How to Get Married Online in Nebraska

By Distant Vows | Updated 2026

If you are trying to figure out how to get married online in Nebraska, you will find a state with one of the lowest marriage license fees in the country and a one-year validity window, but with two requirements that surprise many couples. Nebraska sets the age of majority at 19, which means that both applicants must be at least 19 to marry without parental consent, unlike the age of 18 used in most other states. More significantly, Nebraska imposes a six-month waiting period after a divorce before either former spouse may remarry in Nebraska, regardless of which state the divorce was finalized in.

By using Utah’s fully legal online marriage system through Distant Vows, Nebraska couples can get married online in Nebraska 100% virtually and receive a U.S. marriage certificate valid in Nebraska and all 50 states. If you are comparing rules across the country, you can also review our full guide on how to get married online in all 50 states.

How Nebraska Marriage Usually Works if You Don’t Get Married Online in Nebraska

Nebraska marriages are governed by Nebraska Revised Statutes Chapter 42. Marriage licenses are issued by the county clerk in each county. Both applicants must appear together in person at any county clerk’s office in the state, regardless of where they live or where the ceremony will take place. There is no residency requirement. The license is valid for one year and may be used for a ceremony anywhere in Nebraska.

The standard fee is $25, set uniformly by the Nebraska Legislature, making it one of the lowest marriage license fees in the country. A certified copy for name changes costs $9 separately. Couples who want to get married online in Nebraska through Utah skip the county clerk visit entirely and receive a Utah County certificate with no separate certified copy fee.

Nebraska eliminated its two-day waiting period in 1998. Once both applicants appear together, provide their documentation, and pay the fee, the license is issued the same day. However, Nebraska imposes a six-month waiting period between a finalized divorce and remarriage. This waiting period applies regardless of which state the divorce was obtained in. If your most recent divorce was finalized in a state with no remarriage waiting period, you must still wait six months from the decree date before applying for a Nebraska marriage license. The county clerk will ask for the date the most recent divorce was finalized, and the application will not be approved until six months have elapsed.

Nebraska also has an unusual age-of-majority rule. Most states set the minimum age to marry without consent at 18. Nebraska sets its age of majority at 19, which means anyone under 19 must have parental or guardian consent to obtain a marriage license. Applicants who are 17 or 18 may marry with the written consent of a parent or legal guardian, which may be signed in person at the county clerk’s office or submitted on a notarized consent form. No person under 17 may obtain a marriage license in Nebraska under any circumstances.

Two witnesses must be present at the ceremony, and Nebraska statute does not specify a minimum age for witnesses. The witnesses’ names and residences will be printed on the marriage license. After the ceremony, the officiant must return the completed license to the county clerk’s office that issued it within 15 days. Nebraska does not allow self-solemnized marriages; an authorized officiant must be assigned. Nebraska marriage licenses are a matter of public record. Nebraska does not recognize common-law marriage.

Documents, Waiting Period, and Age Requirements in Nebraska

Nebraska’s minimum marriage age is 17, with parental or guardian consent required for applicants who are 17 or 18. The consenting parent or guardian may provide consent in person at the county clerk’s office or by signing a notarized consent form available from the clerk. If the consenting party is a legal guardian rather than a parent, documentation of the guardianship relationship must also be presented. Applicants who are 19 or older may apply without any additional authorization.

Standard requirements at the county clerk’s office include the following:

Valid government-issued photo ID for each applicant confirming age and identity, such as a driver’s license, passport, state-issued ID, military ID, or green card. Some county clerks will also request a certified copy of a birth certificate, which is mandatory for applicants who are 17 or 18.
Social Security numbers for both applicants, if issued. Social Security numbers appear on the application but are kept confidential and will not appear on the marriage license or certificate. Applicants without a Social Security number must complete a form certifying that no number has been issued to them.
The date the most recent marriage ended for any previously married applicant, whether by divorce, annulment, or death. If by divorce or annulment, the date the decree was signed by the judge is required. If by death, the date of death is required.
For any applicant whose most recent marriage ended in divorce: the clerk will verify that at least six months have elapsed since the decree date. If fewer than six months have passed, the license will not be issued regardless of which state the divorce occurred in.
The names and residences of the two witnesses who will be present at the ceremony may be provided at the time of application in some counties; other counties record this information after the ceremony is returned by the officiant.

Are Online Weddings Allowed Directly if You Want to Get Married Online in Nebraska?

Lancaster County, which includes Lincoln, allows couples to download the marriage license application in advance and complete it at home before their in-person visit. Other counties offer similar pre-completion options to speed up the office visit. The Nebraska wedding laws site notes that the application may in some circumstances be mailed to a county clerk’s office, though both parties must still affirm the application. However, the license itself requires both parties to appear together in person to take an oath before the clerk, and the license is only valid for ceremonies held within Nebraska.

Nebraska does not provide a mechanism for a ceremony to be completed entirely by video. These requirements are why couples who want to get married online in Nebraska choose the Utah route instead. Both parties must be physically present at the ceremony with an authorized officiant. These requirements are why couples who want to get married online in Nebraska often choose to marry under Utah law through a live video ceremony and use their Utah marriage certificate in Nebraska instead.

4 Steps to Get Married Online in Nebraska with Distant Vows (Through Utah)

With Distant Vows, the same four-step process applies whether you want to get married online in Nebraska, Iowa, Colorado, or Kansas. The legal engine is always Utah’s online marriage system, which allows couples to apply for a license and hold a ceremony entirely over video while still being recognized nationwide.

Step 1 – Verify Your Eligibility

First, you confirm that you and your partner meet basic Utah requirements and complete Distant Vows’ quick intake form. Typically, you both must be 18 or older, not currently married to anyone else, and able to join a live video call together. This foundation lets couples who want to get married online in Nebraska do so fully under Utah law. Nebraska recognizes marriages valid where they are performed, so choosing to get married online in Nebraska through Utah is a legally sound path.

Confirm you are legally free to marry, whether single, divorced, or widowed.
Gather valid government-issued photo IDs, such as a Nebraska driver’s license, state ID, passport, or military ID.
Make sure you have a stable internet connection and a device with audio and video so you can comfortably get married online in Nebraska.

Step 2 – Choose Your Package and Ceremony Date

Next, you choose a Distant Vows package and select a ceremony date and time that works for your schedule in Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island, Bellevue, Kearney, Norfolk, or anywhere else. You can keep the ceremony short and simple or personalize it with vows, readings, and guests watching online as you get married online in Nebraska.

Select a basic legal-only ceremony or a more personalized experience.
Pick a time that works for your time zone and any guests joining from Nebraska or overseas.
Tell us if you need witness support, custom vows, religious or civil wording, or language options.

Step 3 – Apply for Your Utah Online Marriage License

After you pick your date, you complete a Utah online marriage license application. Utah County’s system lets you submit everything digitally, including your information, ID uploads, and signatures. You never have to visit a Nebraska county clerk’s office, you face no six-month post-divorce wait, and you do not need to satisfy Nebraska’s age-19 consent threshold, because the license is issued by Utah even though your goal is to get married online in Nebraska.

Fill out the secure Utah County application form online from your home in Nebraska or anywhere in the world.
Upload clear images of your IDs and any requested documents, such as divorce decrees if applicable.
Respond to any brief follow-up from the Utah clerk if they need clarification before issuing the license.

A Utah online marriage license is valid for 32 days from the date it is issued, and Distant Vows schedules your ceremony within that 32-day window so your marriage is properly created under Utah law.

Step 4 – Attend Your Online Ceremony and Get Your Certificate

On your wedding day, you and your partner join a live video ceremony with a Utah-licensed officiant. Two adult witnesses are required and they can join from anywhere in the world. If you do not have friends or family available, you can invite them at no charge, or use our witness service for a small fee.

Join from your home in Nebraska or from anywhere in the world, as long as you are both on the same live video call.
Participate in a real-time ceremony where you exchange vows and say your “I dos.” This is the moment you actually get married online in Nebraska, even though the legal ceremony is taking place under Utah law.
After the ceremony, your officiant files the certificate in Utah and you receive your official Utah County marriage certificate digitally and, if requested, by mail.

Nebraska County Clerk System vs Getting Married Online in Nebraska Through Utah

Before you decide how to get married online in Nebraska, it helps to compare the two approaches side by side. The table below shows the key differences between the traditional Nebraska county clerk process and using Distant Vows to get married online in Nebraska through Utah.

Feature	Traditional Nebraska Marriage	Get Married Online with Distant Vows (Utah)
Where to apply	Any county clerk’s office in Nebraska. No residency requirement; couples may apply in any county regardless of where they live or where the ceremony will take place.	Utah County online application. No county office visit required.
In-person requirement	Both applicants must appear together in person at the county clerk’s office to take an oath and sign the application. Neither may apply absentee.	No in-person visits required. Everything is completed online.
Waiting period	No waiting period after the license is issued. However, a six-month waiting period applies after a finalized divorce before either former spouse may remarry in Nebraska. This applies to divorces from any state.	No waiting period. Utah does not impose a post-divorce remarriage restriction.
Minimum age without consent	19. Nebraska’s age of majority is 19, unlike most states that use 18. Applicants who are 17 or 18 require parental or guardian consent. No one under 17 may marry.	18. Utah’s consent threshold is 18. If you are 18 and want to get married online in Nebraska through Utah, you are eligible under Utah law even though Nebraska requires 19 for its own license.
License validity	One year from issuance. Valid anywhere in Nebraska. One of the longest validity windows of any state.	Utah license valid for 32 days. Ceremony can be attended from Nebraska or anywhere in the world.
Fee	$25, set uniformly by the Nebraska Legislature. One of the lowest marriage license fees in the country. A certified copy for name change purposes costs $9 separately.	Flat Distant Vows package pricing. No separate certified copy fee.
Witnesses	Two witnesses required. Nebraska statute does not specify a minimum age for witnesses. Witnesses’ names and residences are printed on the license.	Two adult witnesses required under Utah law. Distant Vows can provide them if needed.
Valid in Nebraska	Yes.	Yes, and in all 50 states once properly issued and filed in Utah, because Nebraska recognizes marriages that are valid where they were performed.
International use	May require apostille or legalization depending on the foreign country’s rules.	Utah certificates can receive an apostille for use in many countries, even if you get married online in Nebraska. Learn more at Distant Vows apostille services.

Military Couples in Nebraska

Offutt Air Force Base, located in Bellevue in Sarpy County just south of Omaha, is Nebraska’s only active-duty military installation and one of the most strategically significant bases in the United States. Offutt is the headquarters of U.S. Strategic Command, which is responsible for nuclear deterrence, global strike, and space operations, coordinating approximately 1,800 nuclear warheads and overseeing 150,000 personnel worldwide.

For personnel at Offutt whose partners are stationed at other installations, deployed, or living in distant cities, Nebraska’s six-month post-divorce waiting period and in-person clerk requirement can make getting married on a military timeline difficult. Utah online marriage removes both barriers. Both partners join a live video ceremony from wherever they are, with no county clerk visit and no six-month restriction. You can read more at Distant Vows for Military Couples.

Immigration and Long-Distance Couples in Nebraska

Nebraska’s immigrant story is one of the most dramatic rural transformation stories in the United States. In 1990, only 1.8 percent of Nebraska’s residents were foreign-born. By 2024, that share had grown to approximately 7.2 percent according to the Migration Policy Institute, a nearly fourfold increase driven by labor migration to the meatpacking industry.

For binational couples who want to get married online in Nebraska and where one partner remains abroad, both the in-person clerk requirement and Nebraska’s six-month post-divorce restriction can be real barriers. When you choose to get married online in Nebraska through Utah, your partner can be anywhere in the world and join the ceremony by video. The Utah County certificate is accepted by USCIS for spousal visa and green card applications. If you need your marriage recognized in another country, Distant Vows can help you obtain an apostille so your certificate is accepted internationally. You can learn more at Distant Vows apostille services.

Couples researching international marriage recognition may also want to read our guide on whether getting married online affects immigration cases.

Using Your Utah Certificate After You Get Married Online in Nebraska

After you get married online in Nebraska through Utah, your certified Utah County marriage certificate is your primary legal document. Nebraska agencies accept any valid U.S. marriage certificate.

Change your name with the Social Security Administration first. Nebraska’s Department of Motor Vehicles checks SSA records for name changes on driver’s licenses, so updating SSA before visiting the DMV prevents delays.
Update your Nebraska driver’s license or state ID through the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles.
Adjust your name and marital status with banks, employers, schools, and insurance providers.
Use your certificate for USCIS spousal visa and green card applications. The Utah County certificate is treated the same as any Nebraska-issued license for immigration purposes.

Many couples who get married online in Nebraska also use their Utah certificate to complete a legal name change. This process is the same whether you get married online in Nebraska through Utah or used a Nebraska license. You can learn more in our guide on how to change your name after getting married online.

Related Online Marriage Guides

If you are researching how to get married online in Nebraska or nearby Plains states, you may also want to read:

FAQ: Getting Married Online in Nebraska

Is it legal to get married online in Nebraska?
Nebraska recognizes marriages that are valid where they are performed. When you get married online in Nebraska through Utah’s system, your marriage is valid in Utah and must be recognized in Nebraska even though the ceremony happens over video. Nebraska’s own requirements about in-person clerk appearances, the six-month post-divorce wait, and the age-19 consent threshold apply only to Nebraska marriage licenses, not to marriages legally performed in Utah.

Do we still need to visit a Nebraska county clerk?
No. If you choose the Utah online route, your license is issued by Utah County. You do not need to visit any Nebraska county clerk’s office. Every couple who chooses to get married online in Nebraska through Distant Vows completes the entire process digitally, with no in-person steps in Nebraska or anywhere else.

Why does Nebraska require waiting six months after a divorce?
Nebraska Revised Statutes section 42-340 imposes a six-month waiting period between the finalization of a divorce and the issuance of a new marriage license. This applies to divorces from any state or country. If your divorce was finalized in a state with no remarriage waiting period, Nebraska still enforces its own six-month rule. Utah does not impose a post-divorce remarriage waiting period, so couples who want to get married online in Nebraska shortly after a divorce find the Utah route significantly faster.

Why does Nebraska require applicants to be 19 rather than 18?
Nebraska sets its general age of majority at 19, rather than 18, for most purposes under state law. This means that both applicants must be at least 19 to marry without parental or guardian consent in Nebraska. Utah’s consent threshold is 18, so an 18-year-old who wants to get married online in Nebraska through Utah is fully eligible under Utah law.

Does Nebraska allow self-solemnized marriages?
No. Nebraska requires an authorized officiant for every marriage ceremony. Self-solemnized marriages, where the couple performs their own ceremony without a third-party officiant, are not valid in Nebraska. Authorized officiants include judges, retired judges, clerk magistrates, and ministers. The Utah online route uses Distant Vows officiants who are licensed under Utah law.

Can personnel at Offutt AFB get married online in Nebraska?
Yes. Both partners join the ceremony by video from wherever they are. A service member deployed overseas or stationed at another installation can participate from any location while the other partner remains in Nebraska. Getting married online in Nebraska through Utah means no county clerk visit and no six-month post-divorce wait. No county clerk visit is required, and Utah does not impose Nebraska’s six-month post-divorce wait. You can read more at Distant Vows for Military Couples.

Can same-sex couples get married online this way?
Yes. Nebraska’s ban on same-sex marriage was struck down by Obergefell v. Hodges on June 26, 2015. Same-sex couples who want to get married online in Nebraska can do so through Utah and receive the same legal certificate as any other couple.

How fast can we get married online from Nebraska?
Many couples complete all four steps and receive their digital certificate within a few days. Rush options are available. Whether you are in Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island, Bellevue, or a rural meatpacking community, the steps to get married online in Nebraska through Distant Vows are identical for every couple who chooses to get married online in Nebraska.

For details on Nebraska’s traditional marriage license requirements, Nebraska DHHS Vital Records and your local county clerk provide official guidance. For couples who want to get married online in Nebraska without visiting a county clerk or waiting out Nebraska’s six-month post-divorce restriction, Distant Vows handles everything remotely.

Ready to Get Married Online in Nebraska?

If you are ready to get married online in Nebraska, Distant Vows makes the process simple. Couples who get married online in Nebraska through our four-step process receive the same legal certificate as couples who use a Nebraska county clerk. Our four-step system walks you from eligibility to your official U.S. marriage certificate, with licensed Utah officiants, witness support, and clear guidance at every stage.

Start today and let us handle the legal details so you can get married online in Nebraska without leaving home. Every week, couples from Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island, Bellevue, Kearney, and across the Cornhusker State choose Distant Vows to get married online in Nebraska. No county clerk visit required, and no six-month post-divorce wait for couples who get married online in Nebraska through Utah. You can begin by completing our intake form at get married online.

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