Union, Nebraska Public Records

Felony criminal cases originating in Union are initially processed through County Court for preliminary hearings and arraignments before being transferred to the District Court of the Second Judicial District, which also sits at 346 Main Street in Plattsmouth and can be reached at (402) 296-9322. District Court handles felony prosecutions, civil cases over $60,000, divorce and family law matters, juvenile cases, and appeals from County Court. Nebraska offers online access to court records through the Nebraska Judicial Branch's public access portal at www.nebraska.gov/justice/. The system allows searches by party name, case number, or attorney, though some sensitive records (juvenile, mental health, sealed cases) are excluded. For certified copies of court documents, the Cass County Clerk of the District Court charges $1.50 per page plus a $1.00 certification fee. Searches conducted by court staff may incur a research fee. Marriage license applications are filed with the Cass County Court at the same Plattsmouth address, with a current fee of $15, and there is no waiting period in Nebraska.

The online system displays current assessed valuations, property characteristics (square footage, year built, lot size), taxable value, and assessment history. The Assessor's office conducts periodic revaluations as required by Nebraska law to maintain assessments at approximately 100% of market value for agricultural land and 96-100% of market value for residential and commercial properties. The Cass County Register of Deeds, located at 346 Main Street, Plattsmouth, NE 68048, phone (402) 296-9315, records and maintains all documents affecting real property titles in Union including warranty deeds, quit claim deeds, mortgages, deeds of trust, tax liens, mechanics liens, easements, and releases. The Register of Deeds provides online access to recorded documents through a subscription-based system accessible at www.cassne.org/register-of-deeds. Users can search by grantor/grantee name, document type, or legal description. The online system includes scanned images of documents, though there may be a fee for printing or downloading. Recording fees vary by document type, with standard deeds typically costing $17 for the first page and $3 for each additional page. The office also maintains plat maps and subdivision records. Cass County offers a GIS mapping system accessible through the county website that integrates assessor data with parcel boundaries for visual property research.

Major local employers include Union Community School, which serves students from the village and surrounding rural areas, and agricultural service businesses including seed and chemical suppliers, grain elevators, and equipment dealers primarily located in nearby larger communities like Plattsmouth, Weeping Water, and Nebraska City. Many Union residents commute to employment in Plattsmouth (the county seat), or travel north to the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, approximately 35 miles away, for professional and industrial employment opportunities. The opening of Interstate 80 several miles to the north and improved highway connections have made commuting increasingly viable. Median household income for Union village is estimated at approximately $58,000-$62,000, somewhat below the Nebraska state median but reflecting the area's rural agricultural character and aging population. The village has experienced very modest population decline over recent decades, typical of Nebraska's smaller rural communities, as agricultural consolidation has reduced the number of farm families and young residents often relocate to larger cities for education and career opportunities. Cass County overall benefits from proximity to the Omaha metro economy while maintaining strong agricultural production. Union's economic character remains fundamentally tied to crop production cycles, agricultural commodity prices, and federal farm policy. The village maintains basic commercial services including a post office and community center, though residents typically travel to Plattsmouth, Weeping Water, or Nebraska City for retail shopping, healthcare, and professional services.

Law enforcement services for Union, Nebraska are provided by the Cass County Sheriff's Office, as the village does not maintain its own police department. The Cass County Sheriff's Office is located at 328 Main Street, Plattsmouth, NE 68048, and can be reached at (402) 296-9300. The Sheriff's Office website at www.cassne.org provides information on services, though Union residents can also contact village officials for non-emergency community matters. To request police reports or incident records involving Union addresses, residents must submit a public records request to the Cass County Sheriff's Office either in person at the Plattsmouth office, by mail, or by phone. Nebraska law requires law enforcement agencies to respond to public records requests within a reasonable timeframe, typically within four business days under Nebraska Revised Statutes § 84-712.03.

For arrest and jail booking information, the Cass County Jail maintains an inmate roster that can be accessed through the Sheriff's Office or by visiting www.cassne.org and navigating to the detention facility section. The jail is co-located with the Sheriff's Office at 328 Main Street in Plattsmouth. The online inmate search typically displays current detainees' names, booking dates, charges, bond amounts, and booking photographs when available. Historical arrest records and detailed incident reports must be requested under Nebraska's public records statute. Nebraska Revised Statutes § 84-712 et seq. establishes the framework for public access to government records, requiring agencies to make records available for inspection and copying during normal business hours unless the records fall under specific exemptions for ongoing investigations, personnel matters, or protected information. Fees for copies are generally limited to actual costs of duplication.

Death certificates cost $16 for the first copy and $13 for additional copies. Processing typically takes 3-4 weeks by mail, though expedited service is available for an additional fee. Nebraska began statewide registration of births and deaths in 1904, though compliance was not complete until 1920. Online ordering is available through VitalChek at www.vitalchek.com for an additional convenience fee. Applicants must prove direct and tangible interest in the record (immediate family member, legal representative, or person with court order) and provide valid photo identification. Marriage licenses for Union residents are issued by the Cass County Court at 346 Main Street, Plattsmouth, NE 68048, phone (402) 296-9330. The marriage license fee is $15, and there is no waiting period or blood test required in Nebraska. Licenses are valid for one year from issuance. Certified copies of marriage certificates cost $17. Divorce decrees and dissolution records are filed in the District Court of Cass County at the same address and can be obtained through the Clerk of the District Court. Access to divorce records is generally restricted to parties of the divorce, their attorneys, or persons with a court order. Historical vital records from the late 1800s through early 1900s may be found at the Nebraska State Historical Society in Lincoln.

The online database at www.nebraska.gov/sos/corp/ allows free searches of all corporations, limited liability companies, limited partnerships, and other business entities registered in Nebraska. Searches can be performed by business name, registered agent, or filing number, displaying entity status, registration date, principal office address, and registered agent information. New business entity formation can be completed online through the Secretary of State's website. Fictitious business name registrations (trade names) in Nebraska are filed with the county where the business operates. For Union businesses, DBA filings are submitted to the Cass County Clerk at 346 Main Street, Plattsmouth, NE 68048, phone (402) 296-9300. The filing fee is approximately $50 and must be renewed periodically. Nebraska also requires publication of fictitious name statements in a local newspaper. UCC financing statements (secured transaction liens) are filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State and can be searched online at www.sos.nebraska.gov/business-services/ucc. The Cass County Assessor maintains commercial property assessment records searchable online at www.cassne.org/assessor, where business owners can look up property tax assessments for commercial real estate by parcel number or address. Personal property tax (business equipment, inventory) is also administered by the County Assessor. Professional and occupational licensing (contractors, cosmetologists, healthcare providers) is handled by various state boards accessible through dhhs.ne.gov or other state agency websites.

Union, Nebraska voters are served by the Cass County Election Commissioner's Office, located at 346 Main Street, Suite 1, Plattsmouth, NE 68048, phone (402) 296-9312. The Election Commissioner administers all federal, state, county, and local elections for Union residents, including voter registration, ballot preparation, polling place operations, and vote counting. Registered voters can verify registration status and access election information at the office or through the Nebraska Secretary of State's voter registration website at www.nebraska.gov/apps/sos/voter-view/. Nebraska offers online voter registration for eligible citizens who possess a valid Nebraska driver's license or state ID card. The registration deadline is 6:00 p.m. on the third Friday before any election, or by mail postmarked 18 days before election day. First-time registrants must provide proof of residence and identification.

As an incorporated village, Union holds municipal elections for Village Board members and other local offices. Nebraska law provides that village elections are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years, with the next Union village election scheduled for November 2026. Candidate filing for village offices takes place through the Cass County Election Commissioner's office, typically in July-August before the November election. Union voters can find their assigned polling location by visiting the County Election Commissioner's office website or calling (402) 296-9312. Polling places for Union are typically located at community facilities within or near the village.

Nebraska maintains transparency in election records: voter registration lists are public records available for inspection (though home addresses are confidential for certain protected voters), campaign finance reports are filed with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission and searchable at www.nadc.nebraska.gov, candidate filing information is maintained by the Election Commissioner, and precinct-level election results are published by the Secretary of State at sos.nebraska.gov/elections. In the November 2024 presidential election, Cass County reported approximately 66% voter turnout with roughly 14,800 ballots cast from approximately 22,400 registered voters.

Looking ahead to November 3, 2026, Union and Cass County voters will decide several significant races. Nebraska's U.S. Senate seat currently held by Deb Fischer is not up for election in 2026 (next election 2028), but Nebraska will elect a U.S. Representative for its 2nd Congressional District, Governor (Jim Pillen's seat is up), and numerous state legislative seats from the nonpartisan Nebraska Legislature (Unicameral). Cass County voters will also elect county officials including County Commissioner positions, County Clerk, Sheriff, and other constitutional offices, depending on the election cycle rotation. Union village will elect Village Board members. Nebraska voters can request early voting (in-person at the County Election office beginning 35 days before election day) or request a mail-in ballot by submitting an application to the Cass County Election Commissioner by 6:00 p.m. the second Friday before election day. Mail ballots must be received by the close of polls on election day to be counted.