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Monona County, Iowa Public Records

Find the right office in Monona 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 Monona 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 Monona County

County profile

Monona County at a glance

State
Iowa
County seat
Onawa
Population
8,751
Area
699 sq mi
Founded
1851
Cities and towns
6

Monona County offices and records

Sheriff & Law Enforcement. Monona County Sheriff's Office is responsible for maintaining law and order in Monona County's unincorporated areas.

Police Departments. Monona County is served by several law enforcement agencies, including Monona County Sheriff's Office and municipal police departments. These departments work in coordination with the Sheriff's Office to address major crimes and ensure a cohesive approach to law enforcement across Monona County.

Law Enforcement & Arrests. Monona County Sheriff's Office, located at 610 Iowa Avenue in Onawa, Iowa 51040, provides primary law enforcement services throughout unincorporated areas of Monona County and operates Monona County Jail.

Criminal Records. Residents can request criminal records through the Sheriff's Office or the Iowa Courts Online Search portal.

Arrest Records. Arrest records in Monona County are maintained by Monona County Sheriff's Office. Residents and attorneys can request arrest records by contacting the Sheriff's Office directly.

Jail & Inmate Records. Inmate lookup is available through the Sheriff's Office, allowing family members and legal representatives to find information about current inmates.

Mugshots & Booking Photos. Mugshots in Monona County are taken and retained by Monona County Sheriff's Office during the booking process. These booking photos are part of the public record and can be accessed through the Sheriff's Office or online databases.

Abandoned mine records

Old mine workings in Monona County

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

From the old mine records

What is on record in Monona County

Old mine sites
5
Sites with no status in the records
2
Past producers, now closed
5
Producing when recorded
1
Main minerals
construction sand and gravel
Holes drawn on the old survey maps
8
Shafts and tunnels
0
What they are
gravel pit
Maps surveyed
1969 to 1971

Is an old working under a property here?

The mine records hold 8 mine sites inside the county: 5 past producers, now closed, 1 site producing when the record was made, 2 sites with no status in the record; the old survey maps add 8 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.

Burt County Onawa Mapleton Whiting Castana Blencoe Ute Soldier Moorhead Rodney Turin N 10 miles
Monona 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 Monona County (6 shown, 10 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 Monona County

The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division closed 11 investigations in Monona County since fiscal 2005 and recorded $2,443 in back wages agreed for 7 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
11
Back wages agreed
$2,443
Workers due back wages
7
Civil money penalties
$1,382
Employers on the record
11
EmployerCityCasesBack wagesWorkers
Reynolds TransferWhiting1$1,3783
SB Auto LLCOnawa1$1,0001
KasTim CorpOnawa1$653
Jani INCOnawa1$00
Omaha Nation Enterprises, Inc.Onawa1$00
Mapleton Progress, IncorporatedMapleton1$00
Ansco SEED, INC.Whiting1$00
Magic Depot Child CARE, INC.Onawa1$00
Westendorf Manufacturing CO.,INC.Onawa1$00
Blackbird Bend CorporationOnawa1$00
Cantu Detasseling, LLCBlencoe1$00

Every employer on the Monona County record, by back wages agreed; 1 employer has 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

Monona County public-records FAQs

Open only the answer you need.

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

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

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

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