Nebraska marriage records
Who holds it: County clerk of the issuing county issues licenses and keeps the license record; DHHS Office of Vital Records holds statewide marriage records from 1909. Before 1909: the county or the Nebraska State Historical Society.1
On this page
Certified copy fee
State (DHHS): $16 per certified marriage certificate. County clerk: Madison County $16 certified (from July 18, 2026; was $9) / $1 photocopy.2
Who may order
From DHHS: the registrants or their children ("yourself or your parents"); others contact DHHS; genealogical release if registrant deceased 50+ years.2
Fees
- Marriage license fee
- $50 (effective July 18, 2026; previously $25), per Madison County Clerk. License valid one year; may be used anywhere in Nebraska. Minimum age 17 (17-18 need notarized parental consent); 6-month wait after a divorce decree is final.3
Related records in Nebraska
- Divorce records: who holds it
- Clerk of the district court in the county where granted holds the decree/case file; DHHS Office of Vital Records issues divorce certificates for divorces from 1909. Pre-1909: clerk of the district court.1
- Older records: vital records for genealogy
- DHHS releases vital records for family history only if 50+ years old; genealogy requests take up to 12 weeks.1
How Nebraska handles it
- Several county fees changed July 18, 2026 (2026 legislation): marriage license $25 to $50, county certified marriage copy $9 to $16, documentary stamp tax $2.32 to $3.32 per $1,000 (through Dec 31, 2031). Older county pages may still show old amounts.3
Marriage records in Nebraska counties with a full guide
The local office, its official online search and its own fee, for each county with a full guide. Local fees can differ from the statewide figures above.
| County | Office | Search online | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas County | Clerk/Comptroller4 | — | — |
| Lancaster County | Lancaster County Clerk5 | — | Marriage license $50; certified copies $16 each; card fee $1.25 or 2.35%5 |
| Sarpy County | County Clerk / Register of Deeds6 | — | — |
For any other county, see the county list on the Nebraska guide.
Official copies vs look-alike sites
A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any Nebraska office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.
Rules in other states: marriage records in every state. Everything else in Nebraska: Nebraska public records guide.
Sources
Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 6 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.
- Vital Records - Family History (Genealogy)Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Vital Records
- Vital RecordsNebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Vital Records
- Marriage LicensesMadison County, Nebraska
- Douglas County (home)Douglas County, Nebraska
- Marriage LicensesLancaster County Clerkarchived copy
- County Clerk / Register of Deeds | Sarpy County, NESarpy County Clerk / Register of Deeds