Lancaster County Clerk Office

Role of the Lancaster County Clerk

The Lancaster County Clerk is Matt Hansen. The office is the county-government record keeper and the fiscal office for the county. It is not a court clerk. That is a key point. Court case files run through the Clerk of the District Court and the County Court, while county-government papers run through the County Clerk. The role mixes record keeping with money work. The clerk issues applications and licenses, keeps County Board records, issues marriage licenses, processes property valuation protests, and runs county fiscal, accounting, and payroll work.

The office has three divisions: Records, Accounting, and Payroll. In FY2022-2023 the Clerk's Office entered over 8,500 records into its Content Manager system. That gives a sense of the volume. The clerk's quick-link page at lancaster.ne.gov/clerk lists the services, hours, address, and parking notes in one place. The County Board side of the work is the public part most people miss. Board agendas, minutes, contracts, resolutions, declarations, and proclamations all sit with the County Clerk as the official county record.

• Issuing county marriage licenses and keeping marriage records.
• Keeping County Board agendas, minutes, contracts, and resolutions.
• Processing property valuation protests for the county.
• Running county fiscal, accounting, and payroll functions.
• Issuing certain county business and license filings such as liquor and tobacco licenses.

Note: The County Clerk does not keep court case files; those stay with the District Court and County Court clerks at 575 South 10th Street.

Office Location, Hours, and Parking

The County Clerk works out of the County-City Building, a block away from the courthouse. The office is in Room 108 at street level. Hours run longer than the courts because the office opens at 7:30 a.m. Walk-ins are welcome for marriage license business with no appointment, and the office stays open through lunch. The contact card below pulls the address, phone, fax, and hours straight from the county record.

Parking around the County-City campus can be tight, and a building expansion project is changing the layout. The County Clerk's own 2026 construction notice lists the current options. Free street parking sits around the downtown campus. Two public garages serve the area: Carriage Park Garage at 1128 L Street and Center Park Garage at 1120 N Street. Beginning spring 2026, temporary free public parking opens at 555 South 9th Street. StarTran runs a loop between the garages and the County-City campus every 15 minutes for 25 cents during the expansion. Plan a few extra minutes for parking and security screening.

Because the justice offices downtown are split among 575 South 10th, 555 South 10th, 605 South 10th, and 633 South 9th Street, confirm your building before you go. The County Clerk is at 555 South 10th. The court clerks are at 575 South 10th. They are close but not the same office.

Records Held by the County Clerk

The County Clerk holds a defined set of county-government records. The office page is clear about what it does and does not keep. It does not maintain County Court or District Court records. It does not keep records for other Lancaster County or City of Lincoln departments. So a request for a divorce decree, a criminal file, or a property deed goes elsewhere. The clerk keeps the county's own corporate record plus its marriage record series.

The marriage record series runs from mid-June 1976 forward. Older marriage records route to other agencies, which the marriage section below explains. The County Board record set is the other large group. Board agendas and minutes show how the county governs itself, vote by vote. Contracts, resolutions, declarations, and proclamations round out the official county record. Budget and fiscal papers come out of the Accounting division.

• Lancaster County marriage records from mid-June 1976 forward.
• County Board agendas and meeting minutes.
• County contracts, resolutions, declarations, and proclamations.
• County budget, fiscal, and accounting records.
• County business and license filings handled by the clerk.

For court case files, including civil judgments, criminal dockets, and child support payment records, see the Clerk of the District Court page or the broader court records guide instead.

How to Request a County Record

The County Clerk takes record requests three ways: by email, by mail, or in person. Emailed requests for general county records are fine, but emailed marriage record request forms are not accepted. That split trips people up. Marriage copies have their own form rules, covered below. For most county records, a short written request that names the record and the date range moves the fastest.

1. Identify the record. Confirm it is a county record, not a court case file, since the clerk does not keep court records.
2. Pick a method. Email coclerk@lancaster.ne.gov, mail the Lancaster County Clerk at 555 South 10th Street, Room 108, Lincoln NE 68508, or drop a written request at Room 108.
3. Describe the record clearly. Give the date, the meeting, the contract name, or the marriage date so staff can find it fast.
4. Ask about fees up front. Copy and research charges apply once staff time runs long; the fee schedule below sets the rates.
5. Pay any fee. A credit or debit card service fee applies, so factor that in before you submit.
6. For questions on a request, call 402-441-7484.

The county also keeps a wider records-request landing page at lancaster.ne.gov that lists the request methods, the marriage record scope, and the fee notes. Use it to confirm the current process before you mail anything.

Public Records Request Form Fields

The most form-heavy County Clerk request is the certified marriage record. The county posts a request form for it, and the field set is worth knowing before you start. The table below lists the fields from the certified marriage record request form. A copy of valid photo ID is required for a mailed request. Emailed forms are not accepted for this one.

Submission is online, by mail, or in person. For general county records that are not marriage copies, a plain written request with the same core details, your name, your contact, and a clear description of the record, is enough to get started.

Lancaster County Clerk Fee Schedule

County Clerk fees are set by the county fee schedule and by state statute for some items. A marriage license costs $25. A certified marriage copy costs $9 each. Card payments add a service fee. The table below pulls the main rates from the County Clerk fee schedule and the certified copy form. The county posts the full fee schedule with statutory citations for the complete list.

The $25 marriage license fee tracks Neb. Rev. Stat. § 33-110. Research and data-collection work that runs past 8 hours moves to an hourly staff rate, and any IT extraction or data manipulation is billed at the IT staff rate. Ask the office for a cost estimate before a large pull so there are no surprises at pickup.

Note: A card service fee of $1.25 or 2.35% applies to most card payments, so a small copy fee can carry a minimum charge.

Marriage Licenses Through the County Clerk

Marriage licenses are the County Clerk's most-requested service. The office issues the license, keeps the marriage record, and sells certified copies. There is no appointment needed, and the office stays open through lunch. The marriage hotline is 402-441-8448. The county posts the requirements and process at the marriage license page.

Both applicants finish the license in person and sign under oath. State law sets the application rules under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 42-104, and the solemnization and return rules sit at § 42-108. The County Clerk holds Lancaster marriage records from mid-June 1976 forward. For 1909 to mid-June 1976 records, contact Nebraska DHHS Vital Records. For records before 1913, contact the Nebraska State Historical Society.

For the full application steps, the worksheet field list, divorce record routing, and the certified copy process, see the Lancaster County marriage and divorce records page.

County Board Minutes and Public Records

The County Clerk is the official keeper of the County Board record. That makes the office the go-to source for how the county votes and spends. Board agendas and minutes are public county records. So are board contracts, resolutions, declarations, and proclamations. People research these for property disputes, contract history, budget questions, and zoning context.

Nebraska treats public records as open by default. The Nebraska Public Records Act sets the floor for inspection and copying. Inspection during office hours is free under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 84-712, while copies and staff time may carry a fee. A broad definition of a public record sits at § 84-712.01, which covers records regardless of physical form. If a request is denied, § 84-712.03 gives a review-and-mandamus path. The main exemptions are listed at § 84-712.05, which shields medical, investigatory, security, and personnel material.

For the county-wide open records process and the records the county holds beyond the clerk's own files, see the public records page. It maps the request route across county and city departments.

County Clerk vs Clerk of the District Court

The two clerk offices sound alike but do very different work. The County Clerk is a county-government officer who keeps county papers and county money records. The Clerk of the District Court is a court officer who keeps case files. Sending a request to the wrong one wastes time. The comparison block below sorts out which office holds what.

Both offices sit in downtown Lincoln, one block apart. The County Clerk keeps the marriage record but never the divorce file. The court clerk keeps the divorce file but never the marriage license. For court case work, go to the Clerk of the District Court page.

Related Lancaster County Records

For court case files and the district court process, see the Clerk of the District Court page. For marriage license steps and certified copies, see marriage and divorce records. For wills, estates, and guardianship matters, see probate records. For the county-wide open records process, see public records. For criminal, civil, traffic, and juvenile case lookups in the JUSTICE system, start at the main court records guide.