How to Find Nebraska Birth Records
In 1867 the state of Nebraska was formed out of the Nebraska Territory. Statewide registration of births began in 1904 and was generally complied with by 1920. The counties also hold copies of these records.
Next Step: When did the birth occur? |
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Births before 1869
Nebraska became a state in 1867. Before 1869, no births were recorded by the county or state. You must search substitute records to locate your ancestor’s birth date and place.
| Records that give birth information: | ||
Births from 1869 thru 1904
In 1867, Nebraska was created a state from the Nebraska Territory.
- A few Nebraska counties began recording births before statewide registration
- 1869 - City of Omaha began recording birth records. 1873-1910 Index to Douglas County Birth Registers is available through the Omaha Public Library website. Records after 1907 are of South Omaha. A few records in the collection predate 1873. The index includes the full name, sex, race, date of birth, place of birth, names of parents, and residence of parents. Volume 1 (1873-1887) of Omaha, and volume 5 (1895-1910) of South Omaha are indexed. There are nearly 50,000 records in the collection. The Douglas County Birth Registers are available on microfilm in the Genealogy & Local History Room at Omaha Public Library in Nebraska. Call number Nebraska Reference 929.3782254.
- From 1889, Lincoln began recording births
- 1904 - Nebraska Statewide birth registration began
- 1920 - Nebraska Statewide birth registration was generally complied
| Nebraska Births | ||||
| Before 1905 |
A few Nebraska counties began recording births and deaths before statewide registration. Contact the county clerk to obtain copies of the records. Copies of the Douglas County records before 1905 are available at the Douglas County Health Department. Douglas County Health Department | |||
| Can't find your ancestor in the online index? | Tips for searching online indexes | |||
| No birth record for your ancestor? | Other records with birth information | |||
Births from 1904 thru 1920
- 1904-1994 Nebraska, U.S., Birth Ledgers, 1904-1911, Birth Index, 1912-1994 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
Statewide registration of births and deaths began in 1904 and was generally complied with by 1920. Delayed registrations are also available from 1917 for births that occurred before that time. To obtain copies of the records, contact the Nebraska Department of Health.
Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services
Division of Public Health
Vital Records
P.O. Box 95065
Lincoln, NE 68509-5065
Telephone: 402-471-2871
Email: DHHS.VitalRecords@nebraska.gov
If you do not know the exact date or place of birth:
For a fee, the Nebraska Department of Health will do a 3 year search.
There are no restrictions for obtaining a birth certificate for persons born more than 50 years ago.
Restrictions for persons born within the last 50 years:
To obtain a copy of the birth certificate for those born within the last 50 years, you must be:
- The person on the certificate
- The parents and grandparents of person on the certificate
- The wife or husband of the person on the certificate
- The children and grandchildren of the person on the certificate
- The brothers or sisters of the person on the certificate
- Anyone who has legal interest in the certificate
- NOTE: A copy of the birth record cannot be obtained by anyone except those listed above until 50 years have passed from the date of the birth.
If you do not want to order the birth record, there are other records with birth information you can search.
Births after 1920
- 1904-1994 Nebraska, U.S., Birth Ledgers, 1904-1911, Birth Index, 1912-1994 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
With an exact date (from your records or the index above), you can order a copy of the birth record for a fee from the following locations:
| To Order Birth Certificates | |||
| From County of Birth | From NE Dept. of Health State office | ||
| Pros | Cons | Pros | Cons |
| May be less expensive and faster than ordering from the state | County websites can be more difficult to use | Offers a search of the state index for an additional fee | May be more expensive than ordering from the county |
If you do not know the exact date or place of birth:
For a fee, the Nebraska Department of Health office will do a 3 year search.
There are no restrictions for obtaining a birth certificate for persons born more than 50 years ago.
Restrictions for persons born within the last 50 years:
To obtain a copy of the birth certificate for those born within the last 50 years, you must be:
- The person on the certificate
- The parents and grandparents of person on the certificate
- The wife or husband of the person on the certificate
- The children and grandchildren of the person on the certificate
- The brothers or sisters of the person on the certificate
- Anyone who has legal interest in the certificate
- NOTE: A copy of the birth record cannot be obtained by anyone except those listed above until 50 years have passed from the date of the birth.
If you do not want to order the birth record, there are other records with birth information you can search.