Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
Nebraska County
Johnson County, Nebraska
Tecumseh and Nemaha River valley southeast Nebraska - from Tecumseh's role as the governmental hub of one of southeast Nebraska's smaller counties to Johnson County's rolling Nemaha River valley farmland (the county's gently rolling terrain drained by the Little Nemaha River supports productive corn, soybean, and cattle operations across southeast Nebraska's fertile agricultural landscape, with the county's rural character and proximity to Lincoln attracting some rural residential development alongside the traditional farm economy).
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Johnson/Pawnee County Emergency Management Agency – 1110 Buffalo Drive, Tecumseh, NE 68450 | (402) 335-3411
Services: Jointly serves Johnson and Pawnee Counties; a full-time Director oversees disaster prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery planning for the county.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: Nebraska Highway 50 and Highway 4 serve Tecumseh, the county seat, in southeastern Nebraska
Transit: Limited; primarily auto-dependent – confirm current regional options directly with the county.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: City of Tecumseh – 122 South 4th, Tecumseh, NE 68450, (402) 335-3570
Services: Requires a building permit for anyone building, remodeling, or moving a house, fence, or deck within city limits; contact City Attorney’s office for permit information.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Johnson County Veterans Service Officer – Tecumseh, NE
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Tecumseh Public Library – 170 Branch Street, Tecumseh, NE 68450, (402) 335-2060 | Hours: Mon/Wed/Fri 9:00 AM–5:30 PM, Sat 8:30 AM–1:00 PM
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Johnson County, named for Richard Mentor Johnson, U.S. Vice President from 1837 to 1841, is genuinely known for two distinctive claims to fame. Between 1860 and 1900 the county’s agricultural output – driven by roughly three feet of rich topsoil, abundant streams, well water, and timber – rivaled any in Nebraska, and the county is also genuinely home to some of the country’s largest known deposits of rare earth elements, minerals used to produce high-strength alloys. The county seat’s own naming carries a genuinely debated history: Tecumseh was originally called Frances when established in 1856, a name long but falsely attributed to the wife of Richard M. Johnson (whose only marriage was in fact to Julia Chinn); some historians instead believe the name may have honored Francis Burt, the first governor of Nebraska Territory. Tecumseh native Charles O. Gardner became internationally known for developing high-yield corn seed and advancing genetic research in agronomy, a legacy preserved today by the Johnson County Historical Society alongside Native American artifacts and pottery dating back to 1200 AD. The 1888-89 Johnson County Courthouse, in the Classical Revival and Romanesque styles, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Notes: Johnson County’s unusual rare earth element deposits and its role in advancing American corn genetics are genuinely distinctive contributions found in few other Nebraska counties.
IMPORTANT – INMATEAID RELEVANCE: Johnson County is home to the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution (TSCI), a medium/maximum-security Nebraska Department of Correctional Services facility located about two miles north of Tecumseh. TSCI opened to inmates in December 2001, has a designed capacity of roughly 960, and is the only Nebraska facility housing death row inmates (aside from those within a week of execution, who are transferred to the Nebraska State Penitentiary). Mailing address: Inmate Name, ID Number, Tecumseh State Correctional Institution, PO Box 900, Tecumseh, NE 68450.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Johnson County GIS – accessible via johnsoncounty.ne.gov
Parcel Search: Johnson County Assessor – Box 356, Tecumseh, NE 68450, (402) 335-6303
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Johnson/Pawnee County Emergency Management Agency
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Humane Society of Johnson County – Tecumseh, NE | hsjc.org
Services: A genuine local nonprofit working to place homeless cats and dogs in loving homes, with active community outreach to schools and youth groups; currently building a low-cost spay/neuter clinic funded by a matching grant from the Johnson County Community Foundation and the Lilly Endowment, expected to begin welcoming animals in winter 2026. Currently operates by appointment only.
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
Johnson County is home to the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution, Nebraska’s only death row facility, a significant fact for InmateAid users. The county also holds genuinely notable rare earth element deposits and a debated county-seat naming history. All contact information above was sourced from official county, city, library, and shelter pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Johnson County
Johnson County is southeast Nebraska’s Nemaha River valley agricultural county – productive row crop and livestock farming define a small county where Tecumseh provides governmental services to the surrounding farm communities in the rolling hills of southeast Nebraska between Lincoln and the Kansas border.
Tecumseh (the county seat, population ~1,600) is Johnson County’s governmental and commercial hub, a traditional Nebraska county seat serving the county’s agricultural communities in southeast Nebraska.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Johnson County Assessor at 222 Lincoln Avenue, Tecumseh, NE 68450, phone 402-335-6310. NE assessed at actual value.
Courts & Legal
Johnson County District Court at 222 Lincoln Avenue, Tecumseh, NE 68450, phone 402-335-6310, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
300 4th St., Tecumseh, NE 68450
(402) 335-6300
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Johnson County Court, Probate Division (probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Johnson 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
Johnson County Court, Probate Division 4th & Broadway Street (mail: P.O. Box 285), Tecumseh, NE 68450 (402) 335-6303 Johnson County is in southeastern Nebraska, seated in Tecumseh.
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
300 4th St., Tecumseh, NE 68450
(402) 335-3500
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
300 4th St., Tecumseh, NE 68450
(402) 335-6300
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Office: Johnson County Public Health services coordinated through regional Nebraska public health district; Johnson County Hospital, 202 High St, Tecumseh, NE 68450, (402) 335-3361, serves the area.
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.
Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Tecumseh
Population: 5,100
Area: 376 sq mi
Established: 1855
Tier: 4
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Johnson County residents.
