How to Find Nebraska Death Records
How to Find United States Deaths 
Nebraska Deaths
In 1867, the Territory of Nebraska was admitted to the union as the 37th state. The State began to keep death records in late 1904. Use the following time frame for deciding which resources to consider when trying to locate a death record in Nebraska.
First Step: When did the death occur? |
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Deaths before 1904
Nebraska did not begin statewide registration of death records until late 1904, although compliance was not total for several years. Generally, they did not record deaths at the city or county level. However, the earliest death records were kept were kept by a few city health departments. For example, the city of Omaha has death records from 1873 and the city of Lincoln has death files from 1889. A few Nebraska counties also began recording births and deaths before statewide registration. Contact the county clerk to have a search done and to obtain copies of the records. Be aware that they will charge you whether they find the person you are looking for or not. Therefore, before requesting a search and paying the fee, it may be worth the effort to contact the county clerk of the county where the person died and ask ahead of time if they have any pre-1905 death records.
There are some online death records and indexes at Online Nebraska Death Records and Indexes
Also, consider searching the following substitute records to locate your ancestor’s death date and place.
| Records that may give death information: | ||
Deaths from 1904 and later
Click on the following link to obtain information including: current cost, address and other requirements for requesting a copy of a death certificate from the State of Nebraska.
All death records for Nebraska are not on the Internet. For some online databases, use the following:
- In FamilySearch, check the following:
- - Social Security Death Index:
- - US Death and Burials 1867-1961: (Very few from Nebraska)
- - To see any newly added databases in FamilySearch, click here
- In Ancestry.com
- - Ancestry is a subscription site. However, it can be used free at an LDS Family History Center. To find the closest one, click here.
- -To see what is available on Ancestry's website, click on Search, then Nebraska, then evaluate the sources listed under Nebraska Birth, Marriage and Death to see what sources dealing with death records may be helpful. Then click on the source and do a search.
|- | align="left" colspan="3" | Nebraska Deaths Databases; |
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|- | Try 1st: |
| |- | | width="25%" | 1904 - present At Nebraska State Vital Record Office | width="65%" | $11 Fill out application and mail in
|- | Try 2nd: |
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| 1853-1970 - At FamilySearch.org | Free; dates vary by county and some only go to 1962; list of county coverage (right side of the screen); click on "view partner website" to see a copy of the image |- | Next try: |
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|- | align="left" colspan="3" | Includes Index Only |
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|- | align="left" colspan="2" | Choose one of the following: |
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|- | width="10%" |
| 1853-1973 - use at FamilySearch Centers/Libraries | Free at FamilySearch Centers and Libraries; Find your local FamilySearch Center |- |
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|- | width="10%" |
| 1853-1973 - use your Ancestry subscription | $, To obtain a subscription to Ancestry; Ancestry is often available through your local public library for free |- |
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|- |
| width="25%" | Can't search the index listed above? | Try searching other records for death information. |- | align="left" colspan="2" | Can't find your ancestor in the index? | Tips for searching indexes |
|- | align="left" colspan="2" | No death record for your ancestor? | Other records with death information |
|}
Deaths from 1917 thru 1970
The state of Nebraska began recording deaths in January 1917.
STEP ONE: Find Death Information
For deaths that exist during this time period, try the following databases. Try each link.
| Nebraska Deaths Databases - Includes Index and Digital Images | ||||
| Try 1st: | ||||
| 1853-1970 - At Nebraska Division of Culture and History | Free; dates vary by county and some only go to 1962; list of county coverage (right side of the screen) | |||
| Try 2nd: | ||||
| 1853-1970 - At FamilySearch.org | Free; dates vary by county and some only go to 1962; list of county coverage (right side of the screen); click on "view partner website" to see a copy of the image | |||
| Next try: | ||||
| Includes Index Only | ||||
| Choose one of the following: | ||||
| 1853-1973 - use at FamilySearch Centers/Libraries | Free at FamilySearch Centers and Libraries; Find your local FamilySearch Center | |||
| 1853-1973 - use your Ancestry subscription | $, To obtain a subscription to Ancestry; Ancestry is often available through your local public library for free | |||
| Can't search the index listed above? | Go to Step Two listed below and order a search for your ancestor from the Nebraska Department of Health State Office. | |||
| Can't find your ancestor in the index? | Tips for searching indexes | |||
| No death record for your ancestor? | Other records with death information | |||
STEP TWO: Obtain the Certificate
If the image was not included in the index entry above, you can order a copy of the death record for a fee from the following locations:
| To Order Death Certificates | |||
| From County of Death | 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 death:
For a fee, the Nebraska Department of Health office will do a 3 year search (click on the death certificates tab).
Restrictions for persons who died within the last 50 years:
To obtain a copy of the death certificate for those who died within the last 50 years, you must be:
- The parent or grandparent of the person on the certificate
- The spouse of the person on the certificate
- The child or grandchild of the person on the certificate
- The sibling of the person on the certificate
- Funeral director
- Anyone who has legal interest in the certificate
- NOTE: A copy of the death record cannot be obtained by anyone except those listed above until 50 years have passed from the date of the death.
If you do not want to order the death record, there are other records with death information you can search.
Deaths after 1970
With an exact date (from your records or the index above), you can order a copy of the death record for a fee from the following locations:
| To Order Death Certificates | |||
| From County of Death | 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 death:
For a fee, the Nebraska Department of Health office will do a 3 year search (click on the death certificates tab).
Restrictions for persons born who died within the last 50 years:
To obtain a copy of the death certificate for those who died within the last 50 years, you must be:
- The parent or grandparent of the person on the certificate
- The spouse of the person on the certificate
- The child or grandchild of the person on the certificate
- The sibling of the person on the certificate
- Funeral director
- Anyone who has legal interest in the certificate
- NOTE: A copy of the death record cannot be obtained by anyone except those listed above until 50 years have passed from the date of the death.
If you do not want to order the death record, there are other records with death information you can search.
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