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Nebraska Marriage Records

Nebraska marriage records are official documents verifying the legal union of two individuals. They include the couple's names, the marriage date and location, and the officiant's details. These records are essential for legal matters such as joint tax filings and inheritance claims. Nebraska marriage records are public, though certified copies are restricted to individuals with a direct interest, such as the couple, their children, parents, or legal representatives. Social Security numbers are redacted for privacy.

Marriage records can be requested from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services' Vital Records Office. Orders for these records may be made online, by mail, or through the county clerk's offices. The state has been registering marriages since 1909, with records before that year available from individual counties or History Nebraska. Certified copies of marriage certificates are printed on secure paper and cost $16. Some counties, like Douglas and Lancaster, also offer online databases for searching marriage license records.

For those preferring offline methods, requests for certified and non-certified copies can be mailed to the Vital Records office or relevant county clerk's offices. Processing fees apply, and turnaround times for online orders are typically 3–4 weeks.

What are Marriage Records?

Nebraska marriage records are official documents attesting to the legal union between two persons named on the record. On a Nebraska marriage record, you can find the names of the couple, the date of marriage, the location of the marriage, and information about the marriage officiant.

Nebraska marriage records are valuable resources for finding information about families and researching family trees. Certified copies of these records may also be used by the spouses named on them for different purposes, such as needing legal proof of marriage for filing joint tax returns, name changes, obtaining spousal benefits, or inheriting property from a deceased spouse.

Nebraska marriage records are public information and can be accessed by anyone. However, certified copies of marriage records are only available to persons with direct tangible interests in the records, such as the individuals named on the records, their children, their parents, and legal representatives. Also, certain information, including the Social Security numbers of the spouses, are redacted. The Office of Vital Records in the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services is the state's custodian of marriage records, and requests for marriage records are made to the office.

Marriages in Nebraska

In 2016, Nebraska recorded 12,338 marriages, a slight increase from the 12,119 marriages in 2015. The state's marriage rate that year stood at 6.5 per 1,000 people. Historically, Nebraska's marriage rate saw a significant rise during the 1960s, reaching its peak in 1970, followed by a steady decline over the decades.

By 2021, Nebraska's marriage rate had dropped to 5.3 per 1,000 people, notably lower than the national average of 6 per 1,000. This marked the lowest marriage rate in the state in 30 years. Between 1990 and 2021, Nebraska's marriage rate decreased by approximately 33.75%.

Per marital demographics, 53.5% of Nebraska men aged 15 and older were married, compared to 51.9% of women in the same age group. Men over 65 were more likely to be married, while women were more likely to be married between the ages of 35 and 44.

In 2021, Nebraska's divorce rate was 2.6 per 1,000 people, closely aligning with the national average of 2.5. Over the past three decades, the state has seen a steady decline in divorce rates, dropping from 4.0 in 1990 to 3.7 in 2000 and 3.6 in 2010. In 2021, 9.2% of men and 11.1% of women in Nebraska have experienced divorce. Divorce rates were higher among Native Americans (12.7%), followed by African Americans (12.4%), Hawaiians (11.3%), and Non-Hispanic Whites (10.4%). Overall, 10.2% of Nebraskans have been divorced at some point.

Nebraska law requires couples intending to marry to obtain a marriage license from a county clerk in the state. However, only persons who are currently not married and are at least aged 17 or older may be issued marriage licenses. Also, the state prohibits marriage licenses from being issued to authorize marriages between family members of any degree of consanguinity up to and including first cousins and marriages where either party is mentally incompetent and cannot provide consent. If either party to be authorized to get married with a marriage license is not yet 19, a notarized consent form must be signed by the applicant's parent or authorized custodian permitting the marriage of the minor. Parental consent forms may be obtained from the county clerk's office. No one under 17 may be issued a marriage license in Nebraska.

Both couples must appear in person at the application time in the county clerk's office. At the county clerk's office, an acceptable ID must be provided for each partner, such as a driver's license or passport. Other information, such as the full names of the applicants, the full names and birthplaces of both parents, and the Social Security numbers of the partners, will be required. Applicants who do not have a Social Security number must complete a form provided by the county clerk asserting that they do not have an SSN. A $25 fee is required before applicants may complete their marriage license applications. They may also pay an additional $9 to receive a certified marriage license from the county clerk after the completion of the marriage ceremony.

There is no waiting period to use a Nebraska marriage license. Hence, you can get married immediately after the license is issued. The license is valid for one year from the date of issuance. A Nebraska marriage license may be used in any county in the state and not necessarily in the county where it was issued.

Nebraska law requires at least two witnesses to be present when couples get married in the state. Also, according to Nebraska Revised Statutes 42-108, the ceremony must be officiated by a qualified person, such as:

  • A judge (current or retired)
  • Clerk magistrate (current or retired)
  • A preacher of the gospel authorized by the usages of the church to which they belong to solemnize marriages

After a Nebraska marriage ceremony, the officiant must return the original license and certificate of marriage to the county clerk, where it was issued within 15 days of the ceremony. Some Nebraska counties include a self-addressed envelope in the marriage packet obtained from the county clerk's office at the time of application.

Per Nebraska law, only marriage between a man and a woman is considered valid or recognized in the state. The union of two individuals of the same sex in a domestic partnership, civil union, or other type of same-sex relationship is not recognized. However, the federal ruling handed down in the Supreme Court in the Obergefell v. Hodges case legalized same-sex marriages in the United States. It made the state law banning same-sex marriages unconstitutional. Common-law marriages have been illegal in Nebraska since 1923. Common law marriages are recognized in Nebraska only if the couple previously resided in a state where such relationships are legally valid. In such instances, when the couple seeks to separate, legal proceedings similar to a formal divorce are conducted to divide their property and assets.

Nebraska Marriage Certificate

A Nebraska marriage certificate is an official marriage record that only becomes available after the marriage officiant returns the completed and signed marriage license and certificate of marriage to the office of the county clerk in which the license was issued. It can be used for insurance purposes, name changes, and claiming marital benefits. A Nebraska marriage certificate includes information such as the full names of both spouses, the date of the marriage, the place where the marriage ceremony took place, the names of the two adult witnesses at the ceremony, and the name of the marriage officiant.

Marriage certificates in Nebraska are issued by the Vital Records Office, which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). To obtain a copy, individuals may request the certificate through the DHHS website, either online or by mail.

How To Find and Access Nebraska Marriage Records

The Nebraska Office of Vital Records maintains records of marriages that occur in the state. The Office has been registering marriages that took place in the Cornhusker State since 1909. For marriage records before 1909, contact the office of the county clerk where the marriage license was issued or the:

History Nebraska

PO Box 82554

Lincoln, NE 68501

Note that a fee applies for searching a marriage record.

The Office of Vital Records issues marriage records as legally certified copies printed on multi-colored security paper containing a digitally enhanced state seal. Marriage record requesters are advised to review the Proper Purpose Regulations to ensure they meet proper purpose before submitting a request for a record.

Finding and Accessing Nebraska Marriage Records Online

Certified copies of marriage certificates may be ordered from the Office of Vital Records via its vital records application portal. On the portal, you will be required to provide your full name, daytime phone number, email address, physical address, shipping address, a copy of acceptable ID, and payment for the applicable fee. The Office of Vital Records charges $16 for a copy of a certified marriage certificate.

Note that online orders take 3-4 weeks to process. Expedited shipping is not available, and no refunds are issued once payment is made.

Some Nebraska counties allow the public to search marriage license records online. For example, Douglas County permits a search of its marriage license application database, while Lancaster County Clerk's Office provides a public access website for users to search marriage license records in the state. Sarpy County also has a publicly searchable marriage license database.

Finding and Accessing Nebraska Marriage Records Offline

To obtain a Nebraska marriage certificate by mail, send a completed marriage certificate application form and a $16 check or money order made payable to Vital Records to:

Nebraska Vital Records

PO Box 95065

Lincoln, Nebraska 68509-5065

You may also make requests to county clerk's offices in the state to obtain certified and non-certified copies of marriage records. You may request a copy of a marriage record from the Douglas County clerk's office by completing a marriage record request form. The county charges $9 per certified copy and $.25 for a non-certified copy of a marriage record. The Washington County Clerk's office also makes certified copies of marriage licenses available to requesters who submit a completed Application for Marriage Certificate form and a check or money order of the applicable fee to its address.

 

References

Counties in Nebraska

List of Content

  1. What are Marriage Records?
    1. Marriages in Nebraska
      1. Nebraska Marriage Certificate
    2. How To Find and Access Nebraska Marriage Records
      1. Finding and Accessing Nebraska Marriage Records Online
      2. Finding and Accessing Nebraska Marriage Records Offline