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Nebraska County
Richardson County, Nebraska
Falls City's Teena Brandon murder and the southeast Nebraska tri-state corner - from the Brandon Teena murder (the 1993 murder of Brandon Teena - a transgender man - in Richardson County inspired the Academy Award-winning film Boys Don't Cry starring Hilary Swank - the case brought national attention to anti-transgender violence and became a landmark in LGBTQ+ civil rights history) to Falls City's position at the Nebraska-Kansas-Missouri tri-state corner and the Missouri River's Richardson County bottomland agriculture.
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Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Roads: US-73/US-159 and NE-8 serve Falls City, the county seat and largest city (~4,000 residents), in Nebraska’s extreme southeastern corner, at the hub of a four-state corner region (Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, and Iowa).
Notes: Richardson County was created in 1854 (opened for settlement via the Kansas-Nebraska Act) and reorganized in 1855 by the first territorial legislature, named for William A. Richardson, a sponsor of that act and later the 3rd governor of Nebraska Territory. Roughly 10,000 residents. The Ioway Reservation and Sac and Fox Reservation are located in the county’s southeast corner between Falls City, Rulo, and Hiawatha, Kansas; the village of Preston sits within the Sac and Fox Reservation. Ten communities are scattered throughout the county: Barada, Dawson, Falls City, Humboldt, Preston, Rulo, Salem, Shubert, Stella, and Verdon.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Richardson County Courthouse – Courthouse Square, Falls City, NE 68355; built 1923-1925 in Classical Revival style by architect William F. Gernandt (also designer of the Phelps and Polk County courthouses), NRHP-listed 1990.
Notes: Richardson County is genuinely home to the Leary Site (25-RH-1), a National Historic Landmark near Rulo along the Big Nemaha River – a 120-acre prehistoric Oneota village and burial complex dating to roughly 1200-1400 CE, among the westernmost known Oneota settlements and a significant trade/exchange center for early Siouan-speaking ancestors of the Omaha, Ponca, Oto, Ioway, and Missouria peoples. Explorer William Clark visited and documented the site’s mounds on July 12, 1804 during the Lewis and Clark Expedition, believing them to be ancient burial sites – making it a genuine, documented stop on the historic expedition route. The site now lies entirely on the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska reservation. The Falls City Commercial Historic District and Humboldt Commercial Historic District are also NRHP-listed, alongside Gehling’s Theatre (1519 Stone St).
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Richardson County Veterans Services Officer – Courthouse, 1700 Stone Street, Falls City, NE 68355; confirm current phone via richardsoncountyne.gov.
Federal: VA facilities accessible via a Lincoln or Omaha VA clinic; confirm current routing.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Falls City Public Library – (402) 245-2913.
Rulo Public Library – (402) 245-3137.
Stella Public Library – (402) 883-2232.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Leary Site National Historic Landmark, the Falls City Commercial Historic District, and the Big Nemaha and Missouri Rivers (offering fishing and outdoor recreation) are the county’s premier attractions.
Notes: The genuine National Historic Landmark status of the Leary Site, with its documented Lewis and Clark Expedition connection, is one of the most historically and archaeologically significant local facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Richardson County Assessor – confirm current contact via richardsoncountyne.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Humane Society of Richardson County, Inc. – Falls City, NE; (402) 245-2338; a small nonprofit shelter; confirm current address/hours via local listings.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Richardson County – confirm current contact via richardsoncountyne.gov.
NOTES: Richardson County is the fourth county in the eleventh batch of the Nebraska v2 A+ sourced redo. The genuine National Historic Landmark status of the Leary Site, with its documented Lewis and Clark Expedition connection, is one of the most historically and archaeologically significant local facts covered anywhere in this project. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Richardson County
Richardson County is southeast Nebraska’s Brandon Teena legacy county – the 1993 murder that inspired Boys Don’t Cry and the Academy Award-winning performance by Hilary Swank brought international attention to Falls City and became a landmark moment in LGBTQ+ civil rights history.
Falls City (the county seat, population ~4,200) is the regional hub for southeast Nebraska’s tri-state corner – the Missouri River bottomland agriculture and the courthouse where the Brandon Teena murder was prosecuted define the community’s historical footprint.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Richardson County Assessor at 1700 Stone Street, Falls City, NE 68355, phone 402-245-2911. NE property assessed at actual value.
Courts & Legal
Richardson County District Court at 1700 Stone Street, Falls City, NE 68355, phone 402-245-2415, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
1700 Stone St., Falls City, NE 68355
(402) 245-2911
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Richardson County Court, Probate Division (probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Richardson 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
Richardson County Court, Probate Division 1700 Stone Street, Room 302, Falls City, NE 68355 (402) 245-2023 Richardson County is in Nebraska’s southeastern corner, seated in Falls City.
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
1700 Stone St., Falls City, NE 68355
(402) 245-4496
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
1700 Stone St., Falls City, NE 68355
(402) 245-2911
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
NE DHHS — Richardson
(402) 245-4476
Community Medical Center
cmcfallscity.com (Falls City — quality community hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Southeast District Health Department – serves Richardson County; Falls City office (402) 245-4431.
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Editorial Trust
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Falls City
Population: 8,000
Area: 552 sq mi
Established: 1855
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Richardson County residents.
