Full-time position. M-F 8-5. Applicant must possess excellent communication, organizational, and computer skills. Pay based on experience. Generous benefits.

Applicants mat email a PDF versions of Resume, Cover Letter, and Buffalo County Application to cstabenow@buffalocounty.ne.gov or can be mailed or delivered to:

Cheryl S. Stabenow 

Clerk of the District Court

Buffalo County

Justice Center - Courthouse

1512 Central Avenue 

PO Box 520

Kearney, NE 68848

Buffalo County EOE/AA/Veterans Preference 

Applications available: http://buffalocounty.ne.gov/employment Application review begins April 15, 2025 and will continue until position(s) are filled. Incomplete applications will not be considered. 

Detailed job description

UPDATED LIST 2-26-2025

BUFFALO COUNTY PUBLIC SALE DATE – MARCH 3, 2025

Buffalo County Courthouse

1512 Central Ave, Kearney, NE  68847

9:00 a.m.

Check in will be from 8:00 to 8:45 at the Buffalo County Treasurer’s Office

EVERYONE AT THE SALE MUST WORK FROM THIS UPDATED LIST.

WE WILL NOT ADJUST THE SPEED OF THE SALE TO ACCOMMODATE THE USE OF OTHER LISTS.

REGISTRATION

Pre-Registration is strongly advised.

Registration for the sale will begin the Monday before the sale.  In order to register and participate in the Buffalo County Tax Sale, you will need to provide the following:

• Completed Buffalo County Tax Sale Registration Form.
• W-9
• $25.00 Registration Fee for each bidder  -  nonrefundable.
• Blank Check for the purchase of certificates.

• Nebraska Statute (77-1807) requires every entity or person to pay a non-refundable registration fee of $25.00 prior to the sale in order to participate.  The fee is not refundable upon redemption.

There is a limit of 25 bid numbers per company/individual.

• We will allow companies/individuals to purchase multiple bid numbers, but request only one person attend the sale regardless of bid numbers purchased.  We can advise you how to make this work. 
• Thursday morning before the sale, random bid numbers will be drawn for those who are registered.  Your bid numbers will be supplied to you after the drawing, or, to your representative at check-in the morning of the sale.

CHECK-IN

Check in will be from 8:00 to 8:45 at the Buffalo County Treasurer’s Office.

Buyers and all buyer’s representatives must check in at the Treasurer’s Office and have all paperwork completed before they will be allowed into the sale.

If you have questions, please contact our office at 308-236-1254. 

2025 Bidder registration form

Bidder Instruction Sheet

W-9 Form

                    2025 Committee Appointments

                            2025 Agency Appointments

                    2025 State Agency Appointments

• Same user interface that is used on the courthouse workstation
• Real time, 24/7 access
• Customizable results screens
• Subscription based

• Know what has been filed against you;
• An attorney (a Public Defender may be provided at no cost);
• Face and cross-examine witnesses;
• Present evidence in your own defense;
• Testify if you wish; however, you do not have to testify;
• Be advised by the Judge as to what the Court can do with you; and
• Appeal the Court’s decision to the Nebraska Court of Appeals or Nebraska Supreme Court.

• Dress neatly and cleanly, as you would for an important meeting.
• Be 15 minutes early, so you are ready to attend the hearing on time.
• Speak loudly and clearly.
• Be honest and make eye contact when talking.
• Respond to Judge’s questions by saying, “Yes, Your Honor,” or “No, Your Honor.”

• Curse, swear or lie;
• Get angry or roll your eyes;
• Walk out of the courtroom (you could be held in contempt;
• Speak or act rudely;
• Take a cell phone into the courtroom;
• Slouch or chew gum; or
• Wear sagging pants, offensive T-shirts or gang-related items.

• ...fail to follow court orders (any law violation, including Court orders to obey your parents’ rules and curfew, and/or attend school).
• ...are a runaway youth (a history of running from home or if you run from your Court-ordered placement, such as foster or group home).
• …are a danger to yourself or others (violent, aggressive, gang-related behavior or use of alcohol or drugs).
• ...are being discharged unsatisfactorily from a placement facility. If you are not following rules of your Court-ordered placement and are discharged, you may be detained.
• ...an OJS evaluation is ordered to be done residentially.

• Complete a comprehensive assessment with the Drug Court staff
• Complete the substance abuse treatment recommended by the Drug Court staff
• Attend regular appearances before the Drug Court Judge
• Submit to regular drug testing
• Pay a weekly program fee to the Drug Court
• Pay part of the costs of treatment, based on ability to pay
• Reside in a participating county while in the program
• Maintain employment, attend school, or complete other conditions as directed by the Court or staff
• Meet with the Drug Court staff
• Pay any court costs due
• Obey all laws

• If charged with an ineligible offense, such as murder, manslaughter, robbery, felony assault, sexual assault, or assault with a deadly weapon
• Prior felony conviction for a crime of violence
• Prior or current offense involved the use or possession of a firearm or a dangerous weapon
• Prior or current offense resulted in death or serious bodily injury
• Current offense involved the use of force against a person
• Two or more felony convictions
• Multiple prior misdemeanors for crimes against a person, such as assault, domestic violence, resisting arrest, assaulting a law enforcement officer, or flight to avoid arrest

• Paternity establishment; 
• Orders to Show Cause, also known as “contempt” hearings; or 
• Child support modifications 

• To stop the violence.
• To protect the victim from additional acts of violence committed by the Defendant.
• To protect the children or other family members from exposure to, or possible injury from, domestic violence.
• To provide restitution to the victims.
• To hold the offender accountable for their violent conduct.

1. Contest the citation.  Personally appear in the Buffalo County Court on the date and time given on your citation and invoke your right to trial. See the rights you have as an accused person.
2. Pay the citation by waiver.  Pay the fines and costs no later than your court date without appearing in court. This can be done online. Waiver fines are set by the Nebraska Supreme Court for those who wish simply to pay their ticket without going to court over it. For more information, view the Nebraska Supreme Court Waiver Fine List .
3. Inquire about the STOP class.  The Safety Training Option Program (STOP) class is offered by the Nebraska Safety Center to individuals who have been ticketed for committing a minor traffic violation. It takes four hours to complete. It is voluntary. By completing it, the violator pays no fine, has no court appearance, has no points assessed on their driving record, and can improve their driving skills.

• Speeding twenty (20) or miles per hour over the speed limit.
• Leaving the scene of an accident.
• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• Reckless driving or willful reckless driving.
• Participating in a speed contest, race, or exhibition of acceleration.
• Operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest.
• Driving on a suspended or revoked operator’s license.
• Operating a motor vehicle without insurance or proof of financial responsibility.
• Any injury accident or violation which is classified as a misdemeanor or a felony.

• You hold a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), even if you were cited while operating a non-commercial vehicle.
• You have participated in any STOP class within the last three (3) years.
• You wish to contest your citation.

1. Call the Nebraska Safety Center at (308) 865-1287, or visit their website, www.unk.edu/stop, for more information.
2. Download the registration form.

• Locate non-custodial parents
• Establish paternity
• Establish and enforce medical support
• Enforce and collect support payments

• Nebraska Department of Administrative Services
• Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
• Nebraska Department of Revenue
• District and County Courts
• Nebraska Department of Labor
• Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles
• Federal Parent Locator Service
• Sheriffs
• Child Support agencies in all states
• Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement
• Credit Reporting Agencies
• Nebraska Payment Center

• All payments must be made to:
  Nebraska Child Support Payment Center
  P.O. Box 82600
  Lincoln, NE 68501-2600
• If you pay the other party directly, you may not receive credit for the payment.
• Child support payments are due on the first of each month and are delinquent the next day. Interest is charged on the delinquent amount after 30 days.
• Income withholding will be implemented in all cases involving child support whether there is delinquency or not (including unemployment withholding).
• You MUST pay child support regardless of custody or visitation issues.
• Health insurance MUST be provided for the child(ren) if ordered by the Court.
• If you have more than one order or judgment, your payments will be allocated between them. You cannot select which obligation to pay.
• Not paying child support can result in:
  • State and Federal Income Tax Intercepts
  • Drivers License Suspension
  • Suspend Professional Licenses
  • Suspend Eligibility For Hunting and Fishing Licenses
  • A Report to Credit Agencies
  • Denial of Your Passport
  • Lottery Prize Intercept
  • Liens/Seizure of Property
  • Seizure of Bank Accounts
  • Criminal Charges
  • Jail

• You can apply for child support services by contacting your local Health and Human Services office or County Attorney.
• If you or your child(ren) are receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) payments, the child support will be assigned to the State of Nebraska.
• DO NOT accept child support payments directly from the non-custodial parent. All payments must be made through the Nebraska Child Support Payment Center in order to be properly credited.
• If the non-custodial parent has more than one order or judgment, all payments received will be allocated proportionately between them.
• Your court order may contain language prohibiting you from removing the child(ren) from the State without the Court’s consent. It is your responsibility to know what the Court’s order says and to comply with it. Failing to do so may result in the suspension or termination of child support.
• Visitation cannot be withheld for non-payment of child support. Withholding visitation can:
  • Affect your child’s well-being
  • Result in a finding of contempt of court
  • Put you in jail

• Child support is due through the month that the child turns 19.
• Employers who fail to comply with incoming withholding notices or who punish or dismiss employees as a result of income withholding are subject to legal action.
• The County Attorney (or authorized attorney) represents the State and the best interests of the child.  No client/attorney relationship exists.
• Either party in an action for child support can request that the case be reviewed for possible modification every three years by contacting Health and Human Services, Child Support Enforcement, Review and Modification Unit at (800) 831-4573.
• Establishing paternity enables your child(ren) to have access to important family medical history as well and financial and emotional support.

• Be between 12 and 18 years of age. (Juveniles 11 and younger will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.)
• Accept responsibility for their offense and acknowledge the extent of their involvement.
• Be willing to comply with all of the program requirements.
• Reside in Buffalo County.

• The juvenile’s previous encounters with the law, including delinquent behavior.
• The length of time over which any prior offenses occurred, and similarity of those offenses.
• Whether the offense involved violence, and whether it was premeditated.
• The number of victims involved in the offense.
• The potential for actual harm to the victim(s), even if unintended.
• The monetary value of any damages.
• The juvenile’s motives for committing the offense.
• The likelihood of future law violations 
• Whether the juvenile is amenable to treatment.

• Criminal charges regarding the offense will be dismissed or not filed.
• Improvement in personal responsibility and coping skills.
• Opportunity to develop a sense of community responsibility and accountability.

1. Assessment. Upon the offer by the County Attorney to participate in Diversion, the juvenile will complete an intake assessment. He or she will be required to meet with the Diversion Administrator to discuss the referral, the diversion process, and the offender’s willingness to participate. The youth’s history, family life, academic performance, and other relevant factors will be examined. The Diversion Administrator may also provide avenues for additional services and/or make referrals to other agencies.
2. Drug/Alcohol Assessment. All youth who are referred with drug- or alcohol-related offenses will be required to get a complete professional drug/alcohol evaluation at their expense. The results of this assessment will be shared with the youth and their parent(s), and be required to follow the recommendations of the assessment.
3. Drug/Alcohol Testing. Once accepted into the Program, continued use or possession of illegal drugs or alcohol will be forbidden. At any time while on Diversion, the youth may be required to submit to drug and alcohol screening. The Diversion Administrator may share the results of such testing with the County Attorney, who will consider whether the youth will be allowed to continue in the Diversion Program. An offender deemed no longer eligible for Diversion will be referred back to the court for formal charges.
4. Curfews. After being accepted into the Juvenile Diversion Program, some participants may be required to observe a curfew. The juvenile, the parent(s), and the Program Administrator will help in determining the curfew times and conditions.
5. Duration of the Program. The Program will be tailored to the individual needs of the juvenile. Consequently, the duration of the program will depend on the offender. The maximum term of Diversion will not exceed one year.
6. No Plea Required. While the participant must acknowledge their participation in the offense, they will not be required to enter a court plea of “admit” or “no contest.” The County Attorney will not use any admissions if charges are subsequently filed.
7. Victim/Offender Mediation. If the victim agrees, the offender may be considered for mediation.
8. Sponsor. A juvenile participating in Diversion will be asked to have a responsible adult as their sponsor. The Program Administrator must approve the sponsor. The sponsor may be a parent, relative, or friend.

• Paying all required fines, fees, and restitution.
• Satisfactorily completing all required community service.
• Attending and participating in all educational classes.
• Writing a letter of apology to the victim(s).
• Informing the school in writing about participation in the Diversion Program and serving all, if any, school-related consequences.
• Avoiding social situations that may involve criminal or delinquent behavior.
• Obeying school and household rules, and working towards a good academic standing.
• Receiving no additional violations and obeying the rules of the Program.
• Signing a release of information permitting open communication with the school and other interested parties and the Diversion Program.
• Each individual is entitled to and capable of being responsible for his or her lawful participation in society.

• Marriage License Application

• Name of Applicant A/Groom
• Name of Applicant B/Bride (including maiden name)
• Date of marriage (Must be issued from Buffalo County)

• Social Security Card (require certified copy)
• Bank, credit union, and investment accounts 
• Vehicle title/registration
• Driver's license (require certified copy)
• Mortgage
• Homeowner's insurance
• Life insurance
• Car insurance
• Medical and dental records
• Credit cards and files
• Deeds and property titles
• Passport
• Voter registration card
• IRS forms
• Church records
• Mail and newspaper subscriptions
• Employer/payroll
• Post office
• Your attorney (to update legal documents, will)
• Military records
• Utilities/Subscriptions

Nebraska Supreme Court Self Help Resources

Nebraska Judicial Branch Internet Payment System (Pay Citation or Case Payment)

Alcohol Ed Information

Central Nebraska Council on Alcoholism & Addictions (CNCAA)

• Educational Classes offered at the CNCAA

• 2022 first quarter available classes

Horizon Alcohol Ed

Jeff Lange Counseling, LLC.

Jill Cook Counseling Services

Nebraska Safety Council

•     Driving Training

•     Alive at 25

•     Attitudinal Dynamics of Driving

MADD:

• 2023 Victim Impact Panel Instructions and Schedule

1. Take and have care of all real and personal property owned by the County.
2. Manage County funds and businesses.
3. Make all orders respecting property of the County, to keep buildings insured, and to sell public grounds and businesses.
4. Lay out, alter or discontinue any road running through the County.
5. Examine and settle all accounts against the County and accounts concerning receipt and expenditures.
6. Vacate any city or village plats, not a part of an incorporated city or village, within the County.
7. Expend money for care and maintenance of abandoned cemeteries.
8. Create a planning commission and a comprehensive development plan for the County.
9. Cooperate in the control and eradication of insects, pests and plant diseases.
10. Levy and collect taxes for the County.
11. Provide suitable courthouse, jail and other public buildings.
12. Carry out all other duties imposed by law.

• Democratic
• Libertarian
• Republican
• Legal Marijuana NOW
• Non-Partisan (not affiliated with a party)
          How Non-Partisan voting in Nebraska works in Primary elections link:
  (https://sos.nebraska.gov/elections/how-nonpartisan-voting-works-nebraska-primary-elections)

The elected offices nominated on a partisan basis are:

President, Vice President, U. S. Senators, Member of the U. S. House of Representatives, Governor, Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, State Auditor, State Treasurer, State Attorney General, County Commissioners, County Clerk, County Attorney, Register of Deeds, County Assessor, Clerk of the District Court, County Sheriff, County Treasurer and County Surveyor.

Effective: December 2, 2013

Office Hours: Monday - Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

2025 Planning and Zoning Commission Deadlines and Meeting Times

2025 Board of Commissioners Deadlines & Meeting Times


Objectives

• Review and recommend, to the County Board, the enactment and amendment of Buffalo County’s Zoning Map, Zoning Code, and Subdivision Code. Also this Commission conducts population, housing, and growth studies of Buffalo County and its rural areas. From this study, the Commission formulates Buffalo County’s Comprehesive Plan. That Plan provides to the Commission and this county a direction as to future growth and development for Buffalo County’s unincorporated and rural areas, including any Zoning Map or Code Amendments that be needed to pursue the goals of the Comprehensive Plan.

• Analyze and submit recommendations of approval or disapproval, of any applications regarding Subdivisions of any Development-Type Operations and Special Uses as identified in the County’s Zoning Code and Subdivision Code to the Buffalo County Board of Commissioners.

• Public meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month, at 7:00 p.m., at the Buffalo County Courthouse, unless otherwise posted.

Plus filing fees set by Register of Deeds unless Code states otherwise
*Passed at Board of Supervisors meeting on May 28, 2002
**Passed at Board of Supervisors meeting on February 24, 2009
***Passed at Board of Supervisors meeting on September 14, 2010
****Passed at Board of Supervisors meeting on November 23, 2010
*****Passed at Board of Supervisors meeting on June 11, 2013 retroactive to May 14, 2013
******Passed at County Commissioners meeting on April 25, 2017 effective July 1, 2017

County surveyor powers and duties:
(1) It shall be the duty of the county surveyor to make or cause to be made all surveys within his or her county that the county surveyor may be called upon to make and record the same.
(2) The county surveyor shall prepare and file the required annual inventory statement of county personal property in his or her custody possession as provided in sections 23-346 to 23-350.

Trespass; exemption from liability. The county surveyor in the performance of his official duties, shall not be liable to prosecution for trespass.

Original corners; perpetuation. It shall be the duty of the county surveyor in surveys made by him or her to perpetuate all original corners not at the time well marked, and all corners or angles that he or she may establish or reestablish, in a permanent manner by setting monuments containing ferromagnetic material, according to the instructions of the State Surveyor.

Corners; establishment and restoration; rules governing. The boundaries of the public lands established by the duly appointed government surveyors, when approved by the Surveyor General and accepted by the government, are unchangeable, and the corners established thereon by them shall be held and considered as the true corners which they were intended to represent, and the restoration of lines and corners of said surveys and the division of sections into their legal subdivisions shall be in accordance with the laws of the United States, the circular of instructions of the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, on the restoration of lost and obliterated section corners and quarter corners, and the circular of instructions to the county surveyors by the State Surveyor under authority of the Board of Educational Lands and Funds. The county surveyor is hereby authorized to restore lost and obliterated corners of original surveys and to establish the sub divisional corners of sections in accordance with the provisions of the section and section 23-1907. Any registered land surveyor registered under the provisions of sections 81-8,108 to 81-8,127 is hereby authorized to establish any corner not monumented in the original government surveys in accordance with the provisions of this section 23-1907. Subdivision shall be executed according to the plan indicated by the original field notes and plats of surveys and governed by the original and legally restored corners. The survey of the sub divisional lines of sections in violation of this section shall be absolutely void.

Surveys; records; contents; available to public. The county surveyor shall record all surveys, for permanent purposes, made by him or her, as required by sections 81-8,121 to 81-8,122.02. Such record shall set forth the names of the persons making the application for the survey, for whom the work was done, and a statement showing it to be an official county survey or resurvey. The official records, other plats, and field notes of the county surveyor's office shall be deemed and considered public records. Any agent or authority of the United States, the State Surveyor or any deputy state surveyor of Nebraska, or any surveyor registered pursuant to sections 81-8,108 to 81-8,127, shall at all times, within reasonable office or business hours, have free access to the surveys, field notes, maps, charts, records, and other papers as provided for in sections 23-1901 to 23-1913. In all counties, where no regular office is maintained in the county courthouse for the county surveyor of that county, the county clerk shall be custodian of the official record of surveys and all other permanent records pertaining to the office of county surveyor.

Land surveying. Land surveying shall mean the establishment or reestablishment of corners and the boundaries and the location of lots, parcels, tracts, or divisions of land, which may include distance, direction, elevation, and acreage, and the correct determination and description of lots, parcels, tracts, or divisions of land for, but not limited to, any of the following purposes:

• To furnish a legal description of any tract of land to be used in the preparation of deeds of conveyance when the description is not the same as the one in the deed of conveyance to the current owner or when bearings, distances, or measurements are needed to properly describe the tract being conveyed
• To furnish a legal description of any land surveyed to be used in the platting or subdividing of the land
• To determine the amount of acreage contained in any land surveyed
• To furnish a topographic plat of a lot, parcel, tract, or division of land and locating natural and artificial features in the air, on the surface or subsurface of the earth, and on the beds or surface of bodies of water for the purpose of establishing the facts of size, area, shape, topography, and orientation of improved or unimproved real property and appurtenances to the real property.

Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am-5:00pm

Visit Nebraska Department of Natural Resources for information on floodplain, FEMA, and other resources.

There are approximately 962 square miles in Buffalo County.  Within this area there are 1500 miles of road: 112.3 miles are County oil or concrete roads.  There are 342 bridges over 20 feet in the County.  There are also 242 bridges that are 20 feet and under which are not considered bridges but are classified as culverts because of the constricted water flow.

There are 41 full time employees and during the summer months we employ three to four more people.  In addition to the Highway Superintendent, there are: one assistant Highway Superintendent, two clerical, two foremen, 19 maintainer operators, five heavy equipment operators, one sign man, one welder, two mechanics, one mechanic assistant and eight truck driver/operators.

We also have a large inventory of machines and equipment valued at $9,143,598.00.  This includes 21 maintainers, one crane, three backhoes, four loaders, 43 pickups and trucks and a considerable number of other pieces of equipment. 

We have an excellent communication system which includes 2-way radios which are used extensively.  They save many miles of driving and enable people to communicate from one corner of the county to the other.  They have saved many maintainer men from having to walk for help after having a flat tire, being stuck in a snowstorm or any other emergency type situation.  Our foremen also have cellular phones.

We have 2-way radios in all the maintainers, office, loaders and in a majority of our other equipment.  The radios also give us communication with the Sheriff’s Department an the County Surveyor.  The telephone system gives us easier communication with the Sheriff’s Department, Surveyor, other County Courthouse offices and also the City of Kearney offices by dialing just four digits.

Buffalo County is divided into 26 Townships.  We have divided the townships into Zones 1 through 26.  We bid gravel once a year.  The bid period is from April 1 of one year to March 31 of the following year.

Buffalo County went to the GEO Base Addressing System and signs were installed in 1997.  This system makes finding a resident faster in an emergency type situation.

Elected Position in Buffalo County:
4 year term

Salary:
Set by Buffalo County Board of Commissioners.

Deputies:
Appointed as needed by elected Public Defender subject to approval of County Board.

Full Time Position:
Determined by statutes in larger counties; by County Board in Buffalo County. 

Fees:
May not accept any compensation for representing Public Defender Clients except for salary plus cost reimbursement from County.

Duties:
Represent all indigent, Defendants charged with felonies and misdemeanors, if penalty for crime carries possible jail time.

Court determines if Defendant can financially hire his own attorney or is indigent. If indigent the Court appoints. The Public Defender's office may not represent as Public Defender prior to Court appointment.

Represent all Persons brought before the Mental Health Board as dangerous to self or others.

Represent Fugitives from Justice and/or Extradition Defendant's if appointed by the Court.

Qualifications:
Must be licensed to practice law in Nebraska.

Budget:
Elected official must submit an annual budget to be approved by the County Board.


Buffalo County Public Defender:

Jeff Wirth

Buffalo County Public Defender Chief Deputy:

Brandon Brinegar

Deputies:

Sharon Joseph

Michelle M. Mitchell

Delaney Behrendt

Corey Burns

Kellie John
Register of Deeds
Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Location Buffalo County Courthouse - 1512 Central Ave

The Register of Deeds Office is responsible for maintaining and securing the permanent land records of the County. The Register of Deeds is a separate office in counties that have more than 20,000 inhabitants.

The duties include the preservation and recording of the land records. Every document must be proofed, indexed, and all transactions meeting the statutory requirements. This office routinely deals with complex legal descriptions and requires accuracy and detail. Legal documents, such as, but not limited to Deeds, Mortgages, Deed of Trusts, Easements, Subdivision Plats, and any and all documents that affect a specific tract of land in the county. In addition to the Public, this office is utilized by Real Estate Companies, Title and Abstract Companies, Appraisers, Attorneys, and Genealogist.

The Register of Deeds records are available on the Free Public Access computers. All copies and Buffalo County plat books are available to purchase in the office.

For information on Laredo and Tapestry, click on Deeds Records Online, to the left.
Laredo - If you are looking for online access and want a subscription.
Tapestry - You need a copy immediately or are a frequent user, pay with credit card. Get started with Tapestry.

Subdivision List by Subdivision Name

History:

The first courthouse of Buffalo County erected at Gibbon in 1873. History tells us that the Gibbon Courthouse records were placed in a wagon, brought to Kearney at night hidden in the “Chandler Building’ where the Telephone Company is today.  (More Buffalo County history)

The first deed recorded in Buffalo County was a 40-acre tract of land in Section 13, Township 9, North, Range 13 West. The date of the recording was February 12, 1870.

Schedule of Recording Fees

Alphabetical Index of Buffalo County Land Patents Compiled by the Buffalo County Register of Deeds

• 1st page of document: $10.00
• 2nd page & all subsequent pages: $6.00 each
• The above fees pertain to ALL documents filed within the Register of Deeds offices.
  Exceptions listed below are "no fee" documents:
• Federal Tax Lien Termination
• State Tax Lien Termination
• UCC Termination
• Relinquishment
• Certified copies: $1.50 per page
• UCC Financings Statements, Assignment, Amendments, Release, Partial Release: Flat Fee $14.00 (Change effective date 7/1/2021) LB 910 passed 7/31/2020

Documentary Tax - Effective 7/1/2005 to $2.25 per thousand (LB-40) (see the Computation Table) 
The Nebraska Department of Revenue requires the Register of Deeds office to collect a documentary-stamp tax when a deed is presented for recording.  A  Form 521 (transfer statement) must be completed for all deeds, memorandum of contracts and/or land contracts.

The above list of fees are in accordance with LB463 L.S. 1983: Effective August 26, 1983; LB606 L.S. 1985 Effective July 1, 1985; LB1153, Effective January 1, 1991 LB 1022, Effective January 1, 1993; LB1099, Effective July 16, 2004

LB 254 - Provide New Requirements for Instruments recorded in the Office of Register of Deeds Effective August 27, 2011

• Recording Space Requirements:
• 3" X 8 1/2" on top of page 1
• No attachment or affirmation shall be used in any way to cover any information or printed material on the instrument. (For example, nothing may be taped or attached to an instrument.)
• Every instrument presented for recording shall have on the first page BELOW the 3 inch margin a return address and the title of the document
• Margin Requirements: 1" on both vertical sides, and 1" on the bottom. This applies throughout the document.
• Instrument Requirements:
• Paper at least 8 1/2" X 11" , and no larger than 8 1/2" X 14"
• Shall be printed, typewritten or computer generated in black ink, white paper, and a minimum 8pt font
• Must be legible
• Each signature on an instrument shall be in black or dark blue ink
• Names of each party shall be typed, printed, or stamped beneath the original signature.
• Stamps shall not cover or interfere with any part of the instrument
• Exceptions to the rule:
• Instruments signed before the effective date of this bill (August 27, 2011)
• Instruments executed outside of the U.S.
• Certified copies from governmental agencies (Death Certificates)
• Instruments signed by an incapacitated or deceased person at the time of recording
• Instruments formatted to meet court requirements
• State & Federal Tax Liens
• UCC Instruments
• Plats, Surveys, etc.

Treasurer: Brenda R. Rohrich (elected 4 yr. Term)
Deputy Treasurer: Michele L. Richardson

Duties:

• To collect all revenues for the County
• To bill and collect all real estate and personal taxes in the County
• To issue motor vehicle titles
• To register all motor vehicles with tax situs in the County
• To issue driver licenses, CDL’s, learner permits, ID cards, school permits, etc
• To disburse collections to the proper political subdivisions
• To register motor boats
• To register snowmobiles

General Information:

• Information on titling NEW motor vehicles and watercraft
• Information on titling previously owned motor vehicles and watercraft
• Information on titles coming from out of state
• Information on replacing a lost title
• Information on your first registration for cars, trucks, trailers, motorcycles and boats whether new or used
• Information on renewing registrations
• Information on registering snowmobiles
• Information on refunds
• Tax Sales and Tax Sale Certificates

 Telephone Numbers:

Real Estate and Personal Property Taxes: (308) 236-1250
Motor Vehicle: (308) 236-1259
Tax Sales: (308) 236-1250

The Courthouse is located one block east of 2nd Avenue on 16th street.

Hours: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday - Friday

• Issue writs and orders for provisional remedies and process of every kind.
• File and preserve all papers delivered to him or her.
• Endorse papers filed with him or her.
• Make entry of return of every summons served.
• Keep the records, books, and papers pertaining to the court, and record its proceedings.
• Prepare and file the annual inventory statement of all county personal property in his or her custody or possession.