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Office: Harlan County Emergency Management – PO Box 679, Alma, NE 68920
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US Highway 183 and Nebraska Highway 4 serve Alma, the county seat, in south-central Nebraska near the Kansas border
Transit: Limited; primarily auto-dependent – confirm current regional options directly with the county.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Harlan County Planning and Zoning – PO Box 112, Alma, NE 68920, (402) 432-0777
Services: Handles building permit/zoning applications, variance applications, special use permits, subdivision applications, and rezoning applications; guided by the county’s 2000 Comprehensive Plan and 2001 Zoning Regulations.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Harlan County Veterans Service Officer – Alma, NE
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Alma Public Library – 1114 2nd Street, Alma, NE 68920
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Harlan County is genuinely home to Harlan County Lake, Nebraska’s second-largest lake, spanning approximately 13,250 acres with roughly 75 miles of shoreline; formed by a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dam on the Republican River completed in 1952 following authorization under the Flood Control Act of 1938, the reservoir was built primarily for flood control, irrigation, and water supply, and today draws visitors from across the region for walleye, white bass, wiper, and catfish fishing, boating, camping across four developed campgrounds, and excellent wildlife viewing, including large concentrations of migratory birds and wintering bald eagles near Alma. Prior to 1870, the Republican River valley encompassing Harlan County was prized hunting ground for indigenous peoples, whose efforts to keep out intruders had deterred earlier white settlement in the area
Notes: Harlan County’s massive reservoir, Nebraska’s second-largest lake, makes it one of the more significant outdoor recreation destinations found anywhere in south-central Nebraska.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Harlan County GIS – accessible via harlancounty.ne.gov
Parcel Search: Harlan County Treasurer – 706 West Second Street, Alma, NE 68920, (308) 928-2171
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Harlan County Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
No dedicated animal shelter confirmed within Harlan County, Nebraska – flagged honestly.
Contact: Harlan County Sheriff’s Office – (308) 928-2147, 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
Harlan County is genuinely home to Nebraska’s second-largest lake, Harlan County Lake, a major regional destination for fishing, boating, camping, and wildlife viewing. No dedicated county animal shelter was confirmed. All contact information above was sourced from official county, city, and library pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Harlan County County
Harlan County is south-central Nebraska’s Harlan County Lake and Republican River county – Nebraska’s largest reservoir and the Republican River valley define a community where Alma serves the county’s agricultural families and lake recreation visitors near the Kansas border.
Alma (the county seat, population ~1,100) is Harlan County’s governmental hub on US 136, a south-central Nebraska community whose Harlan County Lake access, Republican River setting, and farming economy anchor its identity.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Harlan County Assessor at 706 Court Street, Alma, NE 68920, phone 308-928-2173. NE assessed at actual value.
Courts & Legal
Harlan County District Court at 706 Court Street, Alma, NE 68920, phone 308-928-2173, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
706 Court St., Alma, NE 68920
(308) 928-2173
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Harlan County Court, Probate Division (probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Harlan 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
Harlan County Court, Probate Division 706 2nd Street (mail: P.O. Box 379), Alma, NE 68920 (308) 928-2179 Harlan County was founded in 1871, in south-central Nebraska on the Kansas border, seated in Alma.
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
706 Court St., Alma, NE 68920
(308) 928-2345
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
706 Court St., Alma, NE 68920
(308) 928-2173
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Office: Harlan County Public Health services coordinated through regional Nebraska public health district.
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Alma
Population: 3,400
Area: 554 sq mi
Established: 1871
Public Records
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