To get a new birth certificate in Nebraska, you order a certified copy from the Department of Health and Human Services Vital Records office in Lincoln for $17 per copy. If you need the record itself changed or replaced — a correction, a name update, a paternity addition, an adoption reissue, a gender marker change, or a first-time registration for a birth that was never filed — you follow a separate statutory path before a new certificate is issued.1Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Vital Records Service Choices
Ordering a Certified Copy
Vital Records accepts requests through four channels, all priced at $17 per copy, which covers both the search and the certified copy itself.
- In person at 301 Centennial Mall South in Lincoln, processed in about 30 minutes.
- Online through the DHHS application portal, with a minimum of 7 days of in-office processing plus mailing time.
- Regular mail, with a minimum of 15 days of in-office processing.
- Expedited mail, processed in 1 to 2 days once received. You must include a prepaid return envelope through Priority Mail, Express Mail, FedEx, or UPS. Expedited service is not available for online orders.
Every request needs a current government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license, state ID, or passport.2Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Where to Write for Vital Records – Nebraska Have the full name on the certificate, the date and place of birth, and the parents’ names ready so the office can locate the record.
Who Can Request One
Nebraska birth certificates are not open public records. Under Section 71-612 of the Nebraska Revised Statutes, DHHS issues certified copies only to applicants who show a “proper purpose” as defined by department regulations, and only after proving their identity.3Nebraska Legislature. Nebraska Revised Statutes 71-612 In practice, that means the person on the certificate, a parent named on it, a legal guardian, or someone acting on their behalf with documented authority.
Correcting or Amending a Certificate
Amendments are governed by Sections 71-634 through 71-644 of the Nebraska Revised Statutes, a separate track from the original registration under Section 71-604.4Legal Information Institute. 174 Nebraska Administrative Code Chapter 9 Section 001 Common reasons to amend include a misspelled name, an incorrect date or place of birth, and a legal name change through the courts or marriage.
Timing matters. When someone applies to amend a certificate more than one year after the original filing date, the state requires supporting evidence to justify the change. Your word alone won’t move the file. Depending on what you’re fixing, expect to provide hospital records, affidavits from people with firsthand knowledge, a certified copy of a court decree, or a marriage certificate. The amendment fee is separate from the $17 you’ll pay for a new certified copy reflecting the change.
Adding or Changing the Father
If the biological father was left off the original certificate, or the listed father needs to be replaced, the bar is higher. Section 71-640.04 allows the father’s name to be changed and a new certificate issued only after a court has made a determination of paternity. Once the new certificate is issued, the original and the supporting evidence are sealed and available only by court order.5Justia Law. Nebraska Revised Statutes 71-640.04
For unmarried parents at the time of birth, Nebraska also offers voluntary paternity acknowledgment. Hospitals and other participating entities give both parents written materials, the acknowledgment forms, and notice of the legal consequences of signing. Both the mother and the alleged father must complete the acknowledgment voluntarily.6Legal Information Institute. 466 Nebraska Administrative Code Chapter 6 Section 004 – Voluntary Paternity Acknowledgement If paternity is disputed, don’t sign; pursue a court-ordered determination instead.
Changing the Sex Designation
Nebraska will issue a new certificate reflecting a different sex designation under Section 71-604.01, but the statutory requirements are strict. The applicant must submit a notarized affidavit from the physician who performed sex reassignment surgery, together with a certified copy of a court order changing the person’s name. A therapist’s letter or a self-attestation does not satisfy the statute.7Nebraska Legislature. Nebraska Revised Statutes 71-604.01
When DHHS issues the new certificate, the original is sealed and afterward accessible only by court order. The new certificate becomes the only publicly available version of the record.
New Certificate After Adoption
When a Nebraska court finalizes an adoption, DHHS issues a new birth certificate listing the adoptive parents in place of the biological parents. Under Section 71-626.01, the new certificate shows the child’s actual date and place of birth and substitutes for the original record.8Nebraska Legislature. Nebraska Revised Statutes 71-626.01 The original is sealed once the new one is issued. The replacement carries the same legal weight as any other Nebraska birth certificate and can be used for passports, school enrollment, inheritance, and any other official purpose.
When No Birth Certificate Was Ever Filed
If your Nebraska birth was never registered, you can still get a certificate through the Delayed Birth Registration Act, codified at Sections 71-617.01 through 71-617.15.9Nebraska Legislature. Nebraska Revised Statutes 71-617.01
Start by confirming that no record exists. Vital Records will provide a statement certifying that a search turned up no birth certificate on file. From there, build your case with secondary evidence created at or near the time of your birth: census transcripts, baptismal records, hospital records, and early school enrollment documents. The U.S. Census Bureau confirms that a census transcript is accepted evidence for a delayed birth certificate application.10U.S. Census Bureau. Birth Records
You’ll also generally need affidavits from people with personal knowledge of the birth. This gets harder the older the birth, because witnesses may no longer be reachable. Gather documentary evidence first, and plan for a longer timeline than a routine certificate order.
Penalties for Faking a Birth Certificate
Falsifying a birth certificate or using someone else’s identity to obtain one carries serious criminal exposure. Providing false identifying information to a government agency or law enforcement officer is criminal impersonation under Section 28-638, a Class IV felony.11Nebraska Legislature. Nebraska Revised Statutes 28-638 – Criminal Impersonation
Forging or altering the certificate itself falls under Section 28-603. Penalties scale with the value or proceeds involved in the forgery, from a Class II misdemeanor for amounts under $500 up to a Class IIA felony for amounts of $5,000 or more, with enhanced classifications for repeat offenders.12Nebraska Legislature. Nebraska Revised Statutes 28-603 – Forgery in the Second Degree A court can also order restitution to anyone harmed by the fraud.