Douglas County Court Records

Douglas court records generally encompass various documents, materials, and information generated or filed in connection with legal proceedings. Court records provide a historical account of case proceedings and are important for maintaining transparency and accountability in the judicial process, as well as ensuring continuity and efficiency in the administration of justice.

In Douglas County, Nebraska, court records include case summaries, pleadings, briefs, orders, judgments, exhibits, transcripts, dockets, charges (for criminal cases), orders, financial information (costs/judgments assessed and paid), and registers of action (listings of documents filed by case parties).

Are Court Records Public in Douglas County?

Yes, court records are public in Douglas County. The Nebraska Public Records Law and Supreme Court Rules govern access to court records. These regulations bestow interested persons with the right to access and obtain copies of court records upon paying the relevant fees. Individuals may also copy documents using their own equipment (Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 84-712(1)(3)).

However, certain court records are kept confidential to protect privacy rights and preserve the integrity of the justice process, among other reasons. These records include:

• Students' personal information (name, address, telephone, date and place of birth, etc.)
• Medical records
• Investigatory records
• Records protected by attorney/client privilege
• Law enforcement intelligence, training, or investigative reports
• Information whose public disclosure may endanger public safety or property
• Documents that reveal a private citizen's home address, social security number, and financial account numbers

Douglas County Court Records Search

Individuals searching for Douglas County court records may inquire at/through:

• The Nebraska JUSTICE Online Case Search portal
• The court that heard the case
• Third-party websites

Douglas County Court Records Search by Name

Name-based searches are a convenient means of finding court records in Douglas County. An inquirer only needs the name of a party to a case, which may be the defendant or plaintiff.

Anyone with at least the last name of a case party can access the JUSTICE One-Time Court Case Search provided by the Nebraska Judicial Branch to find case information. (Other search criteria include the court type, case type/subtype, county, year, judge, and attorney.) To access this tool, users may create a subscriber account with an annual charge of $100. Otherwise, the researcher must pay $15 for each search.

Users can also access a General Search option to view case lists. However, there is a $1 fee to view the details of any case returned in a general search. Searches may also be performed using the judgment date and court case number. Each search is charged a $1 fee, with no additional charges for accessing document images.

Interested individuals may also conduct named-based searches for Douglas County court records using third-party websites.

Douglas County Courts

Douglas County's court system comprises a county court that handles minor violations and probate cases, a juvenile court that handles issues relating to minors, and a district court.

Douglas County District Court
300 Hall of Justice
1701 Farnam Street
Omaha, NE 68183
Phone: (402) 444-7018
Fax: (402) 444-1757

County Court of Douglas County
Hall of Justice
1701 Farnam Street
Omaha, NE 68183
Phone: (402) 444-5387
Fax: (402) 444-6890

Douglas County Juvenile Court
Hall of Justice
1701 Farnam Street
Room 600
Omaha, NE 68183
Phone: (402) 444-7121

Douglas County Superior Court Case Search

Nebraska's judicial system comprises several courts, including the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Workers' Compensation Court, District Courts, County Courts, and Juvenile Courts (in some counties). The Nebraska constitution does not provide for a "superior court". However, district courts serve as the trial courts of general jurisdiction and exercise jurisdiction typical of superior courts.

Douglas County District Court Records

Statutorily, Nebraska district courts are general jurisdiction trial courts that hear all civil and criminal cases, including appeals from the lower county courts (Neb. Rev. Stat. §25-2728, Neb. Rev. Stat. §84-917), except where otherwise provided.

Douglas County District Court records are obtainable through:

• The JUSTICE One-Time Court Case Search portal.
• The District Court Clerk's office via a written or oral (in-person) request. Researchers may call the office at (402) 444-7018 beforehand to ensure sought-after records are available and ascertain applicable fees. However, public access terminals are available in the Clerk's office. Written applications should be mailed to the address below:

300 Hall of Justice
1701 Farnam Street
3rd Floor
Omaha, NE 68183

Douglas County Criminal Records

Requests for Douglas County criminal records may be directed to the county sheriff's office, a city police department, or the Nebraska State Patrol.

Local Police Department

Criminal history records obtained from the Omaha Police Department only provide one's criminal convictions for Douglas County and cost $7 per record. Requests may be sent via mail or in person, and requestors must provide a subject's full name (including maiden name, if available), date of birth, and Social Security Number (if known).

Douglas County Sheriff's Office

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office collates criminal history information, including warrant information and Douglas County Arrest Records from the local police department and provides it to individuals, public entities, and private companies for criminal background checks. Each criminal history records request to the sheriff's office requires a completed Background Check Request Form (ASF-119) and a $10 fee. The form and fee may be sent via mail or in person. However, all requests for law enforcement use are free.

Nebraska State Patrol

The Nebraska State Patrol provides access to statewide (name-based) and nationwide (fingerprint-based) criminal history records. Name-based criminal background checks are available to any requester provided they provide the search subject's name and date of birth and pay the applicable fees. However, fingerprint-based reports are only available to authorized persons.

To obtain a statewide criminal history check from the Nebraska State Patrol, one may submit an online request, mail a completed request form to the Criminal Identification Division, or take the form in person to the Criminal Identification Division at 4600 Innovation Drive, Lincoln. Each request costs $15.50, payable by money order, personal check, or cashier's check.

Douglas County Criminal Court Case Lookup

The district and county courts both hear criminal cases filed in Douglas County. The former handles felony cases but shares concurrent jurisdiction with the county court in misdemeanor criminal and traffic infraction matters. Still, the Douglas County Court can conduct preliminary criminal felony cases.

Persons interested in looking up Douglas County criminal court cases should visit the court that heard the case or use the state-run JUSTICE One-Time Court Case Search tool, which costs $15 per search. Further inquiries may be directed to the relevant court clerk's office.

Get Douglas County Civil Court Records

The Douglas County Court handles most civil disputes. However, civil disputes involving damages above $57,000 are within the jurisdiction of the local district court. Some examples of civil court cases include contract disputes, civil traffic and municipal infractions, small claims, landlord and tenant disputes, adoption, and divorce. Depending on where a case was heard, Douglas County's civil court case records may be obtained from the County Court Clerk or the District Court Clerk's office.

Some other resources for accessing Douglas County civil court records include:

• Nebraska JUSTICE Online Case Search portal
• Public access terminals provided at the district courthouse

Douglas County Family Court Records

Nebraska family court records are documents originating from family-related court disputes. These cases include domestic violence, adoption, child custody, and other similar cases.

Per Neb. Rev. Stat. § 42-364 and the District Domestic Relations Court Rules, the district court hears all domestic relations cases, while the juvenile court hears all cases relating to minors.

Douglas County family court records are obtainable by:

• Querying the District Court Clerk in person or via mail
• Using public terminals at the District Court Clerk's office
• Accessing the JUSTICE One-Time Court Case Search portal (see FAQs)

Records from 1855 to 2000 may be found at the Nebraska Library & Archives.

Researchers should note that not all family court records can be disclosed. For instance, documents that reveal personal sensitive information, contain a minor's contact details, or identify a domestic violence victim are not public. As well, adoption, guardianship, and psychological and mental health evaluation records are not released publicly.

Douglas Dissolution of Marriage Records

Divorce decrees filed in Douglas County are preserved by the Clerk of the District Court. To obtain these marriage dissolution records, one should contact the District Court Clerk's office at (402) 444-7018 to check record availability and confirm fees, or they can visit the office at the local district courthouse during regular operating hours.

Douglas County Marriage and Divorce Records

Requests for Douglas County marriage records can be made to the Clerk/Comptroller's office or Nebraska County Vital Records Office. Meanwhile, individuals can obtain divorce records from the Clerk of the District Court (as explained above) or the State Vital Records Office.

The State Vital Records Office

Requests for Douglas marriage records can be mailed to the Nebraska Vital Records Office or made online. Each marriage certificate costs $16 per copy.

For mail requests, applicants must send a printed and completed Marriage Certificate Application Form with a $16 check or money order, which is nonrefundable regardless of the search outcome. The requester must also include a photocopy of their valid photo identification. Mail requests should be forwarded to:

Vital Records
P.O. Box 95065
Lincoln, Nebraska 68509-5065

Applications for Douglas County divorce records may be made online or via mail to the Nebraska Vital Records Office. Mail requests must include a filled-out Divorce Certificate Application Form, a $16 check or money order, and a valid government-issued Photo ID.

Note that there are other options that one may explore to retrieve vital records from the State Vital Records Office. Also, requesters must meet the minimum requirements for obtaining vital records in Nebraska. Generally, an applicant must be the registrant (record's subject), their family, or legal representative.

Douglas County Birth and Death Records

Birth certificates are often used for identification when applying for a driver's license or Social Security card, registering for school or sporting activities, transferring property, or collecting retirement benefits or life insurance. Death records, however, are required to claim certain insurance benefits and administer a decedent's estate, among other things.

The Douglas County Health Department's Vital Statistics Office can provide records of births and deaths that took place in the county. Requests may be made via phone, mail, or in person. Mail orders should include the appropriate birth or death record request form and the applicable fee ($17 for birth certificate and $16 for death certificate), payable via check or money order to "Douglas County Health Department". The form and fee should be sent to the Douglas County Health Department's Vital Statistics Division at:

H-01 Civic Center
1819 Farnam Street
Omaha, NE 68183

For more information, the office can be reached at (402) 444-7204. It is worth noting that Douglas County birth and death certificates can be retrieved from the State Vital Records Office for the same fees.

Douglas County Probate Court Records

Probate court records encompass legal paperwork about proceedings to settle a deceased person's estate and to appoint guardians and conservators. In Douglas County, the County Court's Probate Division handles probate matters (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 24-517). One may find Douglas County probate court records by sending a written application to the Probate Division (Guardianships, Conservatorships, Estates, Adoptions) at:

Hall of Justice
1701 Farnam Street
3rd Floor
Omaha, NE 68183
Phone: (402) 444-7152

Interested persons may also find earlier Douglas County probate records at the State Archives Library.

Douglas County Property Records

Douglas County property records supply essential information about the ownership, valuation, and zoning, among other details, of properties situated in the county. The Douglas County Assessor/Register of Deeds is the custodian of property records within the county. Some property records (about taxation) can also be found in the Treasurer's office.

Douglas County property lookups may be conducted online via the County Treasurer's Real Property Tax Search or the Assessor's online lookup tool. Search parameters include a property owner's name, property address, or parcel number. Further inquiries can be directed to the Douglas County Assessor/Register of Deeds office at:

Civic Center
1819 Farnam Street
Suite 400
Omaha, NE 68183
Phone: (402) 444-7457

Douglas County Court Records Online

Aside from official government databases, members of the public can use third-party aggregator databases like Nebraskacourtrecords.us to look up Douglas County court records online. These websites are run by private companies that collate public records from government sources and sell them to end-users.

However, while third-party sites offer flexibility with record inspection and user-friendly interfaces, users might encounter incomplete or inaccurate records. Furthermore, users may be required to pay additional service charges to obtaining detailed reports.