How to Run a Nebraska Criminal Record Check

Why You Need Your Own Record First

Before you file for a set-aside, petition for record sealing, or apply for a pardon in Nebraska, you need to know exactly what shows up under your name. Filing a petition with the wrong case number, missing a charge you forgot about, or listing the wrong sentencing date can get your paperwork rejected at the filing window. Court clerks cannot correct errors for you — they are prohibited from giving legal advice under Nebraska Supreme Court guidelines.

There are two official systems for pulling your Nebraska criminal record: the Nebraska State Patrol RAP sheet and the JUSTICE court database. They cover different things, and neither one gives you the complete picture on its own.

The Nebraska State Patrol RAP Sheet

The Record of Arrest and Prosecution (RAP) sheet is the official criminal history maintained by the Nebraska State Patrol Criminal Identification Division (CID). It includes arrests where the individual was physically fingerprinted and the arresting agency forwarded the fingerprint card to the State Patrol.

How to request it:

• Online: Use the Nebraska State Patrol Background Check portal for a name-based search
• By mail: Submit Form NSP 752 (Criminal History Record Request) to the CID office
• In person: Visit any State Patrol Troop Area office

Cost: $30.00 for either a name-based or fingerprint-based search. Non-refundable.

Turnaround: Name-based searches return immediately if no records match, or within three business days if manual research is required. Fingerprint-based searches require physical fingerprinting at a law enforcement office and take longer.

Important distinction: A standard public RAP sheet is redacted under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 29-3523 — it hides dismissed cases, completed diversions, and sealed juvenile records. If you need a complete criminal history showing every arrest and disposition regardless of outcome, you must submit a notarized release form requesting the "Complete Criminal History" version.

The JUSTICE Court Database

The State Patrol RAP sheet only records arrests where you were fingerprinted and the card was forwarded. If you were cited and released, or if the arresting agency never submitted the fingerprint card, those cases will be missing from your RAP sheet but will still appear in the court system.

The JUSTICE system is Nebraska's statewide trial case management database. It contains court filings, case dispositions, and sentencing records across all Nebraska county and district courts.

How to search:

• Online: Run a one-time name search through the JUSTICE portal for $17.00 per name. Results are limited to 30 cases and remain accessible for three calendar days.
• In person: Use a free public access terminal at any Nebraska courthouse. You can search at no cost and only pay standard copying fees for printed documents.

The JUSTICE search is especially important if you have older cases. Compare what shows up in JUSTICE against your RAP sheet — if a conviction appears in the court docket but is missing from your State Patrol record, you will need to use the court docket number, charge codes, and sentencing details when preparing your set-aside petition.

What to Do with the Results

Once you have both records in hand, you need to verify three things before starting any record relief petition:

1. Financial obligations: Contact the clerk of the sentencing court and confirm that all fines, administrative court costs, restitution, and probation fees have been paid in full. Unpaid balances are an absolute bar to both set-asides and pardons. Get a zero-balance receipt or an official letter from the clerk.

2. Case disposition accuracy: Make sure each case shows the correct final outcome — conviction, dismissal, acquittal, or deferred judgment. If a case that was dismissed still shows as a conviction, you will need to resolve that discrepancy with the court before filing any petition.

3. Charge classification: Identify whether each conviction is a misdemeanor or felony and what sentence was imposed. This determines which relief pathway is available. Set-asides under § 29-2264 are limited to sentences of probation, community service, fine-only, or jail terms of one year or less. Felonies with prison sentences over one year require a pardon from the Nebraska Board of Pardons.

Commercial Background Checks Are Not Enough

Third-party background check websites (Checkr, LexisNexis, TruthFinder, etc.) pull from multiple databases with varying update frequencies. They often display outdated information, including records that have already been sealed or set aside. They also miss records that only appear in county-level court systems.

For record relief purposes, only the official State Patrol RAP sheet and the JUSTICE database provide the verified, court-accepted documentation you need. A private background check might be useful later — after your set-aside or sealing order is granted — to verify that commercial databases have been updated. If they still show the old record, you can mail a certified copy of the court order to the vendor and dispute the listing under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

Next Steps

Once you have pulled both records and confirmed that your financial obligations are satisfied, you are ready to evaluate your eligibility for relief. Nebraska offers three main pathways: a judicial set-aside for eligible convictions, record sealing for non-conviction records, and a gubernatorial pardon for convictions that do not qualify for a set-aside.

The Nebraska Expungement & Record Sealing Guide walks through each pathway with the exact forms, filing fees, waiting periods, and hearing preparation you need — including how to handle the differences between county and district court procedures.

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