Nebraska Vehicle Carry Rules Under Permitless Carry

Before LB 77, Nebraska generally treated a concealed handgun in a vehicle as carrying a concealed weapon under Neb. Rev. Stat. 28-1202 unless the carrier had a Concealed Handgun Permit. LB 77, effective September 2, 2023, amended sections 28-1202 and 69-2441 to allow any person 21 or older who is not a prohibited possessor to carry a concealed handgun, including in a private passenger vehicle, without a permit. Long guns may be transported in vehicles by lawful possessors and need not be unloaded under state law, although hunting regulations require unloaded long guns in vehicles for game-related transport. Firearms preemption in Neb. Rev. Stat. 18-1703, broadened by LB 77, prohibits cities, villages, and counties from enacting ordinances on transportation or storage of firearms that are stricter than state law. Place restrictions in section 69-2441, including school grounds, courtrooms, and posted private property, still apply to firearms carried into a vehicle parking lot or onto premises.

Carrying a concealed handgun in a vehicle by a prohibited person or in violation of place restrictions is a Class I misdemeanor for a first offense and a Class IV felony for repeat offenses under Neb. Rev. Stat. 28-1202.