If you need authentic information, you could wait for news agencies or other people to gather the facts and present them to you. Better still, you could find the publicly available information for yourself. Public records are the only veritable sources of information in Nebraska.
Any resident may obtain documents containing information they seek from government agencies under the Nebraska Public Records Law. Here are the most commonly sought public records in Nebraska and how to obtain them:
Arrest Records
Arrest records are documents showing incidents where law enforcement has taken an individual into custody. You can get these public records from the local police department or the Sheriff’s office in the county of residence. But know that arrest records only show that the individual was a person of interest in a criminal case. These records do not show definitive proof of guilt, unlike a person’s criminal history records.
Get Anyone’s Criminal Records In Nebraska
The fastest way to get a name-based criminal history report is to perform an online search for $15.50.
Criminal records, also known as records of arrests and prosecution, is a collection of documents showing all the time law enforcement took a person into custody, indicted them of an offense, and the state formally prosecuted the individual for such crime(s). Nebraska criminal records will also show records of ensuing dispositions following an arrest and fingerprinting. These dispositions include convictions, acquittals, decline to prosecute, and no charges filed. In cases where the court later nullified convictions, the criminal record will show all set-asides and pardons.
You can get a name-based criminal history report from the Nebraska State Patrol if you know the person’s name and date of birth. You will need to complete the request form and pay the applicable nominal fee. While these are the basic requirements, you will need to get a person’s criminal records. If you have additional information such as social security number, maiden, or previous names, include them on the request form.
Interested persons must complete the request form and take it to the Criminal Identification Division office in person along with payment for the $12.50 search fee in cashier’s check, personal check, or money order. If you cannot go to the office in person, you may enclose the form and payment in a self-addressed stamped envelope. Then, mail it to the Criminal Identification Division office at:
3800 Northwest 12th Street
Suite A, Lincoln, NE 68521
Phone: (402) 479-4971
Fax: (402) 479-4321
Nebraska Court Records Are Generally Open to Everyone
We all cannot fit into courtrooms to follow a case of interest as it unfolds. Other times, the case of interest happened a while back. Either way, you still need to know the case background and what happened during the proceedings. Case documents provide you with all the information you need on active and closed civil or criminal suits in Nebraska.
The fastest way to get Nebraska court records is to perform a justice case search. At $15.00 per search, this portal lets you access information on any civil, criminal, traffic, juvenile, and probate cases filed in all trial courts across Nebraska.
Although getting case information online is convenient, there is a 24-hour lag time between when a new case enters the system and when you can access it via justice search. Thus, an online search is not suitable if you need case information as soon as it is available. If you cannot wait 24 hours, visit the clerk’s office at the trial court with jurisdiction over the case. Use the court directory to find the clerk’s office in the district court or county court of interest.
Note that case documents obtained from the clerk’s office are also subject to search fees and copying fees. Furthermore, you will need to provide the case number and litigants’ names to facilitate a search. The filing date, attorneys’ names, and judge’s name can also help make the search and record retrieval faster.
Nebraska Inmate Records
Nebraska Department of Corrections lets interested persons access inmate records online without restrictions. The name-based search is available for free and provides you with information on persons incarcerated in state correctional facilities across the state. You can also use the offender search to get information on former inmates and persons on supervised release or parole.
Either way, a search will provide you with information on the inmate of interest, including their full name, sentence information, and offense information. You will also know the expected date of release and whether the inmate is eligible for parole.
Information on persons incarcerated in county jails is available at the Sheriff’s office in the county of incarceration. Many Sheriff’s Offices maintain online websites you can use to find information on the inmates of interest.
Where to Find Vital Records in Nebraska?
Eligible persons can get certified copies of birth, marriage, divorce, and death records from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Only the person named on the vital record, the person’s immediate family, and legal representatives may request and obtain copies of vital records in Nebraska. Persons performing genealogy research may also obtain vital records. Either way, all of these eligible persons must present a valid means of identification per administrative rules.
If you wish to get a vital record, complete the applicable request form:
- Birth certificate request form
- Marriage certificate request form
- Divorce certificate request form
- Death certificate request form
Complete these application forms by providing the necessary information and enclose in a self-addressed stamped envelope. The fee is $16.00 per request, and you can pay by attaching a certified check or money order with your request. Likewise, remember to enclose your valid government-issued photo ID in the envelope. Send your mail to:
Nebraska Vital Records
PO Box 95065
Lincoln, Nebraska 68509-5065
Phone: (402) 471-2871
Fax: (402) 471-8238
Email: [email protected]
Nebraska Property Records Are Mostly Free
Property records are legal documents with information about real estate or a plot of land. Generally, property records refer to the property deed, which indicates the current and legal ownership of the property of interest. It may also include the property title, which shows that a person has a legal claim or equitable interest in real estate property.
If you are interested in a piece of real estate or plot of land in Nebraska, confirming the deed’s validity and checking for active liens on the property of interest is your due diligence.
You will find the information you need at the County Assessor’s office in the county where the real estate is located. The Nebraska Department of Revenue maintains a directory of all County Assessors’ contact information in the state. You can visit the Assessor’s website to perform a search for property records, or you can make an in-person visit to the Assessor’s office. The online search is free, and you may print the information you get. However, if you visit the Assessor’s office, you will need to cover the administrative cost of copying and notarizing the property records of interest. These fees vary from county to county, but they are nominal.
Nebraska Business Records
All businesses authorized to operate in Nebraska must regularly file certain documents with the Nebraska Secretary of State. These documents become public information once they are in the agency’s custody. Interested persons may perform a free business search for information on all business entities, including trade names, trademarks, and service marks. However, you must pay to get copies of Certificates of Good Standing and copies of filed documents.
If you are getting hard copies of the business records, visit or send a mail request to:
1201 North Street, Suite 120
Lincoln, NE 68508
Phone: (402) 471-4079
Fax: (402) 471-3666
Email: [email protected]
Your mail request must contain a written letter describing the business record of interest. You must also attach a money order or certified check for the administrative fees (call the office to get an estimate). Enclose your request in a self-addressed stamped envelope.
Bankruptcy Records
Debtors who wish to declare bankruptcy must file a bankruptcy petition in the Nebraska US Bankruptcy Court. These filings become public information immediately after the debtor submits them and interested persons may obtain a copy from the clerk’s office during business hours. Alternatively, they may get bankruptcy records online through the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) database. Either way, the cost is $0.10 per page.
The Bottom-line
These are the commonly requested public records in Nebraska and how to get them. Many of these public records are available for free, and most agencies have online portals for accessing the records of interest. In some cases, certain otherwise public documents will not be available for public perusal due to statutory provisions or court orders to protect sensitive or confidential information. In such cases, only authorized persons may access the sealed records.
The restrictions on sensitive information, e.g., birth records, protect the residents from security risks such as identity theft. However, Nebraska does not restrict the lawful use of publicly available information.