Do I Need a TOD Deed in Buffalo County, Nebraska?
Nebraska authorizes transfer on death deedsNeb. Rev. Stat. 76-3401 to 76-3424Verified Oct 17, 2026View source; in Buffalo County the Register of Deeds records one for $10 for the first page plus $6 for each additional page.
The Register of Deeds charges $10 for the first page plus $6 for each additional page. Most transfer on death deeds run two to four pages. Transfer on death deeds are exempt from transfer tax in Buffalo County.
Record the transfer on death deed at the Register of Deeds, 1512 Central Avenue, Kearney, NE 68848. Office hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM.
Buffalo County does not offer e-recording; the transfer on death deed is recorded in person or by mail at the Register of Deeds.
A transfer on death deed in Nebraska requires a sworn officer's certificate (subscribed and sworn before an officer authorized to administer oaths) and 2 witnessesNeb. Rev. Stat. 76-3401 to 76-3424Verified Oct 18, 2026View source before it can be recorded in Buffalo County.
No. A transfer on death deed transfers only the property described in it. Bank accounts, vehicles and other real estate pass through a will (probate) or a trust. When a single deed is not enough, SimplyTrust sets up a revocable trust online that covers every property and account in one document.
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New Baby or Adoption
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Marriage
What married couples need in place: one joint trust or two, wills, beneficiary updates, and the spousal rights your state grants you automatically.
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New Home
How to put your house in a revocable trust: the deed you record, what it does to your mortgage and property taxes, and when a TOD deed is simpler.
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Learn moreForms for Planning Your Estate in Nebraska
Free forms for planning your estate in Nebraska: will, living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney and TOD deed. Prepare each form for Nebraska.
Healthcare Power of Attorney
Nebraska allows a choice for a healthcare power of attorney: 2Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-3408(1)Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses or a notary.
HIPAA Release
In Nebraska, a HIPAA release names who may receive your records; the state regulates mental health recordsNeb. Rev. Stat. § 71-961(1)(f) (Laws 1976, LB 806, § 78; last amended Laws 2025, LB150, § 120)Verified Jun 20, 2026View source above the federal rule, and the document carries each rule.
Financial Power of Attorney
Nebraska treats a power of attorney as durable by defaultNeb. Rev. Stat. §§ 30-4001 to 30-4045Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, and it is signed before a notaryNeb. Rev. Stat. §§ 30-4001 to 30-4045Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.
Transfer on Death Deed
In Nebraska, a transfer on death deed is signed before a notaryNeb. Rev. Stat. 76-3401 to 76-3424Verified Oct 18, 2026View source and 2Neb. Rev. Stat. 76-3401 to 76-3424Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, then recorded with the county before the owner's deathNeb. Rev. Stat. 76-3401 to 76-3424Verified Oct 18, 2026View source, within 30 daysNeb. Rev. Stat. 76-3401 to 76-3424Verified Oct 18, 2026View source of signing. Nebraska does not recognize a Lady Bird deed.
Vehicle Transfer on Death
Nebraska allows a transfer-on-death beneficiary designation on a vehicle titleNeb. Rev. Stat. 30-2715.01Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, filed through the County Treasurer / county Motor Vehicle Office (Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles prescribes the application form and maintains the Vehicle Title and Registration System) using Form RV-707.
Living Will
In Nebraska, the living will is the DeclarationNeb. Rev. Stat. §§ 20-401 to 20-416 (Rights of the Terminally Ill Act)Verified Sep 27, 2026View source, a document of its own, apart from the healthcare power of attorney.
Last Will and Testament
In Nebraska, a will is signed before 2Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2327Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyNeb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2327Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
Codicil to a Will
In Nebraska, a codicil is signed before 2Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2327Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, like a will, and the self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyNeb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2329Verified Oct 25, 2026View source.
Tools for Planning Your Estate in Nebraska
Free tools for planning your estate in Nebraska: will and trust costs, trust or TOD deed, and the signing rules. Run each tool for Nebraska and read its answer.
Do I Need a Vehicle TOD?
Nebraska allows a transfer-on-death beneficiary designation on a vehicle titleNeb. Rev. Stat. 30-2715.01Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, filed through the County Treasurer / county Motor Vehicle Office (Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles prescribes the application form and maintains the Vehicle Title and Registration System) using Form RV-707.
How Much Is the Federal Gift Tax?
Whether a gift owes federal gift tax, how much of the annual exclusion and lifetime exemption it uses, and whether Form 709 is due.
What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable trust in Nebraska runs $3,190Estimate: 10 hours at $319, Clio's Nebraska Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $4,785Estimate: 15 hours at $319, Clio's Nebraska Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source and a simple will $924Estimate: 3 hours at $308, Clio's Nebraska Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $1,848Estimate: 6 hours at $308, Clio's Nebraska Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?
In Nebraska, four years at a public university cost about $80,728NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 330.20, public 4-year in-state tuition, fees, room and board, academic year 2022-23Verified Oct 17, 2026View source and the cost of living is 10% below the U.S. averageBEA Regional Price Parities, all items, by state, 2024Verified Oct 17, 2026View source; an inheritance tax falls on beneficiariesNeb. Rev. Stat. § 77-2001 et seq.Verified Sep 15, 2026View source by relationship.
Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?
Nebraska automatically revokes an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorceNeb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2333Verified Sep 15, 2026View source; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.
How Do I Sign Estate Documents?
In Nebraska, a will is signed before 2Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2327Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredNeb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2327Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
Will My Estate Documents Transfer?
Nebraska recognizes a will signed under the law of the place where it was signedNeb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2331Verified Oct 18, 2026View source; a will signed in Nebraska itself needs 2Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2327Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredNeb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2327Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in Nebraska costs an estimated $25,018Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2482 (reasonable compensation determined by court)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 1.7%Modeled estimate under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2482 (reasonable compensation determined by court): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 2.8%Modeled estimate under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2482 (reasonable compensation determined by court): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.
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Nebraska Estate Planning Resources
In-depth guides covering Nebraska probate laws, trust requirements, and estate planning strategies.