Nebraska Vital Records

Local Records of Births and Deaths
The earliest civil vital records were kept by a few city health departments. Omaha has death records dating from 1870 and birth records from 1873. Lincoln has birth and death files from 1889.

A few Nebraska counties also began recording births and deaths before statewide registration. Contact the county clerk to obtain copies of the records. Copies of the incomplete county records before 1905 (except Douglas County) are also available at the Bureau of Vital Statistics (see below). For Douglas County records write to:

Douglas County Health Department Vital Statistics, Civic Center, Room 402 1819 Farnam Street Omaha, Nebraska 68183-0401 Telephone: 402-444-7205 Internet: http://www.co.douglas.ne.us/dept/health/living/birth_death.php

State Records of Births and Deaths
Statewide registration of births and deaths began in 1905 and was generally complied with by 1920. Delayed registrations are also available from 1917 for births that occurred before that time. To obtain copies of the records, write to:

Nebraska Department of HHS Finance &amp; Support Vital Records P.O. Box 95065 Lincoln, NE 68509-5065 Telephone: 402-471-2871 E-mail: [mailto:vitalrecords@hhss.ne.gov Vitalrecords@hhss.ne.gov] Internet: http://www.hhs.state.ne.us/

State your relationship to the individual and the reason you want the information. Requests for records of persons born or married within the last 50 years are only available to a member of the immediate family.

The current fees for this service are listed at the above website and at www.vitalrec.com.

The Family History Library has not acquired copies of Nebraska birth or death records from state, county, or city offices. Some vital records have been transcribed and published in genealogical periodicals.

There are some death on-line records and indexes at http://www.deathindexes.com/nebraska/index.html.

Marriage Records
Marriages have been recorded by individual counties since the date each county was organized. Marriage documents since 1867 often list the names of parents of the bride and groom. Copies can be obtained by writing to the office of the probate judge in the county. Some of the earliest marriage records are now in the custody of the Nebraska State Historical Society. The Family History Library has microfilms of marriage records for many counties.

Statewide registration of marriages began in 1909. Since that time, each county clerk has been required to submit a copy of all marriage records to the Bureau of Vital Statistics. You can write to the Bureau (address above) for information. The Bureau of Vital Statistics will release records of marriages within the last 50 years only to a member of the immediate family.

Divorce Records
Divorce proceedings since the 1850's have been kept by the clerk of the district court for each county. Divorce records since 1909 are also at the Bureau of Vital Statistics.

Inventory of Vital Records
A description of the history and availability of existing records is in The Guide to Public Vital Statistics Records In Nebraska (Lincoln, Nebraska: Historical Records Survey, 1941; Family History Library book 978.2 V23h, film 874077 item 3; fiche 6046710).

Online Resources:

http://home.att.net/~wee-monster/deathrecords.html

http://home.att.net/~wee-monster/vitalrecords.html

http://www.deathindexes.com/nebraska/index.html

http://www.idreamof.com/marriage/ne.html