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Nebraska Marriage License Requirements 2026: $50 Fee, No Wait

Independently fact-checkedBy Recording Law Editorial Team15 min read

Independently fact-checked against primary sources (last audited October 7, 2026). · 28 primary sources cited on this page. How we verify our legal content

Nebraska Marriage License Requirements 2026: $50 Fee, No Wait

In Nebraska, the county clerk issues marriage licenses under Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-101 to 42-118, and any county clerk in the state can issue one. There is no waiting period, the license is good for one year, and the fee rose to $50 on July 18, 2026 under Neb. Rev. Stat. 33-110, with certified copies now $16 each. At 17 or 18 you need a parent's or guardian's sworn consent, because Nebraska's age of majority is 19, unless a court has emancipated you.

For the rules in other states, see our guide to marriage license requirements by state.

Information last verified on October 7, 2026. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers getting a marriage license and marrying in Nebraska under Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-101 to 42-118 and the fee provision in Neb. Rev. Stat. 33-110, together with the marriage pages of the Lancaster County and Sarpy County clerks. It does not cover divorce, ordering older marriage records, common-law marriage, or the rules of other states.

Where to Get a Marriage License in Nebraska

Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-104 requires that before a marriage is solemnized, "a license for that purpose shall be obtained from a county clerk in the State of Nebraska." The statute does not tie the wedding to the county that issued the license.

The license works only inside Nebraska. Lancaster County says: "Marriage licenses are valid only for ceremonies performed within Nebraska," and its FAQ says a Nebraska license cannot be issued for a ceremony in another state. We found no residency requirement in chapter 42, so couples from other states can apply for a Nebraska wedding.

Both of you apply in person

You cannot get a license online or by video. Lancaster County (Lincoln) states: "Both applicants must appear together and in person to apply for a marriage license. Licenses are issued at the time of application upon completion of required documentation and payment of applicable fees."

Sarpy County asks couples to "apply in person with your fiance," Monday through Friday, 8am to 4:30pm, and you can print and fill in the application form ahead of time. Douglas County (Omaha) lets you fill out the application online and upload your ID ahead of time, but both of you still go to the clerk's office in person, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Its license fee is $50, and you can prepay $16 for a certified copy.

Documents and Information You Need

Under Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-104, "Each party shall present satisfactory documentary proof of and shall swear or affirm to the application" giving full name, residence, and place and date of birth. The clerk must refuse a license if the required proof is missing (Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-107).

The county pages spell out what that means:

  • Photo ID: Lancaster accepts a current, unexpired driver's license, state ID card or passport book. Passport cards are not accepted. Sarpy accepts a driver's license, state ID or passport.
  • Social Security numbers: both counties ask for them. An applicant who has none says so on the application.
  • Family details: Lancaster's application asks for each parent's full name (including mothers' maiden names) and birthplace.
  • Prior marriage: Lancaster asks for the date and state in which any prior marriage ended.

A foreign birth certificate is acceptable proof of age in Lancaster County.

What a Nebraska Marriage License Costs

The fee is set by statute, so it is the same in every county. Neb. Rev. Stat. 33-110 provides: "County clerks shall receive a fee of fifty dollars for the entire proceedings of issuing a marriage license, administering the related oaths or affirmations, and recording a marriage certificate." The same section sets $16 for each certified copy of a marriage record on file with the clerk.

The statute's history line reads "Laws 2026, LB596, Sec. 9," with an effective date of July 18, 2026. Before that, the fee was $25 and copies were $9. Some county pages have not caught up: Sarpy County's FAQ still lists a $9 certified copy, while its main marriage page shows the new fee. Go by the statute and confirm with your clerk.

CountyLicense feeCertified copiesPayment notesSource checked
Lancaster (Lincoln)$50$16 eachCash, check, debit or credit; card payments carry a service fee of $1.25 or 2.35%, whichever is greaterOctober 7, 2026
Sarpy$50$16 each$66 total at the counter for the license and one certified copy; the page asks you to bring a credit or debit cardOctober 7, 2026

Sarpy's page announces the change as "EFFECTIVE JULY 18TH, 2026 MARRIAGE LICENSE FEE WILL INCREASE TO $50.00 - ADDITIONAL CERTIFIED COPIES WILL BE $16.00/EACH FOR A TOTAL OF $66.00." County pages can change, so the clerk's page is the final word. We found no premarital-course discount in chapter 42 or on these county pages.

No Waiting Period, One Year to Marry

Nebraska has no waiting period between getting the license and the ceremony; none appears in Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-101 to 42-118, and Lancaster issues licenses on the spot. Because there is no wait, there is no waiver to ask for.

The license lasts one year. Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-104 says: "No marriage hereafter contracted shall be recognized as valid unless such license has been previously obtained and used within one year from the date of issuance." Lancaster's officiant sheet puts it as: "The license expires one year (365 days) from the date of issuance." After that you need a new license.

Remarrying After a Divorce

A Nebraska divorce comes with a six-month wait before you can marry someone new. Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-372.01(2) provides: "For purposes of remarriage other than remarriage between the parties, a decree dissolving a marriage becomes final and operative six months after the decree is entered or on the date of death of one of the parties to the dissolution, whichever occurs first." Lancaster and Sarpy say the clerk will not issue a new license during that period.

Lancaster applies the same rule to annulments. Remarrying the same former spouse is not subject to the wait. Lancaster also says there is no waiting period after a spouse's death. For more on Nebraska divorce, see Nebraska divorce laws.

Age Requirements to Marry in Nebraska

Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-102 sets the floor: "At the time of the marriage the male must be of the age of seventeen years or upward, and the female of the age of seventeen years or upward." Anyone under 17 cannot marry. Sarpy's FAQ puts it as: "Anyone 16 or younger cannot marry in Nebraska."

Nebraska's age of majority is 19 (Neb. Rev. Stat. 43-2101). So a 17- or 18-year-old is still a minor and needs consent under Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-105. That consent must be written and given under oath, by:

  • either parent, if the parents live together;
  • the parent with custody, if they live apart;
  • the surviving parent, if one has died; or
  • the guardian, conservator or person with custody, if both parents have died or the guardian has legal and actual custody.

No judge's approval is needed. A 17- or 18-year-old whom a court has emancipated may marry without a parent's consent (Neb. Rev. Stat. 43-4810); Douglas County asks for a copy of the court order. The clerk may issue the license on the sworn consent, and must refuse it without that consent unless the minor is emancipated (Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-107, 43-4810). Lancaster County summarizes: "The minimum age to marry in Nebraska without parental consent is 19. Individuals aged 17 or 18 may marry with the consent of a parent or legal guardian."

Marrying before 19 ends a person's minority (Neb. Rev. Stat. 43-2101). A marriage entered under the age of legal consent is voidable if the couple separates while underage and does not live together afterward (Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-118). For how a minor can become legally independent, see Nebraska emancipation laws.

The bill to raise the age to 18 died

LB984 (2026) would have required both parties to be 18, with no exceptions, and repealed the consent route in 42-105. The Legislature indefinitely postponed it on April 17, 2026, so it is not law. The rules above still apply.

Who Cannot Marry in Nebraska

Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-103 makes a marriage void when either party already has a living spouse, when either party is mentally incompetent to enter the marriage, or when the parties are related as:

  • parent and child, or grandparent and grandchild;
  • brother and sister, of the half or the whole blood;
  • "first cousins when of whole blood, uncle and niece, and aunt and nephew."

The statute names only whole-blood first cousins, though Lancaster's FAQ simply says first cousins cannot marry. The bar covers relatives born out of wedlock too. Neb. Rev. Stat. 28-702 separately makes incestuous marriages void.

Some of chapter 42 still uses "male" and "female" or "husband and wife." Lancaster County says same-sex marriages have been recognized since June 26, 2015. The U.S. Supreme Court held in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015), that "same-sex couples may exercise the fundamental right to marry."

No Blood Test Required

Nebraska has no blood test or rubella test. The rubella test law, Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-121, was repealed in 1998, and Sarpy's FAQ notes: "Effective April 14, 1998, rubella testing is no longer required." Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-102 still says "No person who is afflicted with a venereal disease shall marry in this state," but Sarpy's FAQ says there is no test or enforcement mechanism behind it.

Nebraska marriage license: blood test requirements

Who Can Marry You in Nebraska

Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-108 authorizes "every judge, retired judge, clerk magistrate, or retired clerk magistrate," and "every preacher of the gospel authorized by the usages of the church to which he or she belongs to solemnize marriages." Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-115 also lets a religious society marry its members by its own rites, with the society's clerk or presiding officer sending a certificate to the county clerk.

Your officiant does not need to live in Nebraska or be certified there, and we found no registration requirement. Lancaster County states: "An officiant is not required to be a Nebraska resident or certified in Nebraska, provided the officiant is authorized to solemnize marriages as permitted under Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-108." We found no Nebraska statute, attorney general opinion or official guidance on ministers ordained online. If yours was, ask the county clerk before the wedding.

Two other rules protect couples and punish impostors. A marriage before someone who claims to be a minister is not void for lack of authority if the couple believed they were lawfully married (Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-114). A person who knowingly performs a marriage without authority commits a Class I misdemeanor (Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-113).

Section 42-108 does not list the couple themselves as officiants, and we found no self-uniting statute, so plan on an authorized officiant.

Courthouse weddings

County clerks issue licenses but do not perform weddings. Judges do, by appointment made directly with the judge, and Lancaster says a fee applies. We did not find the amounts.

The ceremony and witnesses

Nebraska prescribes no particular form of ceremony. Under Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-109, "the parties shall solemnly declare in the presence of the magistrate or minister and the attending witnesses, that they take each other as husband and wife." At least two witnesses besides the officiant must attend. The statute sets no minimum witness age, and Sarpy's FAQ says minors are not specifically excluded.

Proxy Marriage

The Nebraska statutes do not use the word "proxy," and we found no official statement on proxy marriage. Section 42-109 requires the parties to make their declaration in the presence of the officiant and witnesses, and both applicants must apply in person. Ask the county clerk before planning anything other than a ceremony with both of you present.

Nebraska marriage license: remote and proxy weddings

After the Ceremony

The officiant files the return. Under Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-108, the return lists the names and residences of at least two witnesses, and "The return shall be made to the county clerk who issued the license within fifteen days after such marriage has been performed." The clerk records it (Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-112). An officiant who neglects to make and deliver the certificate commits a Class I misdemeanor (Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-113).

On request, the officiant must give each of you a certificate showing your names, ages and residences, the witnesses, and the time and place of the marriage (Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-110).

You cannot get a certified copy until the return is filed. Lancaster's officiant sheet says "couples cannot receive a certified copy of their marriage license until it is returned to the Lancaster County Clerk's office." Certified copies cost $16 each under 33-110. For ordering copies later, see Nebraska marriage and divorce records.

Changing your name

Lancaster notes that certified copies are "required for name changes and other legal purposes." We found no name-change field on the Nebraska license application pages we reviewed. See Nebraska name change laws and name change after marriage.

Common Myths About Nebraska Marriage Licenses

"A Nebraska marriage license costs $25." That was the old fee. Since July 18, 2026, Neb. Rev. Stat. 33-110 sets $50, plus $16 per certified copy.

"You must be 19 to marry in Nebraska." Nineteen is the age to marry without consent. At 17 or 18 you can marry with a parent's or guardian's sworn consent.

"Nebraska raised the marriage age to 18 in 2026." It did not. LB984 was indefinitely postponed on April 17, 2026.

"There is a three-day wait or a blood test." Neither. Chapter 42 has no waiting period, and the rubella test was repealed in 1998.

"You can remarry the day after your divorce." Not to someone new. A Nebraska decree becomes final for that purpose six months after entry.

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about getting a marriage license in Nebraska under Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-101 to 42-118 and 33-110. It is not legal advice. The information was verified on October 7, 2026. For your specific situation, contact your county clerk or consult a lawyer licensed in Nebraska.

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I get a marriage license in Nebraska?

From any Nebraska county clerk under Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-104. Both of you must apply together in person, and the license is valid only for a ceremony in Nebraska.

How much is a marriage license in Nebraska?

$50, plus $16 for each certified copy, under Neb. Rev. Stat. 33-110 effective July 18, 2026. Some county pages still show the old $25 fee.

Is there a waiting period to get married in Nebraska?

No. Nebraska law sets no waiting period, and Lancaster County issues licenses at the time of application.

How long is a Nebraska marriage license good for?

One year from the date of issue. Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-104 requires the license to be used within that year.

Can an 18-year-old get married in Nebraska without parental consent?

Not unless a court has emancipated them. The age of majority is 19 (Neb. Rev. Stat. 43-2101), so 17- and 18-year-olds need a parent's or guardian's written consent under oath (Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-105); an emancipated minor may marry without it (Neb. Rev. Stat. 43-4810).

How long after a divorce can you remarry in Nebraska?

Six months after the decree is entered, or on your former spouse's death if that comes first, unless you are remarrying the same person (Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-372.01(2)).

Can first cousins marry in Nebraska?

Not if they are first cousins of the whole blood. Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-103 makes those marriages void.

How many witnesses do you need to get married in Nebraska?

At least two, besides the officiant (Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-109).

Does my officiant need to be from Nebraska?

No. Lancaster County says an officiant need not be a Nebraska resident or certified in Nebraska if authorized under Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-108.

Updates

Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources

Sources and References

  1. Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-104, Solemnization; license; application; requirements(nebraskalegislature.gov).gov
  2. Neb. Rev. Stat. 33-110, County clerks; fees for certificate and seal; when charged; marriage licenses and records; fees(nebraskalegislature.gov).gov
  3. Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-102, Minimum age; affliction with venereal disease, disqualification(nebraskalegislature.gov).gov
  4. Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-105, Marriage of minor; conditions upon which a license may be issued(nebraskalegislature.gov).gov
  5. Neb. Rev. Stat. 43-2101, Persons under nineteen years of age declared minors; marriage, effect(nebraskalegislature.gov).gov
  6. Nebraska Legislature, LB984 (2026) bill status(nebraskalegislature.gov).gov
  7. Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-372.01, Decree; when final(nebraskalegislature.gov).gov
  8. Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-103, Marriages; when void(nebraskalegislature.gov).gov
  9. Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-108, Marriage ceremony; who may perform; return; contents(nebraskalegislature.gov).gov
  10. Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-109, Ceremony; requirements(nebraskalegislature.gov).gov
  11. Lancaster County Clerk, Marriage Licenses(lancaster.ne.gov).gov
  12. Sarpy County Clerk, Marriage Licenses(sarpy.gov).gov
  13. Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-107, License; issuance prohibited, when(nebraskalegislature.gov).gov
  14. Lancaster County Clerk, Marriage License FAQ(lancaster.ne.gov).gov
  15. Lancaster County Clerk, Important Officiant Information(lancaster.ne.gov).gov
  16. Sarpy County, Marriage License FAQ(sarpy.gov).gov
  17. Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-118, Marriages; when voidable(nebraskalegislature.gov).gov
  18. Neb. Rev. Stat. 28-702, Incestuous marriages; declared void(nebraskalegislature.gov).gov
  19. Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015)(govinfo.gov).gov
  20. Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-121 (repealed by Laws 1998, LB 1073)(nebraskalegislature.gov).gov
  21. Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-115, Marriage according to custom of religious society; certificate(nebraskalegislature.gov).gov
  22. Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-114, Want of jurisdiction; marriage not void, when(nebraskalegislature.gov).gov
  23. Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-113, Violations; penalty(nebraskalegislature.gov).gov
  24. Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-112, Returns; record(nebraskalegislature.gov).gov
  25. Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-110, Marriage certificate; provided to parties; form(nebraskalegislature.gov).gov
  26. Neb. Rev. Stat. 43-4810, Judgment of emancipation; effect; certified copy; use by third party(nebraskalegislature.gov).gov
  27. Douglas County Clerk, Apply for a Marriage License(clerk.douglascounty-ne.gov).gov
  28. Douglas County Clerk, Marriage Licenses(clerk.douglascounty-ne.gov).gov
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