Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 24, 2026 and September 30, 2026.
Howard County, Nebraska, has about 6,600 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Howard County District Court and the County Court, and the file of each case, kept by the Clerk of the District Court, is the public record of it. This guide says which court hears what, where to look a case up and who keeps the files.
This guide covers the courts, the records page, criminal cases, kinds of files, directory links, cities and common questions.
Related guides: Howard County public records, Howard County arrest records, Howard County warrants, Howard County criminal records, Howard County police reports, Nebraska arrest records and Nebraska inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Howard County
Court cases from Howard County are filed in the Howard County District Court, which hears felonies, the larger civil cases and divorces.
The County Court takes misdemeanors, traffic cases, probate, small claims and juvenile matters.
Divorces go to the District Court, and the file stays with the Clerk of the District Court.
The Clerk of the District Court keeps the files, and a copy of anything in a file comes from that office, under the court's own rules rather than the Nebraska Public Records Statutes.
Looking Up a Case from Howard County
For Howard County, SearchSystems opened and checked the court records page for the county at nebraskajudicial.gov/e-services/case-information-eservices (page title: Case Information | eServices | Nebraska Judicial Branch), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.
Statewide, Nebraska Trial Court Case Search is the Nebraska Judicial Branch's statewide case search, with a fee per search.
What Reaches the Court from Howard County
The Howard County Sheriff's Office reported 24 arrests to the FBI for 2025; the County Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Howard County District Court or the County Court.
The County Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at howardcounty.ne.gov/attorney-county (page title: County Attorney | Howard County), phone (308) 754-4075, 612 Indian St. #3 St. Paul, NE 68873, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 30, 2026.
The Kinds of Court Files
The court file is one record with several readers: a criminal case from the arrest to the sentence, a divorce from the petition to the judgment, a traffic ticket from the citation to the conviction the court reports to the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles, and an eviction or a lien on land.
The other Howard County guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Howard County criminal records, Howard County divorce records, Howard County traffic tickets, Howard County DUI and Howard County property records.
More Official Court Pages for Howard County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for Howard County and Nebraska. These court pages from its Howard County listing were opened again on October 2, 2026 and each one still answers:
- Nebraska JUSTICE Case Search (nebraska.gov)
Cities in Howard County
Wherever in the county a case arises, it is filed in the Howard County District Court or the County Court.
The cities and towns in the county are St. Paul, Dannebrog, Elba, Howard City (Boelus), Farwell, Cushing and Cotesfield.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Howard County?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at nebraskajudicial.gov. Statewide, Nebraska Trial Court Case Search is the Nebraska Judicial Branch's statewide case search, with a fee per search.
Which court hears felonies in Howard County?
The Howard County District Court, which hears felonies, the larger civil cases and divorces. The County Court takes misdemeanors, traffic cases, probate, small claims and juvenile matters.
Who keeps the court records in Howard County?
The Clerk of the District Court. Copies come from that office under the court's own rules.
Is there a statewide court case search in Nebraska?
Yes: Nebraska Trial Court Case Search, the Nebraska Judicial Branch's statewide case search, with a fee per search.
Is this the official Howard 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.