| Clerk of the District Court | Madison County Clerk of the District Court |
|---|---|
| County Court Clerk | Madison County Court |
| Clerk address | Madison County Courthouse, 1313 North Main Street, Madison, NE 68748 (District Clerk mail: P.O. Box 249; County Court mail: P.O. Box 230, Madison, NE 68748) |
| Phone | 402-454-3311 (District Clerk: option 4. County Court: option 3) |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (both offices) |
| 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 |
Madison County's largest city is Norfolk, but its courthouse is in the much smaller town of Madison, about 15 miles to the south. Both trial courts sit in the Madison County Courthouse at 1313 North Main Street in Madison: the Clerk of the District Court and the Madison County Court. They share one main switchboard, 402-454-3311, with the district clerk on option 4 and the county court on option 3, and separate post-office boxes for mail.
The district clerk keeps felony criminal files, divorces and other domestic-relations cases, larger civil suits, and district-court probate, and also serves as the county's jury commissioner and a passport acceptance agent. The county court's own page lists its docket as small claims, civil, probate, guardianships, adoptions, criminal, traffic, and juvenile petitions, which makes it the busier office for most everyday record requests. Madison County has no separate juvenile court.
Both offices say plainly that public records are searched on a courthouse computer terminal during business hours and that staff will assist but will not run the search for you. The county court is one of the few in Nebraska that posts its copy fees online: $0.25 per page and $1.00 per certification seal.
Search Madison County court records online
Clerk of the District Court
Madison County Clerk of the District Court
- Cost
- Free public computer terminal at the courthouse; per-search fee for online JUSTICE search; photocopying and certification available for a fee (amount not posted)
- Coverage
- District-court felony criminal, civil, family, and probate cases for Madison County
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate
Clerk is Monica Rotherham. The page states that public-record information can be obtained on the available computer terminal during regular business hours and that photocopying and certification are available at a fee. The Nebraska Judicial Branch directory links to an older madisoncountyne.com address that now returns 404; madisoncountyne.gov is the current site.
County Court Clerk
Madison County Court
- Cost
- Free public-access terminal at the courthouse; photocopies $0.25 per page; certification $1.00 per seal; mailed copies require prepayment
- Coverage
- Small claims, civil, probate, guardianship, adoption, misdemeanor criminal, traffic, and juvenile petitions filed in Madison County Court
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Traffic, Probate
Clerk Magistrate is Leah Buhrman. The page says a public-access terminal is available for record searches, that the office assists but does not perform searches, and that mailed copies require contacting the office for the exact cost plus a self-addressed stamped envelope.
What is available online
Madison County has no county-run case search. District and county court cases are indexed in the statewide JUSTICE system, which the public can search for a fee online or for free on the courthouse terminal in Madison. The county court page links to the statewide court e-payments and court calendar tools. Document images in JUSTICE generally begin in April 2008; the courthouse keeps older files on paper.
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.
| Court | Typical cases | Records kept by |
|---|---|---|
| District Courts (12 judicial districts) | Felony criminal cases; Divorce, custody, and other domestic-relations cases; Civil suits over $57,000 | Clerk 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 cases | Clerk Magistrate / Court Clerk of the County Court |
| Separate Juvenile Courts (Douglas, Lancaster, Sarpy counties) | Juvenile delinquency; Abuse and neglect; Termination of parental rights | Clerk of the Separate Juvenile Court |
| Workers' Compensation Court | Workplace injury claims statewide | Clerk of the Workers' Compensation Court |
Request records in person or by mail
Madison County clerk offices
Madison County Courthouse, 1313 North Main Street, Madison, NE 68748 (District Clerk mail: P.O. Box 249; County Court mail: P.O. Box 230, Madison, NE 68748)
Phone: 402-454-3311 (District Clerk: option 4. County Court: option 3)
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (both offices)
District-court records (felonies, family, civil, probate). Contact the Clerk of the District Court at 1313 North Main Street, Madison, NE 68748, or by mail at P.O. Box 249, Madison, NE 68748. Phone 402-454-3311 and choose option 4; fax 402-454-6528. Give the case number if known, or party names and an approximate year, and say whether you need plain or certified copies. The office confirms that photocopying and certification are available for a fee but does not post the amount, so ask before mailing a check.
County Court records (misdemeanors, traffic, small claims, probate). Contact the County Court at the same address, mail P.O. Box 230, Madison, NE 68748, phone 402-454-3311 option 3, fax 402-454-3438. Photocopies are $0.25 per page and certification is $1.00 per seal. For copies by mail, call for the exact total, prepay, and include a self-addressed stamped envelope.
In person, for free. Use the public-access terminal at the courthouse during business hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Staff will help you use it but will not run the search for you.
Online. Use the Nebraska.gov JUSTICE one-time search or a subscriber account. Certified copies still have to come from the clerk.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost in Nebraska |
|---|---|
| Plain copy | 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 | 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 |
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
Is the Madison County courthouse in Norfolk?
No. Although Norfolk is the county's largest city, the county seat and the courthouse for both the district and county courts are at 1313 North Main Street in the town of Madison, about 15 miles south of Norfolk.
How do I search Madison County, Nebraska court records?
Search the statewide JUSTICE system online for a per-search fee, or use the free public-access terminal at the courthouse in Madison. The clerks assist with the terminal but do not perform searches on request.
What do copies cost from the Madison County Court?
The county court posts photocopies at $0.25 per page and certification at $1.00 per seal. Mailed copies must be prepaid; call 402-454-3311, option 3, for the exact amount.
Which office has a Norfolk divorce or felony case?
The Clerk of the District Court in Madison. Divorces and felony cases are filed in district court; misdemeanors, traffic infractions, small claims, and most probate and guardianship cases are in County Court.
Sources
- Madison County — District Court — https://madisoncountyne.gov/district-court/
- Madison County — County Court — https://madisoncountyne.gov/county-court/
- Nebraska Judicial Branch — Madison District Court — https://nebraskajudicial.gov/courts/madison-district-court
- Nebraska Judicial Branch — Madison County Court — https://nebraskajudicial.gov/courts/madison-county-court
- Nebraska Judicial Branch — Nebraska Court Structure — https://nebraskajudicial.gov/nebraska-court-structure
- Nebraska Judicial Branch — Case Information (eServices) — https://nebraskajudicial.gov/e-services/case-information-eservices
- JUSTICE Court Case Search (Nebraska.gov) — https://www.nebraska.gov/justicecc/ccname.cgi
- Nebraska Judicial Branch — Court Records Search Policy for Nebraska Courts — https://nebraskajudicial.gov/rules/administrative-policies-schedules/court-records-search-policy-nebraska-courts
- Nebraska State Patrol — Criminal History Record Requests — https://statepatrol.nebraska.gov/services/criminal-history-record-requests
- Nebraska Appellate Courts Online Library — https://www.nebraska.gov/apps-courts-epub/
- Nebraska Revised Statute § 84-712 — Public records; free examination; copies; fees — https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=84-712
- Nebraska Revised Statute § 33-106 — Clerk fees — https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=33-106
- Nebraska Revised Statute § 33-126.05 — County court; miscellaneous fees — https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=33-126.05
- Nebraska Judicial Branch — Filing Fees and Court Costs — https://nebraskajudicial.gov/rules/administrative-policies-schedules/fees
- Nebraska Revised Statute § 29-2264 — Set aside of conviction — https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=29-2264
- U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska — https://www.ned.uscourts.gov/
See also: all Nebraska counties.