Lincoln County, Nebraska Building Permit Guide

In unincorporated Lincoln County, the county’s Planning & Zoning Administrator issues a Land Use Permit (with a Certificate of Zoning Compliance) before you build, move, enlarge or change the use of a structure. The county adopts no building code of its own and runs no building inspections; the 2025 application form carries a $200 filing fee, and the office must approve or deny an accepted application within 15 days. North Platte and the villages handle permits inside their own limits.

What needs a Land Use Permit in Lincoln County?

Section 11.02 of the county’s 2026 Zoning Regulations makes it unlawful to excavate for, erect, construct, rebuild, enlarge, alter or move a building or structure, change how land or a building is used, or build a water or sewer connection until the Planning Administrator has issued a Land Use Permit. The land use matrix in Section 4.07 marks some uses as exempt from any county permit.

Uses marked “C” in the matrix need a conditional use permit, which the County Board decides after a Planning Commission hearing; the October 13, 2026 agenda, for example, carried a landscape contracting business with a small nursery market in the A-1 district.

Who issues permits in Lincoln County?

The county’s zoning covers all land in Lincoln County except the areas state law gives to a city or village. The Planning & Zoning Administrator, Judy Clark, runs the office from North Platte City Hall; the same office staffs the county Planning Commission.

Cities and villages in Lincoln County

• North Platte (city): the City’s Building & Inspection office issues building, plumbing and gas permits, and its building codes apply in the city and its 2-mile building and zoning jurisdiction. Because recent annexations have moved the city limits, Lincoln County’s 2026 comprehensive plan says the City’s zoning area does not yet reach the full 2 miles everywhere, so parcels near that line are worth checking on the county zoning map.
• Hershey (village): the village office at 104 S. Lincoln Avenue (308-368-5840) takes building, fence and floodplain development applications; the Planning & Zoning Commission chair and the village clerk sign approved permits, and work must be finished within one year.
• Sutherland (village): a Site & Land Use Permit from the village office at 1200 First Street (308-386-4721), reviewed by the village Planning/Zoning Commission on the third Monday of the month; fees run from no charge under 65 sq ft to $200 above 1,000 sq ft.
• Brady (village): building permit applications go to the village clerk (308-584-3316) and are reviewed by the village planning board, with the Board of Trustees deciding any it does not approve.
• Wallace (village): a $50 Planning Commission application, due by the first of the month at the town hall, 109 S. Commercial (308-387-4522); the village follows Lincoln County’s regulations for its permit process.
• Maxwell (village): the village says it issues building permits and certificates of occupancy, reviews building plans and inspects construction; call the village office at 108 S. Pine Street (308-582-4324) for the residential or commercial permit forms.
• Wellfleet (village): publishes no permit process, ordinance or form online; ask the village clerk.

Cities of the second class and villages may zone up to 1 mile beyond their limits, and land between a town’s planning area and its zoning boundary stays under county zoning. Annexation, or a legal extension of a town’s zoning boundary, moves land out of the county’s jurisdiction.

County applications and forms

The office works from paper forms: print the one you need from the Planning and Zoning page and drop it off at 211 W. 3rd Street.

• Application for Land Use Permit: for new buildings, additions, moved buildings and changes of use. It includes the Certificate of Zoning Compliance request, which records the finished size, construction type, estimated cost and whether the building has plumbing, heat or living quarters.
• Conditional Use Application: for uses marked “C” in the land use matrix.
• Zone Change Application: to rezone a parcel.
• Subdivision Application: for plats.
• Variance and appeal requests: heard by the county Board of Adjustment.

Conditional use, zone change and subdivision filings are due by 5:00 p.m. 20 days before a Planning Commission meeting. The Commission meets on the second Tuesday of the month at 5:30 p.m. in the North Platte City Council Chambers, 211 W. 3rd Street, and makes recommendations to the County Board of Commissioners.

Lincoln County permit fees

Section 3.39 of the Zoning Regulations says the County Board sets planning fees by separate resolution and that fees are paid before a permit is issued or investigated. The amounts printed on the county’s August 2025 forms are:

There is no county building permit or plan review fee. Floodplain development permits and electrical permits are separate.

Electrical, plumbing and floodplain in rural Lincoln County

The county’s zoning resolution states that it is a land use regulation only and creates no building, plumbing or electrical code. No Lincoln County jurisdiction appears on the State Electrical Division’s list of local electrical inspection programs, so electrical permits and inspections come from the State Electrical Division; the county’s own form gives the state inspector’s number, 308-530-2783. Lincoln County is in the Division’s inspection District 2.

The county publishes no plumbing or mechanical permit. If the site is in a floodplain, the Land Use Permit application must include a floodplain development permit from the county’s floodplain manager in the Surveyor’s office (308-530-0162), who also signs the land use form.

What to submit with a Land Use Permit

• The completed Land Use Permit application, signed by the owner and the applicant.
• A copy of the deed, from the Register of Deeds in the courthouse.
• A location map or aerial photo of the property; the county GIS site (lincoln.gworks.com) or an online map is acceptable.
• A site plan drawn to show the lot’s shape and size, every existing and proposed building, distances to each lot line, and the well and septic locations. The office, Roads Department or Surveyor may ask for a pin locate or survey.
• Distances to the property lines and the nearest intersection, lot area, and planned start and finish dates.
• For a house: whether a feedlot is within 2 miles, because dwellings must meet the Section 8.09 feedlot setbacks.
• For apartments, commercial or industrial buildings: the number of off-street parking spaces.
• For a new septic system: the signature of the certified septic installer on the application, and on lots under 3 acres a septic site evaluation by a professional certified by the state Department of Water, Energy, and Environment.

How to get a Land Use Permit: 6 steps

Inspections and enforcement

The county does not inspect construction. By signing the application, the owner allows the Planning Administrator, Assessor, Roads Superintendent and Surveyor to visit the site during business hours to confirm the permit details and zoning, subdivision and floodplain compliance; the office records a site visit before issuing the Certificate of Zoning Compliance. Electrical inspections are booked with the state inspector.

Starting construction before the permit is issued can be grounds for denying it, and building without a permit is a Class III misdemeanor under Section 11.04. Changes to the approved plans need the Administrator’s written approval.

Local Lincoln County rules to know

Roads: no filling, digging or other changes in county road right-of-way without the Highway Superintendent’s permission. On roads classified as minimum maintenance or unimproved, no zoning permits for houses, manufactured homes or livestock facilities are issued unless the applicant, County Board and township board reach an agreement.

Airport: work within 300 ft of the outer boundary of North Platte Regional Airport needs an airport permit.

Lots: each building must sit on a lot of record, normally with one principal building per lot.

2026 rule changes: the current Zoning Regulations were adopted on March 23, 2026. On August 31, 2026 the County Board adopted Resolution 2026-27, adding standards for reviewing conditional uses, Resolution 2026-28, allowing ancillary data centers as permitted uses in the A-1, TA-1, C-1, I-1, AGV and LCR districts, and Resolution 2026-29, amending the Section 8.22 data center rules and sending them back to the Planning Commission for refinement.

Building permits: the county’s 2026 comprehensive plan lists, as a policy, looking at options for a minimal building permit process in the county’s jurisdiction. No such permit has been adopted.

Nebraska building code

Nebraska's state building code applies by default where a city, village or county has adopted none; local codes must conform generally, and the energy code is mandatory statewide. Nebraska rules

The county’s Land Use Permit form reminds applicants that construction must comply with the Nebraska Building Construction Act (Neb. Rev. Stat. 71-6401 to 71-6408); the county itself reviews only zoning.

Official resources

• Lincoln County Planning and Zoning
• Lincoln County Application for Land Use Permit (August 2025)
• Lincoln County Zoning Regulations, adopted March 23, 2026
• Lincoln County Conditional Use Application
• Lincoln County Subdivision Application
• Lincoln County Board minutes, September 14, 2026 (fee update)
• Nebraska State Electrical Division: local electrical inspection programs

Lincoln County permit FAQs

Does Lincoln County issue building permits?

No. In the unincorporated county it issues a Land Use Permit and Certificate of Zoning Compliance under its zoning regulations, which do not include a building code. North Platte and several villages issue their own permits inside their limits.

How much is a Land Use Permit in Lincoln County?

The county’s 2025 form lists a $200 filing fee, paid to the County Treasurer. The County Board approved updated planning fees on September 14, 2026, so confirm the amount with the office.

Do I need a county permit for a farm building, fence or deck?

No. Agricultural buildings in the agricultural districts, fences, decks, gazebos and patios are marked exempt from a county permit in the land use matrix. Garages and storage sheds do need one.

How long does a Land Use Permit take?

The Planning Administrator must issue the permit or a written denial within 15 days of accepting the application.

Who inspects electrical work in rural Lincoln County?

The State Electrical Division. The county form lists the state inspector at 308-530-2783.

Who handles permits in Sutherland, Hershey, Brady or Maxwell?

Each village handles its own: Sutherland issues a Site & Land Use Permit, Hershey a building permit signed by its Planning & Zoning Commission chair, and Brady a building permit reviewed by its planning board. Maxwell also issues its own building permits and inspects the work.

Simplify Lincoln County permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Nebraska. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Lincoln County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.