Nebraska People Search

A Nebraska search usually starts with JUSTICE for court cases in all 93 counties, the Secretary of State business search and the state inmate search. The sex offender registry and vital records complete the list.

• JUSTICE court case searchCounty and district court cases statewide; $17 per one-time search
• Nebraska Secretary of State corporate and business searchCorporations, LLCs, partnerships and trade names
• NDCS inmate searchPeople in Nebraska state prisons, with release dates
• Nebraska State Patrol Sex Offender RegistrySearch by name, address or map
• DHHS Vital RecordsBirth, death, marriage and divorce certificates

Nebraska's public records framework is set out at Neb. Rev. Stat. § 84-712 et seq. The statutes establish a general presumption of public access to records held by state and local agencies, modified by a standard catalog of exemptions for personnel, investigatory, and statutorily-protected records. As in most states, the law itself is broadly permissive; the friction in Nebraska research tends to come from fee structures and uneven digital access in sparsely populated counties.

Nebraska is the only state with a one house, nonpartisan legislature, the Unicameral. For people searches this matters little: most of the work is done at the county courthouse and in statewide databases.

The Judicial Branch runs JUSTICE, a statewide search of county and district court cases. It is not free: a one-time search costs $17 and shows up to 30 cases with their documents, and subscribers pay per case viewed through Nebraska.gov.

The Nebraska State Patrol keeps the sex offender registry, linked in Where to Look, and the Department of Health and Human Services handles vital records and many licenses. The Nebraska Brand Committee records livestock brands in the western part of the state, which helps in ranch and cattle research.

• Nebraska Brand CommitteeLivestock brands recorded in the Brand Inspection Area

Most trial-court dockets flow through JUSTICE.

JUSTICE shows case details and, for documents filed since April 2008, images of the filings. For older files, visit or contact the clerk of the court. Federal cases are in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska and can be searched on PACER.

Deeds and mortgages are kept by the register of deeds of each county, and values and tax data by the county assessor. Douglas County (Omaha), Lancaster County (Lincoln) and Sarpy County (Papillion and Bellevue) all have online property searches.

The Secretary of State's Business Services Division handles corporate filings, trade names, and UCCs. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services licenses healthcare professionals; the Nebraska Real Estate Commission licenses agents and brokers; the Nebraska Department of Insurance licenses producers. There is no single consolidated license-lookup portal, so researchers must know the regulating authority for a given profession.

Besides the state inmate search in Where to Look, county jails publish their own rosters; Douglas County Corrections (Omaha) and Lancaster County Corrections (Lincoln) post theirs online. Federal prisoners are in the Bureau of Prisons locator.

• Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locatorFederal prisoners held since 1982

The Department of Health and Human Services Vital Records office, linked in Where to Look, issues certified birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Birth records go only to the person named and close family, and death records are restricted for a period set by law. Marriage licenses are issued by the county clerk, and divorces appear in district court cases on JUSTICE.

Nebraska voters can check their own registration on the Secretary of State's voter lookup, and bulk voter data is released only for political and research purposes. Crime victims' rights have been in the Nebraska Constitution (Article I, Section 28) since 1996.

• Nebraska Voter Information LookupCheck your own registration and polling place

History Nebraska, formerly the Nebraska State Historical Society, is the state archives. It holds digitized newspapers, territorial and state census records, military records and naturalization files, and is the place to start for research before 1900.

• History NebraskaState archives, newspapers and genealogy collections

Most Nebraskans live along I-80 in the east, in the Omaha area (Douglas, Sarpy and Washington counties) and around Lincoln (Lancaster). These counties are the most likely to hold records:

• Douglas CountyOmaha, the most populous county; 4th Judicial District
• Lancaster CountyLincoln, the state capital; 3rd Judicial District
• Sarpy CountyPapillion and Bellevue, Omaha suburbs; 2nd Judicial District
• Hall CountyGrand Island in central Nebraska
• Buffalo CountyKearney, home of the University of Nebraska at Kearney
• Scotts Bluff CountyGering and the western Panhandle
• Dodge CountyFremont, northwest of Omaha; 6th Judicial District
• Madison CountyNorfolk and northeast Nebraska; courthouse in Madison
• Platte CountyColumbus in east central Nebraska
• Lincoln CountyNorth Platte on I-80, a Union Pacific rail center
• Adams CountyHastings in south central Nebraska

Researcher Tip

Treat the Omaha area as several counties in two states. A person with an Omaha address may have records in Douglas, Sarpy or Washington County, and also in Pottawattamie County, Iowa (Council Bluffs), across the Missouri River. Search all four.

In western Nebraska, check the Brand Committee records for probate, farm asset and ranch title research.

The Secretary of State runs an address confidentiality program for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and human trafficking. The Nebraska Data Privacy Act (LB 1074) took effect on January 1, 2025; it sets rules for how businesses handle personal data, is enforced by the Attorney General and does not close public records.

Privacy Note

Even where records are lawfully public, using Nebraska public records data for harassment, stalking, or fraudulent impersonation is prohibited under state and federal law. Always operate within lawful research purposes and FCRA-informational-only limits.