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.
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: Rock County Emergency Management (Region 24 EMA) – PO Box 178, Bassett, NE 68714 | (402) 684-2424; Director Douglas Fox.
Sheriff: Rock County Sheriff’s Office – 400 State Street, PO Box 679, Bassett, NE 68714 | (402) 684-3811 | Fax: (402) 684-2884 | Email: [email protected]; Sheriff Ben Shelbourn, a 3-officer department serving roughly 1,260 residents.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-20 (the longest road in the U.S., running from Boston, Massachusetts to Newport, Oregon, locally called “Big Daddy”) and US-183 intersect in Bassett, the county seat; NE-7 extends north through the scenic Niobrara Valley.
Notes: Rock County, organized November 6, 1888, is named either for Rock Creek (which empties into the Niobrara River) or the area’s rocky soil – a fine-building-stone quarry once operated along the creek. Roughly 1,260 residents across 1,011 square miles – one of Nebraska’s most sparsely populated counties (about 1.25 people per square mile). Andrew N. “Captain” Bassett arrived in August 1878 and established a ranch on Long Pine Creek near present-day Bassett; large-scale ranchers introduced Texas cattle herds to the Niobrara/Sandhills region that same year. A bitter, court-settled contest between Bassett and Newport for county seat status was resolved by special election on January 29, 1889.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Rock County Courthouse – State St between Caroline and Bertha Sts, Bassett, NE 68714 | (402) 684-3933; built 1939 in the Art Deco style by architect E.B. Watson, NRHP-listed 1990; one of seven Nebraska county courthouses built under federal Great Depression-era work programs (Public Works Administration), featuring fireproof vaults and a design meant to convey government modernity and simplicity.
Notes: The Niobrara River flows along the county’s northern boundary, bordered by rolling Sandhills terrain and small central lakes. The annual Ranch Expo, held every June, is a notable local event; the county is also home to the Nebraska Sandhills Cowboy Hall of Fame tradition (rancher George Smith was inducted in 2007).
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Rock County Veterans Service – confirm current contact via rockcountyne.gov.
Federal: VA facilities accessible via a Grand Island or O’Neill VA clinic; confirm current routing.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Rock County Public Library – 400 State Street, PO Box 465, Bassett, NE 68714 | Email: [email protected]; hosts regular children’s and educational programming.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Niobrara River, the county’s twin lakes, a county-owned airport, and a golf course/swimming pool are the primary points of local interest. The Ranch Expo, held annually in June, is a distinctive local event.
Notes: Rock County’s remote Sandhills ranching heritage and its position along the scenic Niobrara Valley are defining local facts.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Rock County Assessor/Planning and Zoning – confirm current contact via rockcountyne.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
No dedicated Rock County animal shelter was confirmed – flagged honestly rather than smoothed over, consistent with the county’s very small population and rural character. Confirm current local options via rockcountyne.gov or the Sheriff’s Office, (402) 684-3811.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Rock County – confirm current contact via rockcountyne.gov.
NOTES: Rock County is the fifth county in the eleventh batch of the Nebraska v2 A+ sourced redo, and one of the state’s smallest and most sparsely populated counties. 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 Rock County County
Rock County is north Nebraska’s Niobrara River headwaters and Sandhills cattle ranching county – the spring-fed river’s origins in the native grass dune landscape and the traditional ranching culture define a community where Bassett serves the county’s ranching families in the remote north Nebraska Sandhills interior.
Bassett (the county seat, population ~600) is Rock County’s governmental hub on US 20, a north Nebraska Sandhills community whose Niobrara River access, cattle ranching economy, and courthouse anchor its identity.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Rock County Assessor at 400 State Street, Bassett, NE 68714, phone 402-684-3831. NE assessed at actual value.
Courts & Legal
Rock County District Court at 400 State Street, Bassett, NE 68714, phone 402-684-3831, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
400 State St., Bassett, NE 68714
(402) 684-3933
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Rock County Court, Probate Division (probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Rock 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
Rock County Court, Probate Division 400 South State Street (mail: P.O. Box 249), Bassett, NE 68714 (402) 684-3933 Rock County is in north-central Nebraska, seated in Bassett.
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
400 State St., Bassett, NE 68714
(402) 684-3600
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
400 State St., Bassett, NE 68714
(402) 684-3933
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Office: Rock County Health Department – confirm current phone via rockcountyne.gov.
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: Bassett
Population: 1,300
Area: 1,008 sq mi
Established: 1888
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Rock County County residents.
