Nebraska Wedding Laws

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 42-102.

Minimum age; affliction with venereal disease, disqualification.

At the time of the marriage the male must be of the age of seventeen years or upward, and the female of the age of seventeen years or upward. No person who is afflicted with a venereal disease shall marry in this state.

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 42-103.

Marriages; when void.

Marriages are void (1) when either party has a husband or wife living at the time of the marriage, (2) when either party, at the time of marriage, is mentally incompetent to enter into the marriage relation, and (3) when the parties are related to each other as parent and child, grandparent and grandchild, brother and sister of half as well as whole blood, first cousins when of whole blood, uncle and niece, and aunt and nephew. This subdivision extends to children and relatives born out of wedlock as well as those born in wedlock.

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 43-2101.

Persons under nineteen years of age declared minors; marriage, effect; person eighteen years of age or older; rights and responsibility.

(1) All persons under nineteen years of age are declared to be minors, but in case any person marries under the age of nineteen years, his or her minority ends.

(2) Upon becoming the age of majority, a person is considered an adult and acquires all rights and responsibilities granted or imposed by statute or common law, except that a person:

(a) Eighteen years of age or older and who is not a ward of the state may:

(i) Enter into a binding contract or lease of whatever kind or nature and shall be legally responsible for such contract or lease, including legal responsibility to third parties;

(ii) Execute, sign, authorize, or otherwise authenticate (A) an effective financing statement, (B) a promissory note or other instrument evidencing an obligation to repay, or (C) a mortgage, trust deed, security agreement, financing statement, or other security instrument to grant a lien or security interest in real or personal property or fixtures, and shall be legally responsible for such document, including legal responsibility to third parties; and

(iii) Acquire or convey title to real property and shall have legal responsibility for such acquisition or conveyance, including legal responsibility to third parties; and

(b) Eighteen years of age or older may consent to mental health services for himself or herself without the consent of his or her parent or guardian.

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 42-104 Solemnization; license; application; requirements.

Prior to the solemnization of any marriage in this state, a license for that purpose shall be obtained from a county clerk in the State of Nebraska. Applications for a marriage license made with the county court prior to January 1, 1987, shall be processed and licenses shall be issued by the county court according to the law and procedures in effect on the date each application was made. No marriage hereafter contracted shall be recognized as valid unless such license has been previously obtained and used within one year from the date of issuance and unless such marriage is solemnized by a person authorized by law to solemnize marriages. Each party shall present satisfactory documentary proof of and shall swear or affirm to the application giving: (1) Full name of each applicant and residence; and (2) the place, date, and year of birth of each.

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 33-110.County clerks; fees for certificate and seal; when charged; marriage licenses and records; fees.

County clerks shall receive no fee for the performance of the following services: For issuing certificates of election; for performing the duties of clerk of the county board; for taking acknowledgments of claims against the county; for attesting or certifying any document authorized by the county board or required by the departments of the state; or for recording Army or Navy discharges or furnishing certified copies thereof to be used in connection with any claim for compensation or disability. A charge of twenty-five cents shall be made for any other certificate and seal unless otherwise provided. The fees collected shall be credited to the county general fund.

County clerks shall receive a fee of twenty-five dollars for the entire proceedings of issuing a marriage license, administering the related oaths or affirmations, and recording a marriage certificate. An additional fee of nine dollars shall be made for each certified copy of a marriage record on file in the office of the county clerk. Both such fees shall be deposited in the county general fund.

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 42-108.

Marriage ceremony; who may perform; return; contents.

Every judge, retired judge, clerk magistrate, or retired clerk magistrate, and every preacher of the gospel authorized by the usages of the church to which he or she belongs to solemnize marriages, may perform the marriage ceremony in this state. Every such person performing the marriage ceremony shall make a return of his or her proceedings in the premises, showing the names and residences of at least two witnesses who were present at such marriage. The return shall be made to the county clerk who issued the license within fifteen days after such marriage has been performed. The county clerk shall record the return or cause it to be recorded in the same book where the marriage license is recorded.

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 42-104.

Solemnization; license; application; requirements.

Prior to the solemnization of any marriage in this state, a license for that purpose shall be obtained from a county clerk in the State of Nebraska. Applications for a marriage license made with the county court prior to January 1, 1987, shall be processed and licenses shall be issued by the county court according to the law and procedures in effect on the date each application was made. No marriage hereafter contracted shall be recognized as valid unless such license has been previously obtained and used within one year from the date of issuance and unless such marriage is solemnized by a person authorized by law to solemnize marriages. Each party shall present satisfactory documentary proof of and shall swear or affirm to the application giving: (1) Full name of each applicant and residence; and (2) the place, date, and year of birth of each.

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 42-108.

Marriage ceremony; who may perform; return; contents.

Every judge, retired judge, clerk magistrate, or retired clerk magistrate, and every preacher of the gospel authorized by the usages of the church to which he or she belongs to solemnize marriages, may perform the marriage ceremony in this state. Every such person performing the marriage ceremony shall make a return of his or her proceedings in the premises, showing the names and residences of at least two witnesses who were present at such marriage. The return shall be made to the county clerk who issued the license within fifteen days after such marriage has been performed. The county clerk shall record the return or cause it to be recorded in the same book where the marriage license is recorded.

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 42-109.

Ceremony; requirements.

In the solemnization of marriage no particular form shall be required, except that the parties shall solemnly declare in the presence of the magistrate or minister and the attending witnesses, that they take each other as husband and wife; and in any case there shall be at least two witnesses, besides the minister or magistrate present at the ceremony.

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 42-115.

Marriage according to custom of religious society; certificate; transmission to county clerk.

It shall be lawful for every religious society to join together in marriage such persons as are of the society, according to the rites and customs of the society to which they belong. The clerk or keeper of the minutes, proceedings, or other book of the religious society in which such marriage shall be had, or if there be no such clerk or keeper of the minutes, then the moderator or person presiding in such society, shall make out and transmit to the county clerk of the county a certificate of the marriage, and the same shall be recorded in the same manner as is provided in sections 42-108 to 42-112.