Iowa, Buchanan County

Independence, Iowa Public Records

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Where Independence's records are kept. Court and property records for Independence sit with Buchanan County, and birth and death certificates come from the State of Iowa.

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Most requested Independence records

As a small town, Independence relies on Buchanan County for its court cases, deeds and other public records. The cards below are the county and state offices that keep them. Use the category buttons to narrow the list.

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Showing 8 official sources

Official

City records

City of Independence

The City of Independence publishes its council meetings, its notices and the contacts for its office.

independenceia.gov
Open official site City of Independence
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

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

Everything else, organized

More official Independence record sources

Other official sources

Local record guide

About public records in Independence

What we hold on Independence, and who keeps its records.

Local profile

Independence at a glance

County
Buchanan County
County seat
Independence
Population
6,064
Buchanan County population
20,565
Local records
Buchanan County offices
ZIP codes
50644

About Independence public records

Independence, a place of 6,064 people, is the seat of Buchanan County, so most county offices are in Independence itself. The town keeps its own council and business records. See our Buchanan County page for every county office.

Abandoned mine records

Old mine workings in Independence

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

From the old mine records

What is on record in Independence

Old mine sites
2
Past producers, now closed
2
Producing when recorded
1
Main minerals
construction sand and gravel
Holes drawn on the old survey maps
2
Shafts and tunnels
0
What they are
quarry, gravel pit
Maps surveyed
1973 to 1982
Sources
USGS mineral file and USGS topographic mine features

Is an old working under a property here?

The mine records hold 3 mine sites inside the city or town limits: 2 past producers, now closed, 1 site producing when the record was made; the old survey maps add 2 holes drawn inside the city or town limits, 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.

N 1 mile
Independence: 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 pale shapes with a name around it are the neighbouring places, from the Census Bureau. Hover a dot for its name.
Iowa mine map and abandoned mine records
Named workings recorded in Independence (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.

Labor Department file

Wage and hour cases in Independence, Iowa

The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division closed 18 investigations with a Independence address since fiscal 2005 and recorded $110,903 in back wages agreed for 416 workers. Snapshot of April 22, 2026; a case here is a finding by the Division, not a court judgment, and the city is the one written on the employer's record.

Investigations closed
18
Back wages agreed
$110,903
Workers due back wages
416
Civil money penalties
$69,186
Employers on the record
16
EmployerCasesBack wagesWorkers
Pries Enterprises, Inc.1$79,562286
Shivam Motel Inc.1$21,0032
Cy & CHARLEY'S FIRESTONE, INC.1$2,9715
Bill's Pizza and Smokehouse LLC1$2,26961
Pro Cellular Wireless Communication Inc1$1,8421
RMG Direct, Inc.1$1,67222
Best Cob Acquisition Company, LLC1$1,21225
Indy Ranch, Inc.1$1112
Prairie Hills Management, LLC2$00
The Homestead Restaurant Inc1$00
Chuong Garden of Independence, IOWA, LLC1$00
Larson Construction Co, Inc1$00
Frauenshuh Hospitality Group of MN, LLC1$00
Iowa Wall Sawing, Inc.1$00
River Ridge Investments, LLC1$00
Arieana INC.1$00

Every employer whose address on the record is in Independence, by back wages agreed; 7 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

Independence public-records FAQs

Open only the answer you need.

How do I register to vote in Independence, Iowa?

Voter registration in Iowa is run by the Iowa Secretary of State, and the county auditor keeps the roll for Independence. 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.

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

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.

How do I look up property records in Independence, Iowa?

Deeds for property in Independence are recorded by the county recorder, the local assessor sets the assessed value, and the county treasurer sends the tax bill. Our Buchanan County page lists those offices.

How do I request an Independence police report?

Incident and crash reports for Independence come from the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office, the office linked above. Ask its records staff for a copy and give the date, the location and the report or case number if you have it.

How do I find business license records in Independence, Iowa?

Businesses that operate in Independence 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.

How do I run an Iowa criminal background check?

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

Nearby Buchanan County cities

Other places in Buchanan County. A town page lists that town's own offices where it has them; Buchanan County records are on the county page.

WinthropHazletonStanleyAll Buchanan County records