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Dickinson County, Iowa Public Records

Find the right office in Dickinson 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 Dickinson County records

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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.

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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.

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Local record guide

About public records in Dickinson County

County profile

Dickinson County at a glance

State
Iowa
County seat
Spirit Lake
Population
17,703
Area
404 sq mi
Founded
1857
Cities and towns
4

Dickinson County offices and records

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

Police Departments. In addition to Dickinson County Sheriff's Office, several city police departments operate within Dickinson County, including the Spirit Lake Police Department, Milford Police Department, and Arnolds Park Police Department.

Law Enforcement & Arrests. Dickinson County Sheriff's Office, headquartered at 2040 120th Street in Spirit Lake, Iowa 51360, provides primary law enforcement services throughout unincorporated areas and supports municipal departments. Dickinson County Jail, operated by the Sheriff's Office at the same address, houses inmates awaiting trial and serving shorter sentences. Mugshots and booking photos are considered public records in Iowa and can be requested through the Sheriff's Office, though fulfillment methods and any associated copy fees should be confirmed when making the request.

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

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

Abandoned mine records

Old mine workings in Dickinson County

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

From the old mine records

What is on record in Dickinson County

Old mine sites
50
Past producers, now closed
50
Producing when recorded
6
Main minerals
construction sand and gravel
Holes drawn on the old survey maps
66
Shafts and tunnels
0
What they are
gravel pit, sand pit, gravel/borrow pit - undifferentiated
Maps surveyed
1970 to 1982
Records behind them
129 records for 122 sites, the rest are the same working written down more than once

Is an old working under a property here?

The mine records hold 56 mine sites inside the county: 50 past producers, now closed, 6 sites producing when the record was made; the old survey maps add 66 holes drawn inside the county, 0 of them shafts or tunnels. The mineral the records name is construction sand and gravel.

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.

Spirit Lake Milford Okoboji Arnolds Park Lake Park Wahpeton Orleans Terril Superior N 10 miles
Dickinson 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 Dickinson County (24 shown, 98 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.

Labor Department file

Wage and hour cases in Dickinson County

The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division closed 54 investigations in Dickinson County since fiscal 2005 and recorded $202,506 in back wages agreed for 572 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
54
Back wages agreed
$202,506
Workers due back wages
572
Civil money penalties
$76,755
Employers on the record
52
EmployerCityCasesBack wagesWorkers
Dulin ContractingOkoboji1$36,1184
Pure Fishing, Inc.Spirit Lake1$14,5001
JTD Hospitality Group LLCSpirit Lake1$11,45921
FLORENCIA'S Mexican GRILL, LLCArnolds Park1$7,7798
R.W. Management, Inc.Spirit Lake1$7,5319
Land Mark Products, Inc.Milford2$5,7211
RW Management Co. Inc.Spirit Lake1$5,2536
American HOMEWORKS, INC.Lake Park1$2,8164
SNOOK'S Carpet & Furniture Of OKOBOJI, LLCOkoboji1$2,6527
Hassel LANDSCAPE, INC.Spirit Lake1$2,3741
Jungjohan ENTERPRISES, INC.Spirit Lake1$1,5452
Table 316Arnolds Park1$9547
Kidsville DAYCARE, INC.Milford1$9203
Signature Care Centers, L.L.C.Lake Park1$8572
Echo Plus, Inc.Spirit Lake1$80992
Whiskey Dicks, LLCArnolds Park1$7592
Smokin' JakesArnolds Park1$7505
A.P. GROUP, II, Inc.Arnolds Park1$6603
Tweeter's, Inc.Okoboji1$5609
Cadre TELESERVICES, L.L.C.Terril2$3976
Cain Management Group, Inc.Okoboji1$2984
NHC Village East Ventures Limited PartnershipOkoboji1$2882
Camp Foster Young Mens Christian AssociationSpirit Lake1$1961
Buy Rite Foods, Inc.Lake Park1$1463
L & C Tire Service, Inc.Spirit Lake1$1461

The 25 employers with the most back wages agreed, of 52 on the Dickinson County record; 15 employers have a page of their own and open from the table, the rest show their whole record here. The 27 more with smaller records are on the Iowa wage theft records page, whose search answers for every employer in the state.

Straight answers

Dickinson County public-records FAQs

Open only the answer you need.

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

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

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

Deeds and other recorded land documents in Dickinson County are kept by the Dickinson 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 Dickinson 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 Dickinson 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.