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Adams County, Iowa Public Records

Find the right office in Adams County. Court cases, deeds and parcels, sheriff and jail records, vital records and county filings, each linked to the office that keeps them.

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Most requested Adams County records

Every card below goes to the government office responsible for that record. Use the category buttons to narrow the list.

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Showing 8 official sources

Official

County court

Iowa Federal Cases

Iowa has two federal trial courts, the Northern District at Cedar Rapids and Sioux City and the Southern District at Des Moines; their case files are searched through PACER.

uscourts.gov
Open official site Iowa Federal Cases
Official

Police & jail

Adams County Sheriff's Office

Adams County Sheriff's Office, the elected county law enforcement office, with incident reports, warrants and jail information as the office publishes them.

adamscounty.iowa.gov
Open official site Adams County Sheriff's Office
Official

Vital records

Iowa Death and Vital Records

Iowa HHS Vital Records issues certified birth, death and marriage records filed since July 1, 1880, by mail, in person or through VitalChek, for a fee per copy.

hhs.iowa.gov
Open official site Iowa Death and Vital Records
Official

Court records

Adams County Courts

Adams County Courts, with the court location, contacts and the case records this office keeps.

adamscounty.iowa.gov
Open official site Adams County Courts
Official

Property records

Adams County Recorder's Office

Adams County Recorder's Office, the office that records deeds, mortgages and land documents, with its index and copy rules as published.

adamscounty.iowa.gov
Open official site Adams County Recorder's Office

Local record guide

About public records in Adams County

County profile

Adams County at a glance

State
Iowa
County seat
Corning
Population
3,704
Area
426 sq mi
Founded
1851
Cities and towns
3

Adams County offices and records

Sheriff & Law Enforcement. Adams County Sheriff's Office is responsible for law enforcement in the unincorporated areas of Adams County.

Police Departments. In addition to Adams County Sheriff's Office, law enforcement in Adams County is supported by municipal police departments, including the Corning Police Department.

Law Enforcement & Arrests. Adams County Sheriff's Office, headquartered at 500 9th Street in Corning, Iowa 50841, provides law enforcement services throughout the unincorporated areas of Adams County and assists municipal police departments when needed. For current inmate information and jail rosters, citizens can contact the Sheriff's Office directly during business hours or visit in person at the courthouse complex. Arrest records in Adams County are public records under Iowa Code Chapter 22, the Iowa Open Records Law, which mandates that government records are presumed to be open to public inspection unless specifically exempted.

Arrest Records. Arrest records in Adams County are maintained by Adams County Sheriff's Office.

Mugshots & Booking Photos. Mugshots in Adams County are taken and retained by Adams County Sheriff's Office during the booking process.

The facility is located at 500 9th Street, Corning, Iowa. You can call the jail directly at (641) 322-4444 to inquire about recent arrests.

Abandoned mine records

Old mine workings in Adams County

Where the workings are, and the office that holds the mine maps.

From the old mine records

What is on record in Adams County

Producing when recorded
2
Holes drawn on the old survey maps
6
Shafts and tunnels
0
What they are
quarry
Maps surveyed
1980

Is an old working under a property here?

The mine records hold 2 mine sites inside the county: 2 sites producing when the record was made; the old survey maps add 6 holes drawn inside the county, 0 of them shafts or tunnels.

A point in either file is a location, not a property line: the sheet shows the opening on the surface, not the rooms under it. The record that shows what runs under a parcel is the mine map. The OSMRE National Mine Map Repository holds scanned underground mine maps and answers requests for a named mine or an area. Coal was mined in Iowa from the 1840s to 1994.

Corning Carbon Nodaway Prescott N 10 miles
Adams County: the boundary from the Census Bureau, and one dot for each old mine or hole on record inside it. The purple dots come off the old survey maps and the darkest of those are shafts and tunnels; the red, green and orange ones are mine records. The small open circles with a name are the towns and the pale shapes around the edge are the neighbouring counties, both from the Census Bureau. Hover a dot for its name.
Iowa mine map and abandoned mine records
Named workings recorded in Adams County (2 shown, 6 unnamed on the map)

Adams County sits over the Western Region coal field and the coal there is medium and high volatile bituminous, worked underground in many places. The two federal files record a shaft, an adit or a deposit where one was drawn on a survey sheet or catalogued as a site; neither file carries the outline of the workings, so the counts above are not the measure of what was mined under this county. The record that shows it is the mine map, held by Iowa DNR Iowa Coal Mines map and linked below.

Iowa abandoned mine maps ranks every county and town in the state by the workings recorded inside it, names the office that holds the mine maps, and says what to do if the ground moves.

Disclaimer: The mine information here is for general information only. Old mine records can be incomplete, outdated or wrong, and finding nothing here does not mean there is nothing there. Check with the mine map office named here before you rely on it, and have a qualified engineer look at any ground you are worried about. PublicRecordCenter.com assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions, or consequences arising from the use of this information.

Labor Department file

Wage and hour cases in Adams County

The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division closed 5 investigations in Adams County since fiscal 2005 and recorded $301 in back wages agreed for 2 workers. The county is the one the Census Bureau puts each employer's ZIP code in. Snapshot of April 22, 2026; a case here is a finding by the Division, not a court judgment.

Investigations closed
5
Back wages agreed
$301
Workers due back wages
2
Civil money penalties
$0
Employers on the record
3
EmployerCityCasesBack wagesWorkers
Cornerstone Commercial Contractors, inc.Corning1$00
WILKINSON-JOHNSTON, INC.Corning1$00
Feeders Grain & Supply, Inc.Corning1$00

Every employer on the Adams County record, by back wages agreed; 0 employers have a page of their own and open from the table, the rest show their whole record in this row. The Iowa wage theft records page ranks the whole state.

Straight answers

Adams County public-records FAQs

Open only the answer you need.

Where can I find mugshots or booking photos in Adams County, Iowa?

Booking photos are kept by the agency that made the arrest, such as the Adams County Sheriff or a city police department in Adams County. Ask that agency for its record.

How do I get a criminal background check in Adams County, Iowa?

The Iowa criminal history record comes from the Iowa Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Investigation. Name based request by mail, fax, email or in person with first name, last name and exact date of birth; the online request site is down for an upgrade and phone requests are not taken. Fee: $15 per last name.

How can I look up sex offenders in Adams County, Iowa?

Search the Iowa Sex Offender Registry, or every state at once on the National Sex Offender Public Website run by the U.S. Department of Justice.

How do I register to vote in Adams County, Iowa?

Register with the county auditor or through the Iowa Secretary of State. You can also register online with the state online registration. Pre registration closes 15 days before the election; you may also register and vote on election day at the polling place for your address with proof of identity and residence.

How do I look up property records in Adams County, Iowa?

Deeds and other recorded land documents in Adams County are kept by the Adams County recorder. Property values are set by the local assessor, and tax bills come from the county treasurer. Source: official state page.

How do I get a birth or death certificate in Adams County, Iowa?

Certified birth and death certificates for Iowa come from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Health Statistics. County Recorders can issue certified copies of all Iowa births from 1986 to the present and of deaths and marriages from 1954 to the present; earlier records come from the county where the event occurred. By mail or in person at Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Health Statistics, Lucas State Office Building, 1st Floor, 321 E. 12th Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0075, at a County Recorder, or online through VitalChek, the only authorized third party vendor. Fee: $20.00 for each certified copy.

How do I find business license records in Adams County, Iowa?

Business entity filings are searched with the Iowa Secretary of State. Iowa does not have a general business license; licensing depends on the nature of the business or occupation.

Same county

Cities, towns and neighboring counties

Use the city page when a record was created by a municipal police department or city office; use the county page for courts, deeds, vital records and jail custody.