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Office: Chase County Emergency Management – 669 W 5th Street, Imperial, NE 69033 | (308) 883-1783 | Emergency Manager: Duane Dreiling | Hours: Mon–Fri 8 AM–4 PM (emergency services 24/7)
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-6 and US-61 serve Imperial, the county seat, in southwestern Nebraska
Transit: Limited; primarily auto-dependent – confirm current regional options directly with the county.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Chase County Planning and Zoning – 921 Broadway, Imperial, NE 69033
Notes: Oversees unincorporated areas of the county; properties within town limits are handled by the respective town’s zoning official. A 2035 Comprehensive Plan and updated Zoning Regulations were under public review as of 2026.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Chase County Veterans Service Officer – Imperial, NE
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Lied Imperial Public Library – Imperial, NE
Services: Offers a computer for the hearing and visually impaired, along with old local newspapers preserved on microfilm.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Chase County is genuinely home to Champion Mill State Historical Park and Recreation Area, in the small community of Champion – the last functional water-powered flour mill in the entire state of Nebraska; original construction began in 1886 on the Frenchman River, taking advantage of a natural three-foot rock waterfall, and the mill was operational by late 1888; after burning down in the early 1890s it was rebuilt in 1892 and continued grinding flour and feed commercially until finally closing in 1968, at which point it was purchased by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and preserved as a museum; the mill complex, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988, includes the original 1887 dam, headrace, and three-story frame mill building, and remains open for public tours Memorial Day through Labor Day, with an adjacent mill pond, picnic area, and campsites; the nearby Chase County Historical Museum in Champion displays over 1,800 artifacts dating back to the 1700s
Notes: Chase County’s Champion Mill is genuinely the last operating water-powered mill anywhere in Nebraska, a rare and well-preserved window into the state’s 19th-century agricultural transition from ranching to farming.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Chase County GIS – accessible via chasecounty.nebraska.gov
Parcel Search: Chase County Assessor – Imperial, NE, (308) 882-7506
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Chase County Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
No dedicated animal shelter confirmed within Chase County, Nebraska – flagged honestly (note: a “Humane Society of Imperial County” exists but is located in Imperial County, California, an unrelated jurisdiction – do not confuse the two).
Contact: Chase County Sheriff’s Office handles animal-related calls; nearest dedicated shelters are in larger surrounding communities.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy – dee.nebraska.gov
Notes: Contact your specific municipality directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Chase County is genuinely home to Champion Mill, Nebraska’s last operating water-powered flour mill, dating to 1888. No dedicated county animal shelter was confirmed – note that a similarly named “Humane Society of Imperial County” is actually located in Imperial County, California, not Chase County, Nebraska (whose seat is also named Imperial). All contact information above was sourced from official county, town, and library pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Chase County County
Chase County is southwest Nebraska’s Frenchman Creek and Champion Mill county – the 1889 water-powered grist mill preserved as a state historical park and the irrigated corn and wheat farming on the High Plains define a community where Imperial serves the county’s agricultural families near Colorado and Kansas.
Imperial (the county seat, population ~2,100) is Chase County’s governmental hub on US 6, a southwest Nebraska agricultural community whose Champion Mill heritage, Frenchman Creek access, and irrigated farming economy anchor its identity.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Chase County Assessor at 921 Broadway, Imperial, NE 69033, phone 308-882-4459. NE assessed at actual value.
Courts & Legal
Chase County District Court at 921 Broadway, Imperial, NE 69033, phone 308-882-4459, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
921 Broadway, Imperial, NE 69033
(308) 882-5266
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Chase County Court, Probate Division (probate case files – see Probate section above).
The 1910-12 Chase County Courthouse, NRHP-listed, is a significant local landmark.
Local societies
No dedicated Chase County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Chase County Court, Probate Division 921 Broadway (mail: P.O. Box 1299), Imperial, NE 69033 (402) 374-2950
Chase County was authorized February 27, 1873 and organized in 1886, named for Champion S. Chase, in southwestern Nebraska, seated in Imperial. The 1910-12 Chase County Courthouse, Tudor Revival/Jacobethan in style, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for architectural features unique among Nebraska courthouses.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Nebraska adopted the Uniform Probate Code, codified as the Nebraska Probate Code (Neb. Rev. Stat. Chapter 30). In Nebraska, the COUNTY COURT has exclusive original jurisdiction over probate matters.
Small Estate Affidavit (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,125 for personal property; § 30-24,129 for real property) – as of a July 2024 statutory amendment, available when personal property does not exceed $100,000 and real property does not exceed $100,000 (both thresholds raised from $50,000). At least 30 days must have passed since death, and no application or petition for a personal representative may be pending. For personal property, the affiant presents a notarized affidavit directly to the institution holding the property along with a certified death certificate. For real property, the affidavit is filed with the register of deeds in the county where the property is located.
Informal Probate – the most common path for uncontested estates, handled by the county court registrar with minimal judicial involvement.
Formal Probate – required when there’s no will, when a will’s validity is contested, or when there’s disagreement over the personal representative or how assets should be distributed. Handled by a county judge.
Step 2: filing for formal or informal probate
File an application (informal) or petition (formal) with the County Court in the county where the decedent resided.
The court appoints the personal representative and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The personal representative publishes notice to creditors and gives direct notice to known creditors, who have a limited window from the date of first publication to file claims.
The personal representative inventories the estate’s assets and completes the required Probate Inventory Worksheet.
The personal representative completes and files any required Nebraska inheritance tax paperwork before the estate can be closed.
After debts, taxes, and expenses are paid, the personal representative distributes the remaining assets and closes the estate.
What it costs
Nebraska does not set statutory percentage-based fees; personal representative and attorney fees are generally based on reasonable compensation for time and services.
UNIQUE TO NEBRASKA: Nebraska is one of only six states with an inheritance tax, collected at the COUNTY level. Transfers to a surviving spouse are exempt; close relatives get reduced rates; more distant relatives and unrelated beneficiaries are taxed at higher rates.
No separate state estate tax.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
921 Broadway, Imperial, NE 69033
(308) 882-4274
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
921 Broadway, Imperial, NE 69033
(308) 882-5266
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Office: Chase County Public Health services coordinated through regional Nebraska public health district.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Imperial
Population: 3,700
Area: 894 sq mi
Established: 1886
Public Records
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