Dallas County, Iowa Public Records

Investigations closed

160

Back wages agreed

$2,346,946

Workers due back wages

2,147

Civil money penalties

$83,901

Employers on the record

138

The 25 employers with the most back wages agreed, of 138 on the Dallas County record; 41 employers have a page of their own and open from the table, the rest show their whole record here. The 113 more with smaller records are on the Iowa wage theft records page, whose search answers for every employer in the state.

Dallas County records: administration building counters and Judicial Branch files

The Recorder works from the administration building

Dallas County's Recorder identifies the counter at 800 Court Street, Suite 130, on the administration building's first floor in Adel. Regular in-person transactions operate weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; passports require appointments. That office handles real-estate documents, marriage licensing, vital copies, and specified recreational registrations. A courthouse address from an older description can send a visitor to the wrong building. Use the current Recorder contact, 515-993-5804, and identify the service needed when asking about required documents or an existing record. Recorder location and transaction schedule.

Real-estate recording, plain copies and certification

The Recorder charges $7 for the first recorded page and $5 for each additional page. Plain document copies are $0.50 per page, with $5 added for certification. Conveyance and nonstandard-document charges are separate where applicable. For research, the office links its online records service; for a certified instrument, identify the recorded document and the required form of copy. The Recorder maintains real-estate UCC liens, while its instructions direct other UCC filings to the Iowa Secretary of State. Describe the filing category before assuming the county holds it. Real-estate fees and UCC responsibilities.

Local historical holdings and certificate applications

The county lists historical gaps in its local birth and death holdings and directs records outside those holdings to Iowa Health and Human Services. Its marriage records have a different local span. Certified copies cost $20 each, and the requester must establish entitlement and provide photo identification. Mailed applications also require a notarized signature and an identification copy. Establish the event, place, and approximate date before choosing the local or state office. A record absent from the county's stated holdings may require the state route instead of another identical local application. Dallas vital-record holdings and application requirements.

Marriage licenses come from the Recorder

The county's marriage instructions require the couple and a qualifying witness to complete the application, with a notarized mail alternative described for those who do not apply at the counter. The $35 charge is a license fee; it is separate from the price of ordering a certified record of an earlier marriage. The instructions also address the waiting period and a judicial waiver. For an existing marriage inquiry, supply the couple's names and the application or ceremony date rather than arranging a new-license application with the Clerk of Court. Recorder marriage application process.

Correcting the property characteristics used in valuation

The Assessor provides property searches by address and by map and explains how recorded building characteristics affect valuation. If an assessment lists an improvement that does not exist, contact that office with the parcel and the specific disputed detail. Its guidance says an appraiser may need to inspect the property to establish accurate information. The Assessor is at 800 Court Street, Room 120, and uses 515-993-5802. This is distinct from obtaining a deed through the Recorder or asking the Treasurer for a payment record. Assessor location and property-data correction guidance.

Tax collection records and payment inquiries

The Treasurer handles collection of real-estate, mobile-home, and special-assessment taxes, along with the county's financial administration and vehicle services. Its tax contact is at 800 Court Street, Suite 111, Adel, telephone 515-993-5808. When requesting a tax record, identify the parcel and the period shown on the statement. A receipt, an outstanding balance, and an assessment explanation are different requests. If the question concerns why a valuation was assigned, include the Assessor; if it concerns whether a payment was credited, direct it to the Treasurer's tax service. Treasurer tax responsibilities and contact.

Dallas court files remain a Judicial Branch service

The Iowa Judicial Branch lists the Dallas Clerk of Court at 801 Court Street, Adel, telephone 515-993-7018, in Judicial District 5. Its directory separately identifies the Juvenile Court Office and case-scheduling contact. Read the office name as well as the street address when planning a visit. A hearing-scheduling inquiry should not be treated as a request for certified copies, and a juvenile-service contact does not automatically provide access to a restricted case. Bring the case number and name the order or filing to be copied. Dallas Judicial Branch office directory.

Court case documents and administrative requests

The Judicial Branch's records policy directs district-court case documents to the clerk in the county where the case is filed or to that clerk's public computer. Other custodians handle appellate files, administrative material, and specified professional records. The policy permits verbal or written requests but allows a custodian to ask that complex requests be put in writing. Describe the existing documents with enough detail to identify them. A statewide data request and a copy of a Dallas judgment follow different routes, even when both begin with the Judicial Branch. Judicial Branch custodian and request policy.

Sheriff reports and administrative hours

The Sheriff's current contact identifies 28985 Thin Blue Line Lane, Adel, with telephone 515-993-4771 and administrative hours Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Its menu separates records requests, inmate information, civil services, and Sheriff sales. Identify the event and report sought when using the records route; the agency's sale notices and custody listings answer different questions. Administrative hours describe the office service period and should not be read as the hours during which the jail operates or arrests may be processed. Sheriff office contact and service menu.

Jail charges, bond and completed release

The Jail Division identifies 515-993-5815 for charge and bond inquiries and refers users to its arrest-information service. It also explains that processing time depends on intake and release work, including the number of people being processed. A court order, a bond decision, and completed release therefore describe different stages. Preserve the booking or case reference when following an inquiry between the jail and the court. For a copy of the judicial decision, use the Clerk of Court rather than treating a current custody display as the court's written order. Jail charge inquiries and processing explanation.

Optional forms and county response policy

Dallas County's open-records instructions provide separate law-enforcement and general request forms but expressly make them optional. Requests may also be made in person, in writing, or by telephone, and staff should not ask why access is sought. The county policy calls for a response within ten business days and discusses additional time for confidentiality review; that policy is not an unconditional delivery promise. Describe the records and department involved, and request an estimate when staff retrieval may incur a charge. Preserve any scope clarification with the original request. County open-records channels and response policy.