
4/17/2026legislaturePassed on Final Reading 48-1*-0
4/10/2026legislaturePresident/Speaker signed
4/10/2026legislatureFredrickson AM3100 filed
4/7/2026legislatureFredrickson AM3100 adopted
4/7/2026legislatureAdvanced to Enrollment and Review for Engrossment
4/7/2026legislaturePlaced on Final Reading
4/7/2026legislaturePlaced on Select File
3/31/2026legislatureAdvanced to Enrollment and Review Initial
3/30/2026legislatureDate of introduction
3/25/2026legislaturePlaced on General File
3/25/2026legislature
Bill Text
Introduced
4/17/2026
Enrolled / Slip Law
Final / Enacted
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