§ 8-157. Branch banking; Director of Banking and Finance; powers.

(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section and section 8-2103, the general business of every bank shall be transacted at the place of business specified in its charter. (2)(a)(i) Except as provided in subdivision (2)(a)(ii) of this section, with the approval of the director, any bank located in this state may establish and maintain in this state an unlimited number of branches at which all banking transactions allowed by law may be made. (ii) Any bank that owns or controls more than twenty-two percent of the total deposits in Nebraska, as described in subdivision (2)(c) of section 8-910 and computed in accordance with subsection (3) of section 8-910, or any bank that is a subsidiary of a bank holding company that owns or controls more than twenty-two percent of the total deposits in Nebraska, as described in subdivision (2)(c) of section 8-910 and computed in accordance with subsection (3) of section 8-910, shall not establish and maintain an unlimited number of branches as provided in subdivision (2)(a)(i) of this section. With the approval of the director, a bank as described in this subdivision may establish and maintain in the county in which the main office of such bank is located an unlimited number of branches at which all banking transactions allowed by law may be made, except that if the main office of such bank is located in a Class I or Class III county, such bank may establish and maintain in Class I and Class III counties an unlimited number of branches at which all banking transactions allowed by law may be made. (iii) Any bank which establishes and maintains branches pursuant to subdivision (2)(a)(i) of this section and which subsequently becomes a bank as described in subdivision (2)(a)(ii) of this section shall not be subject to the limitations as to location of branches contained in subdivision (2)(a)(ii) of this section with regard to any such established branch and shall continue to be entitled to maintain any such established branch as if such bank had not become a bank as described in subdivision (2)(a)(ii) of this section. (b) With the approval of the director, any bank or any branch may establish and maintain a mobile branch at which all banking transactions allowed by law may be made. Such mobile branch may consist of one or more vehicles which may transact business only within the county in which such bank or such branch is located and within counties in this state which adjoin such county. (c) For purposes of this subsection: (i) Class I county means a county in this state with a population of four hundred thousand or more as determined by the most recent federal decennial census; (ii) Class II county means a county in this state with a population of at least two hundred thousand and less than four hundred thousand as determined by the most recent federal decennial census; (iii) Class III county means a county in this state with a population of at least one hundred thousand and less than two hundred thousand as determined by the most recent federal decennial census; and (iv) Class IV county means a county in this state with a population of less than one hundred thousand as determined by the most recent federal decennial census. (3) With the approval of the director, a bank may establish and maintain branches acquired pursuant to section 8-1506 or 8-1516. All banking transactions allowed by law may be made at such branches. (4) With the approval of the director, a bank may acquire the assets and assume the deposits of a branch of another financial institution in Nebraska if the acquired branch is converted to a branch of the acquiring bank. All banking transactions allowed by law may be made at a branch acquired pursuant to this subsection. (5) With the approval of the director, a bank may establish a branch pursuant to subdivision (6) of section 8-115.01. All banking transactions allowed by law may be made at such branch. (6) The name given to any branch established and maintained pursuant to this section shall not be substantially similar to the name of any existing bank or branch which is unaffiliated with the newly created branch and is located in the same city, village, or county. The name of such newly created branch shall be approved by the director. (7) A bank which has a main chartered office or an approved branch located in the State of Nebraska may, through any of its executive officers, including executive officers licensed as such pursuant to section 8-139, or designated agents, conduct a loan closing at a location other than the place of business specified in the bank's charter or any branch thereof. (8) A bank which has a main chartered office or approved branch located in the State of Nebraska may, upon notification to the department, establish savings account programs at any elementary or secondary school, whether public or private, that has students who reside in the same city or village as the main chartered office or branch of the bank, or, if the main office of the bank is located in an unincorporated area of a county, at any school that has students who reside in the same unincorporated area. The savings account programs shall be limited to the establishment of individual student accounts and the receipt of deposits for such accounts. (9) Upon receiving an application for a branch to be established pursuant to subdivision (2)(a) of this section, to establish a mobile branch pursuant to subdivision (2)(b) of this section, to acquire a branch of another financial institution pursuant to subsection (4) of this section, to establish or acquire a branch pursuant to subsection (1) of section 8-2103, or to move the location of an established branch other than a move made pursuant to subdivision (6) of section 8-115.01, the director shall hold a public hearing on the matter if he or she determines, in his or her discretion, that the condition of the applicant bank warrants a hearing. If the director determines that the condition of the bank does not warrant a hearing, the director shall notify the applicant bank of such, and the applicant bank shall publish a notice, in a form prescribed by the director, of the filing of the application in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the proposed branch or mobile branch would be located, the expense of which shall be paid by the applicant bank. The applicant bank shall submit to the director (a) an affidavit of publication from the newspaper showing that the notice was published and (b) proof that the bank has paid the expense of publication. If the director receives any substantive objection to the proposed branch or mobile branch within fifteen days after publication of such notice, he or she shall hold a hearing on the application. Notice of a hearing held pursuant to this subsection shall be published for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the proposed branch or mobile branch would be located. The date for hearing the application shall not be more than ninety days after the filing of the application and not less than thirty days after the last publication of notice of hearing. The expense of any publication required by this section shall be paid by the applicant but payment shall not be a condition precedent to approval by the director. History: Laws 1927, c. 33, § 1, p. 153; C.S.1929, § 8-1,118; R.S.1943, § 8-1,105; Laws 1959, c. 17, § 1, p. 141; R.R.S.1943, § 8-1,105; Laws 1963, c. 29, § 57, p. 158; Laws 1973, LB 312, § 1; Laws 1975, LB 269, § 2; Laws 1977, LB 77, § 1; Laws 1983, LB 58, § 1; Laws 1983, LB 252, § 4; Laws 1984, LB 1026, § 1; Laws 1985, LB 295, § 1; Laws 1985, LB 625, § 1; Laws 1986, LB 983, § 3; Laws 1987, LB 615, § 2; Laws 1988, LB 703, § 1; Laws 1989, LB 272, § 1; Laws 1990, LB 956, § 4; Laws 1991, LB 190, § 1; Laws 1991, LB 782, § 1; Laws 1992, LB 470, § 1; Laws 1992, LB 757, § 3; Laws 1993, LB 81, § 7; Laws 1995, LB 456, § 1; Laws 1995, LB 599, § 2; Laws 1996, LB 1275, § 3; Laws 1997, LB 56, § 1; Laws 1997, LB 136, § 1; Laws 1997, LB 137, § 6; Laws 1997, LB 351, § 9; Laws 2002, LB 957, § 4; Laws 2002, LB 1089, § 2; Laws 2002, LB 1094, § 5; Laws 2003, LB 217, § 7; Laws 2005, LB 533, § 9; Laws 2008, LB851, § 6; Laws 2010, LB890, § 4; Laws 2012, LB963, § 2; Laws 2016, LB742, § 2; Laws 2016, LB751, § 3; Laws 2017, LB140, § 55; Laws 2025, LB251, § 5.