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Cedar County, NE Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Cedar County details |
|---|---|
| Court | Cedar County Court |
| Courthouse address | 101 South Broadway, Hartington, NE 68739 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 695, Hartington, NE 68739 |
| Phone | 402-254-7441 |
| Fax | 402-254-7447. Fax filing by a person without a lawyer requires the uniform cover sheet and is governed by Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601(B). |
| [email protected] for questions. Email filings are not allowed in Nebraska court cases (Neb. Ct. R. § 2-212). | |
| Hours | 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday, open through the lunch hour. Call before you go if timing matters. |
| Filing fee | Under the statewide court-cost schedule effective July 1, 2026, the base statutory fee is $22 for a probate proceeding commenced and closed informally, with another $22 for each later petition or application in an informal proceeding. A formal probate is charged on a schedule keyed to the gross value of the Nebraska estate at death, from $22 on estates of $1,000 or less to $1,500 over $5,000,000 (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 33-125). Confirm the current counter amount with the clerk of the Cedar County Court before you file. |
| Local forms | No Cedar County local probate packet was found. Use Nebraska Judicial Branch forms and the statewide fax cover sheet where they apply. |
| E-filing | A Nebraska attorney must use electronic filing (Neb. Ct. R. § 2-202). A person without a lawyer may file in person, by mail, or by fax with the uniform cover sheet under Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601(B), until July 1, 2028. Optional non-attorney registration under Neb. Ct. R. § 2-216 should be checked with the clerk before relying on it. |
| Case search | Statewide trial court case search is through Nebraska.gov, running on the Judicial Branch's JUSTICE case management system: https://www.nebraska.gov/justice/case.cgi. A general search for a list of cases has no charge; viewing case details is $2, with no extra charge for document images, and frequent users can open a Nebraska.gov subscriber account for an annual $100. The same case information is available without charge at any courthouse kiosk or law library. |
| Remote appearance | Nebraska law allows a county court to hear all nonevidentiary hearings, and any evidentiary hearing the court approves with all appearing parties' stipulation, by telephone or videoconference (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2704). District 6 Rule 6.7 allows video or telephone appearances for nontestimonial proceedings at the county judge's discretion; requests go to the bailiff or courtroom clerk at least 48 hours before the hearing, and each remote participant must be logged in 5 minutes early. |
| County judge district | Sixth county judge district (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 24-503). |
| Website | https://nebraskajudicial.gov/courts/cedar-county-court and https://cedarcountyne.gov/county-court/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a Cedar County filing path, list the decedent's assets, debts, account titles, beneficiary designations, real estate, vehicles, and known creditors. Nebraska probate turns on what actually needs court authority, whether a will exists, whether anyone contests the estate, and whether the estate settlement also needs a Cedar County inheritance tax determination.
Sunset's asset discovery searches more than 2,300 financial institutions so families can find accounts before they file. That matters in Cedar County because the court filing fee, affidavit options, creditor notice, and inheritance tax work all depend on what property exists and how it is titled.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Probate for Cedar County is filed with the clerk of the Cedar County Court at 101 South Broadway in Hartington. Mail filings and correspondence to P.O. Box 695, Hartington, NE 68739.
Nebraska district courts do not hear probate; a will is proved and letters are issued in the county court, which has exclusive original jurisdiction of all matters relating to decedents' estates (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 24-517).
Cedar County sits in Nebraska's sixth county judge district, which is how county judges and the county court's local rules are assigned; the case itself is filed at Cedar County's own courthouse in Hartington (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 24-502, § 24-503). Venue for the first informal or formal testacy or appointment proceeding is the county where the decedent had domicile at death, or, if the decedent was not domiciled in Nebraska, any county where the decedent had property (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2410).
The jurisdiction process
- Decide whether you are asking for informal probate or formal probate. Informal probate uses an application to the registrar, whose acts are performed by a county judge or by a person designated by the court in a written order, and the application is delivered to the clerk of the Cedar County Court (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2216). Formal probate uses a petition to the court with notice to interested persons.
- Gather the certified death certificate, the original will if there is one, names and addresses of interested persons, asset information, debt information, and any real estate information needed for the Cedar County estate settlement.
- File with the clerk of the Cedar County Court at 101 South Broadway in Hartington, by mail to P.O. Box 695, or, if you are filing without a lawyer, by fax to 402-254-7447 with the uniform cover sheet required by Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601(B). A Nebraska attorney must file electronically (Neb. Ct. R. § 2-202). Email filings are not allowed (Neb. Ct. R. § 2-212).
- Pay the probate filing fee. Under the statewide court-cost schedule effective July 1, 2026, the statutory base is $22 for a probate proceeding commenced and closed informally, with formal probate charged by the gross value of the Nebraska estate at death under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 33-125.
- For informal probate, wait for the statutory timing rule. The registrar may issue the written statement of informal probate only if at least 120 hours have elapsed since death (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2415).
- After appointment, the clerk publishes notice to creditors once a week for three successive weeks, with the first publication within thirty days after appointment (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2483). Claims covered by that notice are barred unless presented within two months after the first publication, subject to the statute's limited extension procedure (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2485).
- Give any required Department of Health and Human Services notice if the decedent was fifty-five or older or resided in a medical institution, because the Nebraska Probate Code makes that notice part of creditor notice practice (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2483).
- Request any hearing the court requires. For a remote hearing request in Cedar County, Nebraska law allows telephone or videoconference hearings within Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2704, and District 6 Rule 6.7 requires requests for video or telephone participation to be made to the bailiff or courtroom clerk at least 48 hours before the hearing.
- Once appointed, obtain letters testamentary or letters of administration. One certified copy of letters of appointment is included without an added charge in a formal probate under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 33-125(2).
- Administer the estate, prepare the inventory, address creditor claims, determine whether Nebraska inheritance tax is due, and complete the Cedar County Court inheritance tax determination within the twelve-month deadline tied to the date of death (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-2010, § 77-2018.01, § 77-2004).
- Distribute property when it is legally ready to distribute, then close the estate by the proper closing statement or court order for the type of proceeding being used (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,128).
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Cedar County
Cedar County does not publish a local probate opening packet. Nebraska provides a partial statewide form set for estates, but not a fill-in application for informal probate or petition for formal probate.
| Form or resource | Use in Cedar County |
|---|---|
| CC 15:40, Affidavit for Transfer of Personal Property without Probate, revised July 2022 | Used for the personal-property affidavit route under the current $100,000 ceiling in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,125. The $100,000 amount has applied since the 2022 change made by LB 1124, signed April 18, 2022. |
| CC 15:41, Affidavit for Transfer of Real Property without Probate, revised October 2025 | Used for the real-property affidavit route under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,129. The current $100,000 real-property ceiling has applied since the 2024 change made by LB 1195, signed April 15, 2024. In Cedar County, the completed real-property affidavit is recorded with the register of deeds at 101 S Broadway Ave in Hartington, not delivered as the court-opening document. |
| Uniform fax cover sheet | Required as the first page when a person without a lawyer uses fax filing under Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601(B). |
| Flowchart for Informal Probate Filed with a Will, AD 2:26 | Nebraska Judicial Branch flowchart for an uncontested testate informal filing. It does not cover no-will cases, contested wills, or contested distribution issues. See https://nebraskajudicial.gov/self-help/estates. |
For the application or petition that opens an estate, plan to draft the document from Nebraska law or work with a lawyer. The clerk of the Cedar County Court can receive filings, but court staff do not prepare legal pleadings or give legal advice.
Local nuance
Cedar County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a Cedar County filing |
|---|---|
| Hartington filing address | Use 101 South Broadway for in-person filings at the Cedar County Court. Use P.O. Box 695 for mail. |
| Lunch hour | The Cedar County Court's public hours are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday, and the local page states that the office is open through lunch. Call before going if a same-day filing deadline matters. |
| Real-property affidavit location | If the Affidavit for Transfer of Real Property without Probate is the right route, record it with the Cedar County register of deeds at 101 S Broadway Ave in Hartington under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,129. Do not treat that recording as opening a county court estate. |
| District 6 video and telephone rule | For a remote hearing, District 6 Rule 6.7 requires a request to the bailiff or courtroom clerk at least 48 hours before a nontestimonial hearing, and each person appearing remotely must be logged in 5 minutes before the hearing. The court's authority rests on Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2704. |
Recent updates
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| May 27, 2026 | District 6 Rule 6.7, Video/Telephone Appearances, was approved. It governs requests for video or telephone participation in Cedar County county court hearings, together with Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2704. |
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Cedar County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start with the deed and account titles. If only personal property needs transfer and the current $100,000 ceiling applies, the claiming successor presents CC 15:40 to the holder under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,125; that amount has applied since LB 1124 was signed April 18, 2022. If a separate real-property interest within the current $100,000 ceiling must move, CC 15:41 is recorded with the Cedar County register of deeds under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,129; that real-property amount has applied since LB 1195 was signed April 15, 2024. If court authority is needed, file with the clerk of the Cedar County Court in Hartington. | Sunset helps identify accounts, deeds, beneficiary designations, and debts before the family chooses the affidavit route or a Cedar County Court filing. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | If the personal-property affidavit under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,125 applies, no trip to Hartington is needed because the form is presented to the holder of the property. If letters are needed, mail the probate papers to P.O. Box 695, Hartington, NE 68739, or fax them to 402-254-7447 with the uniform cover sheet if filing without a lawyer (Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601(B)). If a hearing is set, ask about a remote hearing at least 48 hours ahead under District 6 Rule 6.7 and Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2704. | Sunset organizes the asset list, generates a probate packet, and helps the family decide when local counsel should step in. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | An affidavit route does not replace a sale-authority proceeding. In Cedar County, the clerk of the Cedar County Court is a clerk magistrate, an office described in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 24-507; a clerk magistrate may handle noncontested estate matters but not a determination of title to real estate or authorization to sell or mortgage real estate (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 24-519). That issue goes to a county judge. Notice to creditors and the two-month claims bar run under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2483 and § 30-2485, and Nebraska inheritance tax is determined through the Cedar County Court under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-2004 and § 77-2010. | Sunset helps find the mortgage, title information, creditors, and accounts, then connects the family with a local probate attorney for the real-estate sale issue. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Nebraska Online Legal Self-Help Center, https://nebraskajudicial.gov/self-help | Virtual self-help center with filing guidance, including the no-email-filing rule and fax filing information. Court employees cannot give legal advice. |
| Estates section, https://nebraskajudicial.gov/self-help/estates | Links to estate resources, the informal probate flowchart, claims information, and the two affidavit forms. |
| Additional Information: Estates, https://nebraskajudicial.gov/self-help/estates/additional-information-estates | Explains that Nebraska law allows self-representation, while also saying estate filings will most often require an attorney's help. |
| Master Forms List, https://nebraskajudicial.gov/forms | Search for the CC 15 estate forms, including CC 15:40 under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,125 and CC 15:41 under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,129. |
| County court directory, https://nebraskajudicial.gov/directories/county-court-contacts | Statewide contact list for county courts. |
| Legal Aid of Nebraska, 1.877.250.2016, https://legalaidofnebraska.org/how-we-help/ | Statewide AccessLine is open Monday and Wednesday 8:30 am to 11:30 am and Tuesday and Thursday 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm Central. Screening depends on household income, assets, and legal issue; the listed work areas are family, debt, housing, and benefits rather than estate administration, and Legal Aid of Nebraska does not take walk-ins. |
| ElderAccessLine, 1.800.527.7249 | Legal Aid of Nebraska line for people age 60 and over in all Nebraska counties, Monday to Thursday 9:00 am to 12:00 noon and 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm, and Friday 9:00 am to 12:00 noon Central. |
| Nebraska Free Legal Answers, https://ne.freelegalanswers.org/ | Free Legal Answers lets qualifying users post civil legal questions for Nebraska-licensed volunteer attorneys. Its volunteers do not represent users in court, and its listed topics do not include estates. |
| Limited Scope Representation, https://nebraskajudicial.gov/self-help | Limited Scope Representation is a way to hire a lawyer for part of a case, such as reviewing a petition, preparing for a hearing, or advising on inheritance tax questions. |
When to hire an attorney
Nebraska does not require a personal representative to have a lawyer, and the Judicial Branch's estates materials say the law allows self-representation. The same materials say filing an estate will most often require an attorney's help, and Cedar County does not publish a local form for the opening application or petition. Counsel is especially important when the will is contested, real estate must be sold, a creditor dispute arises, or inheritance tax questions are not straightforward; Limited Scope Representation through nebraskajudicial.gov can also be a middle option. Sunset connects families with a vetted local probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions and helps organize real estate, vehicles, debts, and beneficiary information so the Cedar County estate settlement starts with a clear asset picture.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the family's answers into a probate-ready packet for review, including the information needed for a Cedar County Court filing and the affidavit paths when Nebraska law allows them.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate needs formal probate, a real-estate sale order, creditor work, or inheritance tax guidance, Sunset connects the family with a vetted attorney who handles Nebraska probate.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the estate settlement, understand the next steps, and get matched with help without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Cedar County?
File with the clerk of the Cedar County Court at 101 South Broadway in Hartington, or mail filings to P.O. Box 695, Hartington, NE 68739. Nebraska district courts do not hear probate; a will is proved and letters are issued in the county court, which has exclusive original jurisdiction over decedents' estates (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 24-517).
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Cedar County?
Nebraska law allows a person to represent themselves, but the Judicial Branch says estate filings will most often require an attorney's help. A lawyer is especially useful if there is a contest, a house sale, creditor issues, missing heirs, or Nebraska inheritance tax work under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-2004.
How much does it cost to file probate in Cedar County?
Under the statewide court-cost schedule effective July 1, 2026, the statutory base is $22 for a probate proceeding commenced and closed informally, with another $22 for each later petition or application in an informal proceeding. Formal probate uses the gross value schedule in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 33-125, running from $22 for the lowest tier to $1,500 for estates over $5,000,000. Call the clerk for the amount due at the counter before you file.
Can I use an affidavit instead of opening a Cedar County Court estate?
Sometimes. For personal property, CC 15:40 may be presented to the holder of the property if the current $100,000 ceiling and the other requirements in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,125 are met; that amount has applied since LB 1124 was signed April 18, 2022. For Nebraska real property, CC 15:41 may be recorded with the register of deeds if the separate current $100,000 ceiling and the other requirements in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,129 are met; that amount has applied since LB 1195 was signed April 15, 2024.
Can I file Cedar County probate papers by fax or email?
A person filing without a lawyer may use fax filing through July 1, 2028, with the uniform cover sheet required by Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601(B). Nebraska attorneys must use electronic filing under Neb. Ct. R. § 2-202. Email filings are not allowed in Nebraska court cases (Neb. Ct. R. § 2-212).
Can I appear by phone or video in a Cedar County probate hearing?
Nebraska law allows a county court to hold nonevidentiary hearings, and some evidentiary hearings with court approval and stipulation, by telephone or videoconference (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2704). District 6 Rule 6.7 allows video or telephone participation for nontestimonial proceedings at the county judge's discretion, if the request is made to the bailiff or courtroom clerk at least 48 hours before the hearing.
How do I look up a Cedar County probate case?
Use the Nebraska.gov JUSTICE trial court search at https://www.nebraska.gov/justice/case.cgi. A general list search has no charge, viewing case details is $2, and frequent users can open a Nebraska.gov subscriber account for an annual $100. The same case information is available without charge at courthouse kiosks and law libraries.
Is there a Nebraska inheritance tax in Cedar County?
Yes. Nebraska inheritance tax is a county tax; the Cedar County Court determines it and it is paid to the county, with the tax due twelve months after the date of death (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-2010, § 77-2018.01). Rates and exemptions depend on the beneficiary's relationship to the decedent and on whether the death was before or on or after January 1, 2023 (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-2004).
What are the Cedar County Court clerk's hours?
The Cedar County Court is open 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday, and the local county court page states that the office is open through the lunch hour. Call 402-254-7441 before going if a filing deadline or travel schedule is tight.
Shaped by the families we've helped
Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.