Nebraska Vital Records

Nebraska Wiki Topics

Beginning Research

Guided Research Research Strategies Record Finder

Record Types

Adoption Bible Records Biography Cemeteries Census Church Records Correctional Institutions Court Records Crime & Punishment Directories Emigration & Immigration Genealogies Land & Property Military Records Naturalization & Citizenship Newspapers Obituaries Online Collections Periodicals Probate Records Taxation Vital Records Voter Records

Nebraska Background

Biography Further Reading Gazetteers History Law & Legislation Maps Migration

Cultural Groups

African Americans Indigenous Peoples Cultural Groups Swedish American

Local Research Resources

Archives & Libraries Societies Find a FamilySearch center

United States

U.S. Vital Records

Nebraska

Vital Records

Vital Records Reference Dates

Nebraska vital records start the following years:

	Births	Marriages	Deaths
Earliest	1869*	County Formation	1873*
Statewide Registration	1904	1909	1904

* "With the exception of some delayed birth registrations located in the office of the county clerk, Nebraska did not record births and deaths at the county level." The city of Omaha kept birth and death records prior to statewide registration.

Nebraska Birth, Marriage and Death Records Online

Births

• 1900-Onward Nebraska Births at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
• 1904-1994 Nebraska, U.S., Birth Ledgers, 1904-1911, Birth Index, 1912-1994 at Ancestry - index & images ($)

Marriages

• 1600s-1900s US Marriages - Nebraska at Findmypast — index ($)
• 1855-1908 Nebraska, Select County Marriage Records, 1855-1908 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
• 1855-1995 Nebraska Marriages, 1855-1995 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
• 1856-1898 Nebraska Compiled Marriage Index at Ancestry — index ($)
• 1909-Onward Nebraska Marriages at MyHeritage — index & images ($)

Deaths

• 1861-1948 Nebraska, Grand Army of the Republic, Burial Records, 1861-1948 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
• 1900-1955 Nebraska Deaths, 1900-1955 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
• 1904-1955 Death Index, 1904-1955 at the Nebraska Death Index - Index & browsable images
• 1904-1968 Nebraska Index to Deaths, 1904-1968 at Ancestry — index ($)
• 1935-2014 US Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 at Ancestry — index ($)
• 1936-2007 US Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry — index ($)
• 1956-1968 The Nebraska Death Index at Nebraska Death Index — index
• 1956-1968 Nebraska Death Index, 1956-1968 at MyHeritage — index only ($)

City & County Databases

• 1873-1910 Index to the Douglas County Birth Registers at Omaha Public Library - Index
• 1873-1915 Douglas County Death Register Indexes at Omaha Public Library - index

Order Certificates

• Order Nebraska Certificates online - $

Birth Records

Local Records of Births and Deaths

The earliest civil vital records were kept by a few city health departments. The city of Omaha has birth records dating from 1869 and death 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, NE 68183-0401
Telephone: 402-444-7205

State Records of Births and Deaths

• 1873-1910 An Index to the Douglas County Birth Registers is available online through the Omaha Public Library. There are five volumes of the birth registers on three reels of microfilm with nearly 50,000 records in the collection. Volume 1 (1873-1887) of Omaha, and volume 5 (1895-1910) of South Omaha are currently indexed. The records include the full name, sex, race, date of birth, place of birth, names of parents, and residence of parents. Available at the Omaha Public Library Genealogy & Local History Room. Call number Nebraska Reference 929.3782254. Douglas County Birth Registers

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, write to:

Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services
Division of Public Health
Vital Records
P.O. Box 95065
Lincoln, NE 68509-5065
Telephone: 402-471-2871
E-mail: DHHS.VitalRecords@nebraska.gov

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 VitalRecords.com.

The FamilySearch 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.

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 FamilySearch 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.

Marriage records for some counties may be found at Nebraska Marriage Records and Nebraska, U.S., Index to Marriages, 1909-1955

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.

Death Records

Cause of Death

• Causes of Death - use this resource when trying to interpret a disease or medical condition listed on a death record or certificate

Substitute Records

Nebraska Church Records

Nebraska Cemetery Records

Nebraska Census

Nebraska Newspapers

Nebraska Obituaries

Nebraska Military Records

Nebraska Periodicals

Nebraska History

Tips

• Information listed on vital records is given by an informant. Learn the relationship of the informant to the subject(s) of the record. The closer the relationship of the informant to the subject(s) and whether or not the informant was present at the time of the event can help determine the accuracy of the infomation found on the record.
• If you're unable to locate vital records recorded by governments, search for church records of christening, marriage, death or burial. A family Bible may have been used to record births, marriages and deaths.
• Privacy laws may restrict your access to some vital records. Copies of some vital records recorded in the last 100 years may be unavailable to anyone except a direct relative.
• Search for Vital Records in the FamilySearch Catalog by using Place Search and then choosing Vital Records. Search for Nebraska to locate records filed by the State and then search the name of the county to locate records kept by that county.

Archives, Libraries and Societies

Nebraska Archives and Libraries

Nebraska Societies

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.

This website requires a paid subscription for full access. Some subscription websites are available for free at your local FamilySearch Center or Affiliate Library.

To access available information, first log into FamilySearch.