Guide
How to Search County Records
Select Your County
Choose a county from the grid below to access that county's official public records portal, court system, and government offices.
Identify the Record Type
Decide what you need: court records, property deeds, vital records, business filings, or tax assessment records, each is held by a different county office.
Search Online or In Person
Iowa Courts Online covers the dockets of all Iowa courts, county recorders post land record indexes, and birth, death and marriage certificates are ordered from any county recorder, the state or VitalChek.
Pay Any Required Fees
A certified Iowa birth, death or marriage record costs $20 after the July 1, 2026 increase; VitalChek adds $14 online or $9 by phone, and open records copies are charged at reasonable cost.
Verify Identity if Required
Open records need no ID. Mailed vital records applications must be notarized and include a copy of your current photo ID, and only immediate family and legal representatives may order certified copies.
Guide
What Records Are Available
- Court RecordsCivil, criminal, family court, probate, traffic cases
- Property RecordsDeeds, mortgages, tax assessments, liens, transfers
- Vital RecordsBirth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates
- Business RecordsBusiness licenses, DBAs, UCC filings, permits
- Voter RegistrationRegistered voters, party affiliation, districts
- Tax RecordsProperty tax assessments, payment history, exemptions
Guide
Select a County in Iowa
On This Page
State Directory
Popular Searches
Straight answers
Iowa County Public Records, questions
Are county records public information?
Yes. Iowa's open records law, Chapter 22 of the Iowa Code, lets any person examine and copy public records, and custodians may delay only in good faith, ordinarily no more than 10 business days and never more than 20 calendar days. Court, recorder and assessor records are open. Birth, marriage and divorce records are restricted for 75 years and death records for 50 years, going only to immediate family and others with a direct and tangible interest.
How much do certified copies cost?
A certified copy of an Iowa birth, death or marriage record costs $20 from the state or any county recorder, after a fee increase from $15 on July 1, 2026; the fee is kept if no record is found. VitalChek adds at least $14 per online order or $9 by phone, and a commemorative certificate is $35. Iowa Courts Online basic searches are free, while advanced case search requires a paid subscription, and open records copies are charged at reasonable cost, with some agencies giving the first 10 pages free.
Can I search county records online?
Iowa Courts Online on iowacourts.state.ia.us gives free access to the dockets of all Iowa courts, with a subscription for advanced search. County recorders keep deeds and land records, and most counties offer online indexes alongside assessor parcel data. Birth, death and marriage certificates cannot be searched online; order them from any county recorder, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, or VitalChek, the only authorized online vendor.
What identification do I need?
Open records need no ID. Iowa vital record applications must be signed in front of a notary when mailed and include a clear photocopy of the applicant's current government-issued photo ID; in-person applicants show the same ID. Only the registrant, immediate family members and legal representatives may obtain certified copies.
How long does it take to receive records?
State mail orders take 4 to 6 weeks, in-person orders at the state office are ready after about 2 hours, and VitalChek orders ship in 2 to 10 business days depending on the service level. County recorders such as Scott County process requests in person during business hours. Iowa Courts Online searches are immediate, and genealogy requests can take more than 60 days.