| Clerk of the District Court | Platte County Clerk of the District Court |
|---|---|
| County Court Clerk | Platte County Court |
| Clerk address | Platte County Courthouse, 2610 14th Street, Columbus, NE 68601 (County Court on the 2nd floor; mail: District Clerk P.O. Box 1188, County Court P.O. Box 538, Columbus, NE 68602) |
| Phone | District Clerk: 402-563-4906. County Court: 402-563-4905 |
| 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 |
Platte County, seated in Columbus on the Loup and Platte rivers, keeps district-court files with the Clerk of the District Court and county-court files with the Platte County Court clerk magistrate. Both are in the Platte County Courthouse at 2610 14th Street in Columbus, with the county court on the second floor. The offices have separate phone lines and separate post-office boxes for mail.
The district clerk holds felony criminal cases, divorces and custody matters, larger civil suits, and district-court probate. The county court handles misdemeanors, traffic infractions, small claims, and civil cases under the county-court limit. Platte County has no separate juvenile court, so juvenile matters are heard by the county or district court sitting in that capacity.
The district clerk's page is direct about public access: the office says its records are open to the public and that staff will point requesters to the books and records available to be searched as time permits. That means the search itself is self-service, either at the courthouse or through the statewide JUSTICE system; there is no separate Platte County case-lookup website. The county moved its web presence from plattecounty.net to plattecounty.ne.gov, so older links in directories may redirect.
Search Platte County court records online
Clerk of the District Court
Platte County Clerk of the District Court
- Cost
- Free JUSTICE terminal search at the courthouse; per-search fee for online JUSTICE search; copies for a fee (amount not posted)
- Coverage
- District-court felony criminal, civil, family, and probate cases for Platte County
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate
Clerk is Marlene Vetick. The page states that the office's records are open to the public and links to the Nebraska Supreme Court's filing-fee schedule rather than posting its own copy rate. It also notes that older records used for genealogy can be copied for a nominal fee.
County Court Clerk
Platte County Court
- Cost
- Free JUSTICE terminal search at the courthouse; per-search fee for online JUSTICE search; $0.25 per page for copies and $1.00 per certificate under the statewide county-court fee schedule
- Coverage
- Misdemeanor criminal, traffic infraction, and civil/small-claims cases up to the county-court limit
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Traffic
Clerk Magistrate is Lindsay Meister. The page links to Nebraska's statewide e-payments service for paying fines and case balances online.
What is available online
Platte County has no county-run case search. Both the District Court and County Court dockets are in the statewide JUSTICE system, searchable online for a fee or for free at the courthouse terminal in Columbus. Fines and case balances for county-court cases can be paid through the statewide Nebraska e-payments service linked from the county court page. Document images in JUSTICE generally begin in April 2008; older files are on paper at the courthouse.
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
Platte County clerk offices
Platte County Courthouse, 2610 14th Street, Columbus, NE 68601 (County Court on the 2nd floor; mail: District Clerk P.O. Box 1188, County Court P.O. Box 538, Columbus, NE 68602)
Phone: District Clerk: 402-563-4906. County Court: 402-563-4905
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 2610 14th Street, Columbus, NE 68601, or by mail at P.O. Box 1188, Columbus, NE 68602. Phone 402-563-4906, fax 402-562-6718. Provide the case number if known, or party names and an approximate year, and specify plain or certified copies. The office does not post a per-page copy rate, so call first and include a self-addressed stamped envelope with a mailed request.
County Court records (misdemeanors, traffic, small claims). Contact the Platte County Court on the second floor of the courthouse, mail P.O. Box 538, Columbus, NE 68602, phone 402-563-4905, fax 402-562-8158. Statewide county-court fees are $0.25 per page for photocopies and $1.00 for a certificate and seal.
In person, for free. Search the JUSTICE index at the courthouse public terminal between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. District clerk staff will direct you to the available books and records but expect you to do the searching.
Online. Use the Nebraska.gov JUSTICE one-time search or a subscriber account. Certified copies must still be ordered 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
How do I search Platte County, Nebraska court records?
Search the statewide JUSTICE system online for a per-search fee, or use the free public terminal at the Platte County Courthouse in Columbus. The county does not run its own case-search website.
Will the Platte County district clerk search records for me?
The office says its records are open to the public and that staff will direct you to the records available to be searched as time permits, but the search is self-service. Bring a case number or party names and an approximate year.
Which Platte County office has a Columbus divorce or felony case?
The Clerk of the District Court. Divorces and felonies are district-court matters; misdemeanors, traffic infractions, and small claims are in the County Court on the second floor.
Where do I mail a records request in Platte County?
The two courts use different post-office boxes: P.O. Box 1188, Columbus, NE 68602 for the district clerk and P.O. Box 538, Columbus, NE 68602 for the county court. Both offices are physically at 2610 14th Street.
Sources
- Platte County — District Court — https://plattecounty.ne.gov/district-court/
- Platte County — County Court — https://plattecounty.ne.gov/county-court/
- Nebraska Judicial Branch — Platte District Court — https://nebraskajudicial.gov/courts/platte-district-court
- Nebraska Judicial Branch — Platte County Court — https://nebraskajudicial.gov/courts/platte-county-court
- Nebraska Judicial Branch — Filing Fees and Court Costs — https://nebraskajudicial.gov/rules/administrative-policies-schedules/fees
- 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 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.