Official
State records
Ames Iowa Archives and Genealogy
Iowa State Historical Society archives and genealogy for Ames.
Open official site Ames Iowa Archives and GenealogyStart here
Most requested Ames records
The cards below include Ames's own offices, along with State of Iowa offices; the Story County offices are on our Story County page. Use the category buttons to narrow the list.
Official
County court
United States Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of Iowa
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 Iowa
Official
County court
Iowa Judicial Branch
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 Branch
Official
Vital records
Iowa Department of Health and Human Services
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 Services
Official
Police & jail
Iowa Department of Corrections Inmate and Family Services
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 Services
Official
Police & jail
Iowa Missing Person Information Clearinghouse
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 Clearinghouse
Official
Police & jail
Iowa Sex Offender Registry
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 Registry
Official
Police & jail
Iowa DCI Criminal History Record Check
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 Check
Official
Federal
U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts
QuickFacts table from the Census Bureau for Ames city, Iowa, with a 2025 population estimate of 68,220 and figures on age, race and Hispanic origin, housing, income, poverty and land area.
Open official site U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts
Official
City records
City of Ames
Ames city government, with City Hall at 515 Clark Ave., covering the city clerk, city assessor, utility billing, parking tickets, CyRide transit, the animal shelter and public meetings.
Open official site City of Ames
Official
City records
Ames City Clerk
Official records and legal files 515 Clark Avenue Ames IA 50010 Phone: (515) 239-5105 Fax: (515) 239-5142
Open official site Ames City Clerk
Official
Police & jail
Ames Police Department
Explore public safety services, community policing efforts, and resources from the Ames Police Department. Law enforcement services 515 Clark Avenue Ames IA 50010 Phone: (515) 239-5130 Fax: (515) 239-5429
Open official site Ames Police DepartmentNothing in this category on this page.
Everything else, organized
More official Ames record sources
11 more Ames sources not listed above.
Courts & case records
Police, crime & corrections
City government, schools & local offices
Local record guide
About public records in Ames
Local profile
Ames at a glance
- County
- Story County
- County seat
- Nevada
- Population
- 66,427
- Story County population
- 98,537
- Local records
- City of Ames
- ZIP codes
- 50014, 50013, 50012, 50010, 50011
About Ames public records
Ames, a place of 66,427 people, is in Story County, whose county seat is Nevada. Court and property records sit with Story County, and birth and death certificates come from the State of Iowa. Ames's own offices are in the cards above, and our Story County page lists each county office.
Abandoned mine records
Old mine workings in Ames
Where the workings are, and the office that holds the mine maps.
From the old mine records
What is on record in Ames
- Old mine sites
- 2
- Still producing
- 2
- Main minerals
- construction sand and gravel; Limestone, Dimension
- Holes drawn on the old survey maps
- 3
- Shafts and tunnels
- 0
- What they are
- gravel pit
- Maps surveyed
- 1975
- Sources
- USGS mineral file and USGS topographic mine features
Is an old working under a property here?
The mine records hold 4 named mine sites inside the city or town limits, 2 of them worked out or abandoned; the old survey maps add 3 holes drawn inside the city or town limits, 0 of them shafts or tunnels. The minerals the records name are construction sand and gravel; Limestone, Dimension.
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.
Iowa mine map and abandoned mine records
- Iowa DNR Iowa Coal Mines mapWeb map of known historic coal mine sites with address search, mine name and site ID search, mine maps and mine information.
- Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Abandoned Mine Land ReclamationThe Mines and Minerals Bureau program for Iowa's 300 plus AML sites and 13,000 acres of abandoned coal mines, mostly in southeast Iowa.
- Iowa DNR, About Iowa Coal Mining and Coal Mine DataHow the coal mine records came from the Office of State Mine Inspectors (1884 to 1973) to the Iowa Geological Survey and into the map.
Named workings recorded in Ames (2 shown, 3 unnamed on the map)
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
Ames public-records FAQs
Open only the answer you need.
How do I register to vote in Ames, Iowa?
Voter registration in Iowa is run by the Iowa Secretary of State and local election officials. Its site lists the registration deadline, online voter registration, polling places and the local election office for Ames.
How do I look up property records in Ames, Iowa?
Deeds for property in Ames are recorded by the Story County Recorder, and the county office that assesses property keeps the tax values. Our Story County page lists the county offices.
How do I get a birth or death certificate in Ames, Iowa?
Certified birth and death certificates for events in Iowa come from the state vital records office, Iowa HHS Vital Records. Its site lists who may order a copy, the fee and how to order.
How do I find business license records in Ames, Iowa?
Businesses that operate in Ames register with the Iowa Secretary of State, which runs the state business entity search. A local business license, where Ames requires one, comes from the town or Story County.