Iowa, Polk County
Where Altoona's records are kept. Court and property records for Altoona sit with Polk County, and birth and death certificates come from the State of Iowa.
Start here
Altoona relies on Polk County and the State of Iowa for its public records. The cards below are the Iowa state offices, and the Polk County offices are on our Polk County page. Use the category buttons to narrow the list.
State records
The State Historical Society of Iowa opens its collection of more than 209 million items, with a catalog of government records, manuscripts, newspapers and photographs, research centers, reference requests and copy orders.
Open official site State Historical Society of Iowa ResearchCounty court
Serves southern Iowa from 111 Locust Street in Des Moines; the court posts 341 meeting and courtroom calendars, decisions and orders, takes copy requests and links PACER case information.
Open official site United States Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of IowaCounty court
Iowa's state court system online: find any county courthouse, search court records, fill in interactive court forms, eFile documents and follow Supreme Court opinions and oral arguments.
Open official site Iowa Judicial BranchVital records
Iowa's Department of Health and Human Services runs Medicaid, food and cash assistance and public health programs, and supplies certified copies of birth, death and marriage records.
Open official site Iowa Department of Health and Human ServicesPolice & jail
The Iowa Department of Corrections explains visiting, phone calls, messaging, mail, money deposits, care packages and voting rights restoration for families of people in prison, and links to its offender search.
Open official site Iowa Department of Corrections Inmate and Family ServicesPolice & jail
Clearinghouse run since 1985 by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, listing missing and unidentified persons with filters for gender, race, height and weight. Families may email a photo for a listing.
Open official site Iowa Missing Person Information ClearinghousePolice & jail
Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation registry, the central store of Iowa sex offender registration records since July 1995. Search registrants by last name, first name, alias or ZIP code.
Open official site Iowa Sex Offender RegistryPolice & jail
Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation record checks, on yourself or someone else, cost $15 per last name and need first name, last name and exact birth date; send online, by mail, fax or email.
Open official site Iowa DCI Criminal History Record CheckFederal
U.S. Census Bureau quick facts, demographics, and population statistics for Altoona.
Open official site Altoona Iowa Census QuickFactsCity records
City of Altoona offices at 900 Venbury Dr., Ste A, open 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, phone (515) 967-5136. The city site offers council agendas and minutes, the city code, public records requests, building permits and utility billing.
Open official site City of AltoonaCity records
The City of Altoona publishes its agendas and minutes, its boards and commissions and the contacts for each city office.
Open official site Altoona city governmentEverything else, organized
12 more Altoona sources not listed above.
Local record guide
What we hold on Altoona, and who keeps its records.
Local profile
Altoona is an incorporated place in Polk County, a place of 19,565 people, and keeps its own council and town business records. Des Moines, the county seat, is where the county offices are. Each Polk County office is listed on our Polk County page.
Abandoned mine records
What the records show here, and the office that holds the mine maps.
Altoona sits over the Western Region and the coal there is medium and high volatile bituminous, worked underground in many places. The USGS coal fields map is drawn at a small scale, so it shows the ground, not a parcel.
Nothing at all is on record inside the town limits: no mine, no shaft, no adit and no pit. That is what the files say, and it is not a clearance. Those files record a working only where one was catalogued or drawn on a survey sheet, and on coal ground the sheets are thin: the maps that show the rooms and the pillars are held by Iowa DNR Iowa Coal Mines map and that office is where to ask for them.
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.
Straight answers
Open only the answer you need.
Voter registration in Iowa is run by the Iowa Secretary of State, and the county auditor keeps the roll for Altoona. You can register online, by mail or in person. 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.
Certified birth and death certificates for events in Iowa come from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Health Statistics. The fee is $20.00 for each certified copy. 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.
Deeds for property in Altoona are recorded by the county recorder, the local assessor sets the assessed value, and the county treasurer sends the tax bill. Our Polk County page lists those offices.
Businesses that operate in Altoona register with the Iowa Secretary of State, which runs the state business entity search. Iowa does not have a general business license; licensing depends on the nature of the business or occupation.
Iowa criminal history checks are run by the Iowa Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Investigation. The fee is $15 per last name. 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.
Same county
Other places in Polk County. A town page lists that town's own offices where it has them; Polk County records are on the county page.