Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 24, 2026 and September 30, 2026.
Dawes County, Nebraska, has about 8,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A traffic ticket written in Dawes County is a court case in the County Court, and the conviction it ends in goes on the driving record kept by the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles. This guide says which court takes the ticket, who writes them and where the driving record lives.
This guide covers where tickets go, who writes them, the driving record, cities and common questions.
Related guides: Dawes County public records, Dawes County arrest records, Dawes County warrants, Dawes County criminal records, Dawes County court records, Nebraska arrest records and Nebraska inmate search.
Where a Ticket Written in Dawes County Goes
A traffic ticket written in Dawes County is answered in the County Court, which takes misdemeanors, traffic cases, probate, small claims and juvenile matters. The ticket itself is a court case, and the court's index is the record of it.
For Dawes County, SearchSystems opened and checked the County Court page at nebraskajudicial.gov/courts/dawes-county-court (page title: Dawes County Court | Nebraska Judicial Branch), phone 308-432-0116, 12 County Dawes 451 Main Street Suite D Chadron NE 69337, Monday - Friday Phone Line Hours: 7:30 am - 4:30 pm, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026; that page belongs to the court that takes the tickets.
Statewide, Nebraska Trial Court Case Search is the Nebraska Judicial Branch's statewide case search, with a fee per search.
Who Writes the Tickets in Dawes County
The Dawes County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Chadron write the traffic tickets in Dawes County.
The FBI's agency list also places one more agency in Dawes County: the State Patrol in Dawes County (state police); the State Patrol in Dawes County writes the tickets on the state highways.
The Driving Record and the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles
The driving record is a separate document from the court file. It is kept by the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles, which adds each conviction the court reports and handles suspensions; the court does not issue driving records.
Paying a ticket is a conviction, reported to the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles like any other; contesting it means a plea of not guilty entered with the court by the date on the ticket.
A DUI is a criminal charge rather than a ticket, with its own license case before the Department of Motor Vehicles (see Dawes County DUI).
Cities in Dawes County
Wherever in the county a ticket is written, it is answered in the County Court.
The cities and towns in the county are Chadron, Crawford and Whitney.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I pay a traffic ticket from Dawes County?
With the County Court, whose page SearchSystems verified is at nebraskajudicial.gov, phone 308-432-0116.
Who keeps my driving record in Nebraska?
The Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles. The court reports each conviction to it, and paying a ticket counts as one.
Which court handles traffic tickets in Dawes County?
The County Court, which takes misdemeanors, traffic cases, probate, small claims and juvenile matters.
Is this the official Dawes County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.