MyCourtFiles

How to Find Buffalo County, NE Court Records (2026)

Official search portals, clerk contact details, fees, and the request process for Buffalo County, Nebraska (county seat: Kearney).

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Buffalo County court records at a glance
Clerk of the District Court Buffalo County Clerk of the District Court
County Court Clerk Buffalo County Court Clerk
Clerk address 1512 Central Avenue, Kearney, NE 68847 (District Court); mailing address P.O. Box 1270, Kearney, NE 68848 (District Court) / P.O. Box 520, Kearney, NE 68848 (County Court)
Phone District Court: 308-236-1200. County Court: 308-236-1228
Hours Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Earliest records noted Varies by court — older files may be on paper or microfilm
Plain copy fee County Court: $0.25 per page (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 33-126.05). District Court: set by each clerk under § 33-106; no statewide per-page rate
Certified copy fee County Court: $1.00 for executing a certificate and affixing the seal, $3.00 for a three-seal authenticated certificate (§ 33-126.05), plus the per-page copy charge. District Court: per clerk

Buffalo County, home to Kearney, keeps district-court records with the Clerk of the District Court and county-level records with the Buffalo County Court clerk. Both offices are in Kearney and both feed into the statewide JUSTICE system, so there is no separate county-only case search to learn.

The district clerk's office describes its core duties in traditional terms — issuing writs and orders and keeping the court's records, books, and papers — and, like most Nebraska county courthouses, points self-represented litigants to the Nebraska Supreme Court's statewide self-help resources rather than maintaining its own guide.

Buffalo County does not have a separate juvenile court, so juvenile cases are heard by the county or district court. As in the rest of the state, tickets written by city police within Kearney go to Kearney Municipal Court, a separate city system not covered by the county's JUSTICE records.

Clerk of the District Court

Buffalo County Clerk of the District Court

Official Free search
Cost
Free JUSTICE terminal search at the courthouse; per-search fee for online JUSTICE search; fees for copies
Coverage
District-court felony criminal, civil, family, and probate cases for Buffalo County
Records
Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate

Clerk is Cheryl Stabenow.

County Court Clerk

Buffalo County Court Clerk

Official Free search
Cost
Free JUSTICE terminal search at the courthouse; per-search fee for online JUSTICE search; fees for copies
Coverage
Misdemeanor criminal, traffic infraction, and civil/small-claims cases up to the county-court limit
Records
Civil, Criminal, Traffic

Court Clerk is Sharmin Gonzales. A county-hosted page for this office (buffalogov.org/COUNTY-COURT) returned a 404 during verification; this Nebraska Judicial Branch page is used instead.

What is available online

Both the District Court and County Court in Buffalo County use the statewide JUSTICE system, so a single search there covers both dockets. There is no Buffalo County-specific online case-lookup tool.

Which clerk has your record

In Nebraska, the clerk who keeps a file depends on which court heard the case. Check the court name on the case notice, citation, or order, then use the office and coverage details above to identify the record holder. Court names and responsibilities differ by state; a county clerk may not keep court case files. For federal cases, see the PACER guide. The full court structure is on the Nebraska page.

CourtTypical casesRecords kept by
District Courts (12 judicial districts)Felony criminal cases; Divorce, custody, and other domestic-relations cases; Civil suits over $57,000Clerk of the District Court of the county
County Courts (one per county)Misdemeanors and traffic infractions; Civil cases up to $57,000 and small claims; Preliminary hearings in felony casesClerk Magistrate / Court Clerk of the County Court
Separate Juvenile Courts (Douglas, Lancaster, Sarpy counties)Juvenile delinquency; Abuse and neglect; Termination of parental rightsClerk of the Separate Juvenile Court
Workers' Compensation CourtWorkplace injury claims statewideClerk of the Workers' Compensation Court

Request records in person or by mail

Buffalo County clerk offices

1512 Central Avenue, Kearney, NE 68847 (District Court); mailing address P.O. Box 1270, Kearney, NE 68848 (District Court) / P.O. Box 520, Kearney, NE 68848 (County Court)

Phone: District Court: 308-236-1200. County Court: 308-236-1228

Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Contact details were taken from the office's website and are re-checked on a schedule; confirm hours before visiting.

District-court records (felonies, family, civil, probate). Contact the Clerk of the District Court at 1512 Central Avenue, Kearney, NE 68847 (mail: P.O. Box 1270, Kearney, NE 68848), phone 308-236-1200, or email districtcourt@buffalocounty.ne.gov. Provide the case number if known, or party names and an approximate year, and specify plain or certified copies.

County Court records (misdemeanors, traffic, small claims). Contact the Buffalo County Court clerk's office, mail P.O. Box 520, Kearney, NE 68848, phone 308-236-1228.

In person, for free. Search the JUSTICE index at a courthouse public-access terminal.

Fees

ItemTypical cost in Nebraska
Plain copyCounty Court: $0.25 per page (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 33-126.05). District Court: set by each clerk under § 33-106; no statewide per-page rate
Certified copyCounty Court: $1.00 for executing a certificate and affixing the seal, $3.00 for a three-seal authenticated certificate (§ 33-126.05), plus the per-page copy charge. District Court: per clerk

The Nebraska Judicial Branch fee schedule (effective 07-01-2026) lists county-court photocopies at $0.25 per page and certification at $1.00 per seal under § 33-126.05. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 33-106 entitles the clerk of the district court to a fee for each copy or transcript and for the certificate, but does not fix a per-page amount, so district clerks post their own rates; confirm with the specific clerk before mailing payment.

Need a copy an agency will accept? See how to get certified copies of court records.

Sealed and restricted records

Nebraska court records are presumed open under the public-records framework in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 84-712, but several categories are not visible in JUSTICE or at the courthouse counter:

The Nebraska guide lists every category of sealed and restricted record, and our guide to expunging or sealing a criminal record explains how to remove one from public view.

Frequently asked questions

How do I search Buffalo County, Nebraska court records?

Search the statewide JUSTICE system online for a per-search fee, or use the free public-access terminal at the Buffalo County Courthouse in Kearney.

Which office has a Kearney divorce or felony case?

The Clerk of the District Court. Felony criminal cases and divorces are filed in district court, and the district clerk keeps that file.

Where do I find a misdemeanor or small-claims case in Buffalo County?

The Buffalo County Court, a separate clerk's office from the district clerk.

Are Kearney city tickets in the Buffalo County search?

Only if written by a county officer, which goes to County Court. Tickets from Kearney Police are handled by Kearney Municipal Court, a separate city system.

Sources

  1. Buffalo County — District Court — https://buffalocounty.ne.gov/county-offices/district-court
  2. Nebraska Judicial Branch — Buffalo District Court — https://nebraskajudicial.gov/courts/buffalo-district-court
  3. Nebraska Judicial Branch — Buffalo County Court — https://nebraskajudicial.gov/courts/buffalo-county-court
  4. Nebraska Judicial Branch — Nebraska Court Structure — https://nebraskajudicial.gov/nebraska-court-structure
  5. Nebraska Judicial Branch — Case Information (eServices) — https://nebraskajudicial.gov/e-services/case-information-eservices
  6. JUSTICE Court Case Search (Nebraska.gov) — https://www.nebraska.gov/justicecc/ccname.cgi
  7. Nebraska Judicial Branch — Court Records Search Policy for Nebraska Courts — https://nebraskajudicial.gov/rules/administrative-policies-schedules/court-records-search-policy-nebraska-courts
  8. Nebraska State Patrol — Criminal History Record Requests — https://statepatrol.nebraska.gov/services/criminal-history-record-requests
  9. Nebraska Appellate Courts Online Library — https://www.nebraska.gov/apps-courts-epub/
  10. Nebraska Revised Statute § 84-712 — Public records; free examination; copies; fees — https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=84-712
  11. Nebraska Revised Statute § 33-106 — Clerk fees — https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=33-106
  12. Nebraska Revised Statute § 33-126.05 — County court; miscellaneous fees — https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=33-126.05
  13. Nebraska Judicial Branch — Filing Fees and Court Costs — https://nebraskajudicial.gov/rules/administrative-policies-schedules/fees
  14. Nebraska Revised Statute § 29-2264 — Set aside of conviction — https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=29-2264
  15. U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska — https://www.ned.uscourts.gov/

See also: all Nebraska counties.

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