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Office: Hayes County Emergency Management – 505 Troth Street, Hayes Center, NE 69032 | (308) 286-3477
Services: Uses the CodeRed Emergency Notification System for severe weather and emergency alerts; residents can register landline and cell numbers for text, voice, and email notifications.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US Highway 6/34 and Nebraska Highway 25 serve Hayes Center, the county seat, in southwestern Nebraska
Transit: Limited; primarily auto-dependent – confirm current regional options directly with the county.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Hayes County Planning and Zoning – PO Box 370, 505 Troth Street, Hayes Center, NE 69032
Notes: Confirm current permit requirements directly with the county office; small rural population.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Hayes County Veterans Service Officer – Hayes Center, NE
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Hayes Center Public Library – 402 Troth Street, Hayes Center, NE 69032
Services: Holds roughly 7,200 books, along with audio and video materials and access to 20 state-licensed research databases.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Hayes County, named for President Rutherford B. Hayes and formally organized in 1884, genuinely traces a rough-and-tumble frontier past – in the late 1860s, General Custer and the Seventh Cavalry patrolled the region amid tensions between Native American tribes, and the county’s earliest widespread violence was actually between rival cattlemen and incoming settlers rather than between settlers and tribes, as established ranchers used threats and intimidation to discourage homesteading on the open range; order gradually took hold following the county’s formal organization, and its county seat was decided only after a close runoff election between Hayes Center and the rival town of Estelle in 1885. Hayes County has been officially designated a “Livestock Friendly County” by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, one of 34 counties statewide to earn that distinction, reflecting its continuing deep roots in ranching and agriculture; today the county’s scenic rivers, trails, and wildlife areas draw visitors for hunting, camping, fishing, birdwatching, and stargazing
Notes: Hayes County’s rough 19th-century cattlemen-versus-settlers frontier history, alongside its modern Livestock Friendly County designation, reflects a ranching heritage that has continuously shaped the county from its earliest days to today.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Hayes County GIS – accessible via hayescounty.ne.gov
Parcel Search: Hayes County Treasurer – (308) 286-3214
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Hayes County Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
No dedicated animal shelter confirmed within Hayes County, Nebraska – flagged honestly given the county’s extremely small, sparsely populated rural geography.
Contact: Hayes County Sheriff’s Office handles animal-related calls; nearest dedicated shelters are in larger surrounding communities such as McCook.
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
Hayes County’s frontier history genuinely includes early conflicts between rival cattlemen and incoming settlers, and the county carries a modern “Livestock Friendly County” designation reflecting its continued ranching heritage. No dedicated county animal shelter was confirmed. All contact information above was sourced from official county and library pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Hayes County County
Hayes County is one of Nebraska’s least populous counties – a Frenchman Creek and Republican River watershed ranching and farming community where Hayes Center serves fewer than 900 residents in the remote southwest Nebraska High Plains interior.
Hayes Center (the county seat, population ~200) is Hayes County’s governmental hub, a tiny southwest Nebraska community on US 283 whose Frenchman Creek access, shortgrass ranching, and courthouse serve the county’s sparse agricultural population.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Hayes County Assessor at 505 Troth Street, Hayes Center, NE 69032, phone 308-286-3413. NE assessed at actual value.
Courts & Legal
Hayes County District Court at 505 Troth Street, Hayes Center, NE 69032, phone 308-286-3413, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
507 Troth St., Hayes Center, NE 69032
(308) 286-3413
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Hayes County Court, Probate Division (probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Hayes 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
Hayes County Court, Probate Division 505 Troth Street, Hayes Center, NE 69032 (308) 286-3315
Hayes County was created February 19, 1877 and organized 1884, named for President Rutherford B. Hayes, in southwestern Nebraska, seated in Hayes Center.
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
507 Troth St., Hayes Center, NE 69032
(308) 286-3413
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
507 Troth St., Hayes Center, NE 69032
(308) 286-3413
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
NE DHHS — Hayes
dhhs.ne.gov
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Hayes 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: Hayes Center
Population: 960
Area: 714 sq mi
Established: 1877
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Hayes County County residents.
