Crime Numbers
The Nebraska Crime Commission provides crime data for all the counties in the state. Its latest annual reports indicate that law enforcement agencies recorded 13,262 crimes in Lancaster County in 2018. A closer look shows that 6 homicides, 317 rapes, 163 robberies, 605 aggravated assaults, and 3,458 simple assaults that year. Reported incidences of property crimes include 1,229 burglaries, 6,987 larcenies, 448 motor vehicle thefts, and 49 arsons.
The most recent five-year crime trend for Lancaster County shows that rape (99.4%, mostly due to the expanded definition of the crime), aggravated assault (5.8%), and motor vehicle theft (31.8%) rates rose between 2014 and 2018. In the same period, homicide (14.3%), simple assault (6.7%), burglary (10.8%), larceny (10.5%), and arson (30%) rates declined.
Lancaster County Criminal Records
The Nebraska State Patrol provides background checks for Lancaster County. It offers name based and fingerprint-based criminal history. Anyone can request a name based background check on any individual. The fingerprint-based option is more expensive and restricted. It provides a more complete criminal history report that includes national criminal records.
There are three ways to request Lancaster County background checks from the Nebraska State Patrol. These are online, in person, and by mail. To request a background check online, visit the Criminal History Reports page of the Nebraska State Police and complete the webform provided. The law enforcement agency charges a non-refundable fee of $15.50 for each request submitted online.
To request for a background check in person or by mail, start by downloading and completing a Criminal History Record Request form. Bring this, along with payment, to:
Nebraska State Patrol
Criminal Identification Division
3800 NW 12th Street
Suite A
Lincoln, NE 68521
Phone: (402) 479-4971
Alternatively, mail the completed form and payment to:
Nebraska State Patrol
Criminal Identification Division
P.O. Box 94907
Lincoln, NE 68509-4907
The fee for each background check requested in person or by mail is $12.50 payable with a cashier’s check, personal check, or money order.
The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office and the Police Department of the City of Lincoln (the county seat and state capital) also provide local background checks. These include criminal histories of arrests made by law enforcement agencies in the county. Citizens can request background checks from the Sheriff’s Office in person and by mail. Complete the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office Criminal History Record Request Form and bring or mail it, along with a $10 check, to:
Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office
575 S. 10th Street
Lincoln, NE 68508
Fax: (402) 441-8320
Make the check payable to Lancaster County Sheriff.
The Lincoln Police Department accepts requests for background checks online and by mail. It also charges $10 for each criminal history report. Complete the Online Criminal History Request webform to submit a request. Visa, MasterCard, and Discover credit/debit cards are accepted for payment for online requests. To submit a mail request, send a complete Criminal History Request form to:
Lincoln Police Department
575 S 10th St
Lincoln, NE 68508
(402) 441-6000
Lancaster County Police Reports
Both the Sheriff’s Office and Lincoln Police Department provide incident and accident reports for Lancaster County. View these police reports of crimes and accidents covered by the Sheriff’s Office on the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office website. To obtain copies, visit the Administrative Support Division of the Sheriff’s Office located at the Service Desk during business hours (Monday to Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.). Its address is:
Hall of Justice
575 South 10th Street
Lincoln, NE 68508
The Lincoln Police Department (LPD) also makes accident and incident reports written by its officers available to the public at no charge. View and print accident reports online on the LPD website. To obtain copies of incident reports, come to the LPD Records Department between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. from Monday through Friday. Its address is:
575 South 10th Street
Lincoln, NE 68508
(402) 441-7210
Lancaster County Sex Offender Information
The Nebraska State Patrol maintains a central database of registered sex offenders living in all counties of the state. Visit the Nebraska Sex Offender Registry to search for sex offenders by name. Choose the region or location search option to find registered offenders living in Lancaster County. These options allow citizens to search the registry by county, city, zip code, and street address.
Lancaster County Inmate Records
The Lancaster County Department of Corrections is the county jail. Its contact details are:
3801 West O Street
Lincoln, NE 68528
Phone: (402) 441-1900
Fax: (402) 441-8946
Use the inmate search tool provided to find current inmates in the facility. A Lancaster Inmate Search will require the inmate’s full name, birth date and arrest details. Friends and family members can send money to inmates in this facility by making credit/debit card deposits on Access Corrections website.
Court Records
Lancaster County judicial system includes a District Court, a County Court, and a Juvenile Court. These courts are located in the Justice and Law Enforcement Center. Listed below are their addresses and contact details:
Lancaster County Court
Justice and Law Enforcement Center
575 S 10th Street
2nd Floor
Lincoln, NE 68508
Main Phone: (402) 441-7291
Phone: (402) 441-7271 (Civil and Small Claims)
Fax: (402) 441-6055 (Civil and Small Claims)
Phone: (402) 441-8959 (Criminal & Traffic)
Fax: (402) 441-6056 (Criminal & Traffic)
Phone: (402) 441-7443 (Probate, Adoption, Condemnation)
Fax: (402) 441-6055 (Probate, Adoption, Condemnation)
Lancaster County District Court
Justice and Law Enforcement Center
575 South 10th Street
3rd Floor
Lincoln, NE 68508
Phone: (402) 441-7328
Fax: (402) 441-6190
Lancaster County Juvenile Court
Justice and Law Enforcement Center - Juvenile Court
575 South 10th Street
Room 413
Lincoln, NE 68508
Phone: (402) 441-6928
Fax: (402) 441-6930
The records of the Lancaster County District and County Courts are available online on the JUSTICE Search portal of the Nebraska Judicial Branch website. The state’s judicial branch charges $15 per search conducted on its website. Most of the records of the Lancaster County Juvenile Court are not public and are only accessible to the individuals involved and their legal representatives. To view those records, visit the courthouse at the address listed above.
Citizens can obtain copies of Lancaster County District and County Courts at the offices of the Clerks of the respective courts. The Clerk’s Offices are at the courthouse addresses listed above. They are open to the public from Monday to Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Vital Records
The District Court hears divorce cases in Lancaster County. To obtain copies of divorce judgements/decrees, contact the District Court Clerk at the address listed above. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) issues divorce certificates for Lancaster County. It accepts requests from divorced individuals and their children. To request for a divorce certificate from the DHHS, send a completed Divorce Certificate Application Form to:
Nebraska Vital Records
P.O. Box 95065
Lincoln, NE 68509-5065
Enclose a check or money order for $16 and make it payable to Vital Records.
The DHHS also accepts mail applications for birth, death, and marriage certificates. To obtain any of these, complete a Birth, Death, or Marriage Certificate Application Form and send it, along with payment, to the Nebraska Vital Records postal address listed above.
The Nebraska DHHS charges $16 for each death or marriage certificate while the fee for a birth certificate is $17. These fees are payable with checks and money orders made out to Vital Records.
The Lancaster County Clerk’s Office provides copies of marriage licenses upon request. Note that its records only include licenses issued from June 1976 to the present. The public can search for marriage licenses issued by this office online on the County website.
Complete the Marriage License Request Form to ask the County Clerk’s Office for marriage license copies. Send it by email to coclerk@lancaster.ne.gov. Alternatively, submit the completed form in person or by mail at:
Lancaster County Clerk
555 S. 10th Street
Room 108
Lincoln, NE 68508
The Clerk charges 25 cents for each non-certified copy of a marriage license and $9 per certified copy. Cash is accepted for in-person requests. When submitting a request by mail, check and credit card are accepted for payment.
