§ 8-113 — Unauthorized use of word bank or its derivatives; penalty

(1) No individual, firm, company, corporation, or association doing business in the State of Nebraska, unless organized as a bank under the Nebraska Banking Act or the authority of the director or federal government, a digital asset depository that is not a digital asset depository institution, or as a building and loan association, savings and loan association, or savings bank under Chapter 8, article 3, or the authority of the federal government, shall use the word bank or any derivative thereof as any part of a title or description of any business activity.
(2) This section does not apply to:
(a) Banks, building and loan associations, savings and loan associations, or savings banks chartered and supervised by a foreign state agency;
(b) Bank holding companies registered pursuant to section 8-913 if the term holding company is also used as any part of the title or description of any business activity or if the derivative banc is used;
(c) Affiliates or subsidiaries of (i) a bank organized under the Nebraska Banking Act or the authority of the federal government or chartered and supervised by a foreign state agency, (ii) a building and loan association, savings and loan association, or savings bank organized under Chapter 8, article 3, or the authority of the federal government or chartered and supervised by a foreign state agency, or (iii) a bank holding company registered pursuant to section 8-913 if the term holding company is also used as any part of the title or description of any business activity or if the derivative banc is used;
(d) Organizations substantially owned by (i) a bank organized under the Nebraska Banking Act or the authority of the federal government or chartered and supervised by a foreign state agency, (ii) a building and loan association, savings and loan association, or savings bank organized under Chapter 8, article 3, or the authority of the federal government or chartered and supervised by a foreign state agency, (iii) a bank holding company registered pursuant to section 8-913 if the term holding company is also used as any part of the title or description of any business activity or if the derivative banc is used, or (iv) any combination of entities listed in subdivisions (i) through (iii) of this subdivision;
(e) Mortgage bankers licensed or registered under the Residential Mortgage Licensing Act, if the word mortgage immediately precedes the word bank or its derivative;
(f) Digital asset depository institutions chartered under the Nebraska Financial Innovation Act, if the term digital asset is also used as any part of the title or description of any business activity or if any derivative of the word bank is used in such title or description of any such business activity;
(g) Any entities with a pending application for the relevant charter, license, status, or other designation, as identified within subdivisions (2)(a) through (f) of this section, provided that if the entity's application is withdrawn or denied, the entity shall cease using the word bank or any derivative thereof as any part of a title or description of any business activity within thirty days after the withdrawal or denial of the application;
(h) Organizations which are described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code as defined in section 49-801.01 , which are exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of the code, and which are not providing or arranging for financial services subject to the authority of the department, a foreign state agency, or the federal government;
(i) Trade associations which are exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(6) of the code and which represent a segment of the banking or savings and loan industries, and any affiliate or subsidiary thereof;
(j) Firms, companies, corporations, or associations which sponsor incentive-based solid waste recycling programs that issue reward points or credits to persons for their participation therein; and
(k) Such other firms, companies, corporations, or associations as have been in existence and doing business prior to December 1, 1975, under a name composed in part of the word bank or some derivative thereof.
(3) This section does not apply to an individual, firm, company, corporation, or association doing business in Nebraska which uses the word bank or any derivative thereof as any part of a title or description of any business activity if such use is unlikely to mislead or confuse the public or give the impression that such individual, firm, company, corporation, or association is lawfully organized and operating as a bank under the Nebraska Banking Act or the authority of the federal government, or as a building and loan association, savings and loan association, or savings bank under Chapter 8, article 3, or the authority of the federal government.
(4) Any violation of this section is a Class V misdemeanor.

Legislative History

Source: Laws 1921, c. 297, § 1, p. 949; Laws 1921, c. 313, § 1, p. 1000; C.S.1922, § 7985; Laws 1929, c. 37, § 1, p. 155; C.S.1929, § 8-116; Laws 1933, c. 18, § 12, p. 141; C.S.Supp.,1941, § 8-116; R.S.1943, § 8-113; Laws 1963, c. 29, § 13, p. 139; Laws 1977, LB 40, § 38; Laws 1987, LB 2, § 2; Laws 1998, LB 1321, § 2; Laws 2004, LB 999, § 1; Laws 2005, LB 533, § 1; Laws 2007, LB124, § 2; Laws 2009, LB32, § 1; Laws 2009, LB328, § 1; Laws 2010, LB762, § 1; Laws 2017, LB140, § 14; Laws 2021, LB649, § 35; Laws 2025, LB251, § 1. Effective Date: March 12, 2025 Cross References: Residential Mortgage Licensing Act, see section 45-701.