Nebraska Vital Records in Lincoln issues certified copies of birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates for events that occurred anywhere in the state. You can order in person at 301 Centennial Mall South, by mail to P.O. Box 95065, or online through the state’s VitalChek portal, and fees run $16 to $17 per copy depending on the record type.1Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Vital Records
What the Office Issues
The Office of Vital Records, part of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, keeps four categories of certificates: birth, death, marriage, and dissolution of marriage.1Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Vital Records Each certified copy carries the same legal weight as the original filing and is accepted for passport applications, school enrollment, insurance claims, name changes, and estate proceedings.
One point of confusion worth clearing up: if you want to get married in Lancaster County, the marriage license itself comes from the County Clerk at 555 S. 10th Street, Room 108, not from Vital Records.2Lancaster County, NE. Marriage Licenses Once the marriage is performed and recorded with the state, the certified certificate is what you order from Vital Records.
Who Can Request a Record
Nebraska vital records are not public. Under state law, the department issues certified copies only to applicants who show a “proper purpose” defined by its regulations.3Nebraska Legislature. Nebraska Revised Statute 71-612 In practice, that means you need to fit one of these categories:
- The person named on the certificate, if age 19 or older
- A parent, spouse, sibling, child, grandparent, or grandchild of that person
- A court-appointed legal guardian
- The personal representative of a deceased person’s estate
- Anyone with a direct tangible interest in the record, or someone with a court order from a court of competent jurisdiction
If you don’t qualify, the request is denied and the search fee is not refunded.4Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Funeral Directing and Death Certificates Fees are waived for requests from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or lawful veterans’ service organizations when the record supports a service member’s benefits claim.3Nebraska Legislature. Nebraska Revised Statute 71-612
Identification and Information You’ll Need
Every applicant has to prove identity. One primary ID is enough: a current driver’s license, state-issued ID card, or U.S. passport — anything with both your photo and signature.5Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Vital Records Required Identification
Without one of those, bring two items from the secondary list, which is broader than most people realize. It includes a Social Security card, a current utility bill in your name, a voter registration card, a military dependent ID, a student ID, a current bank statement, a vehicle registration, a birth or marriage certificate, a pay stub, or a hunting or fishing license.1Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Vital Records
Your application also needs the full legal name of the person on the certificate, the date of the event, and for a birth record, both parents’ names, including the mother’s maiden name. If the office can’t locate a matching record because of a detail you got wrong, the search fee is gone.
Three Ways to Order
In Person
Walk-in requests are processed at the state office on the first floor of 301 Centennial Mall South, Lincoln, NE 68509.6Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Vital Records Service Choices You bring ID, complete the application, pay, and typically leave the same day with the certified copy. This is the fastest route if you have a deadline.
By Mail
Send your completed application, a photocopy of your ID, and a check or money order payable to Nebraska Vital Records to: Nebraska Vital Records, P.O. Box 95065, Lincoln, NE 68509-5065.6Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Vital Records Service Choices If no matching record is found, you’ll be notified in writing.1Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Vital Records
Online
The state uses VitalChek for electronic orders at nevitalrecords-dhhs.ne.gov. You pay by credit card. VitalChek adds a processing fee and a shipping fee on top of the state’s base rate, and the exact surcharges aren’t posted up front. Online orders also take the longest: the state advises allowing three to four weeks for delivery.7Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Vital Records If you assumed online meant faster, this is the catch.
Fees
The state charges per certified copy, by record type:
- Birth certificate: $17.00
- Death certificate: $16.00
- Marriage certificate: $16.00
- Divorce certificate: $16.00
These rates apply to mail and in-person orders.1Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Vital Records Online orders through VitalChek carry additional surcharges. Every fee is non-refundable, even if the office can’t locate the record or decides you aren’t an eligible applicant. If you need more than one copy, each one costs the full per-copy fee, and ordering several at once is cheaper than coming back because you avoid repeated search fees.
Correcting a Record
If a vital record has a misspelled name, a wrong date, or missing paternity information, it can be amended. The fee for any change is $16.00, non-refundable.1Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Vital Records
A legal name change requires a certified copy of the court order directing the change. Adding a father’s name when paternity wasn’t originally established requires a sworn acknowledgment of paternity signed by both parents; a birth certificate amended for paternity is not marked as amended, which protects the child’s privacy. Other amendments carry a dated notation on the face of the certificate showing it was changed.8Nebraska Legislature. Nebraska Revised Statute 71-630
Older Records for Genealogy
The eligibility rules don’t apply forever. Birth records become public 100 years after the date of birth, and death records become public 50 years after the date of death.1Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Vital Records Past that point, anyone can view the record at the Vital Records office without proving a family relationship. For more recent records, genealogical researchers still have to qualify as eligible applicants, typically by showing a direct family connection.
If You Need the Record Abroad
A certified copy from Vital Records is legally valid inside the United States. To use a Nebraska certificate in another country, you’ll likely also need an apostille (for countries in the Hague Convention) or an authentication (for other countries) from the Nebraska Secretary of State. The fee is $10 per document regardless of page count, and walk-in requests at 1201 N Street, Suite 120 in Lincoln are completed the same day; mailed requests take three to five business days from receipt.9Nebraska Secretary of State. Apostilles and Authentications That office is separate from Vital Records, so plan on two stops if you need both documents the same day.
Contact Information
Nebraska Vital Records can be reached by phone at (402) 471-2871 or by email at DHHS.VitalRecords@nebraska.gov.6Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Vital Records Service Choices The office is on the first floor of 301 Centennial Mall South, Lincoln, NE 68509, and the mailing address for applications is P.O. Box 95065, Lincoln, NE 68509-5065.