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Monroe County, Iowa Public Records

Find the right office in Monroe 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 Monroe County records

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Showing 5 official sources

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.

hhs.iowa.gov
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Local record guide

About public records in Monroe County

County profile

Monroe County at a glance

State
Iowa
County seat
Albia
Population
7,577
Area
434 sq mi
Founded
1843
Cities and towns
1

Monroe County offices and records

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

Police Departments. In addition to Monroe County Sheriff's Office, law enforcement in Monroe County is supported by municipal police departments, including the Albia Police Department.

Law Enforcement & Arrests. Law enforcement services in Monroe County, Iowa, are primarily provided by Monroe County Sheriff's Office, headquartered at 10 Benton Avenue East, Suite 9, in Albia, Iowa 52531. Municipal law enforcement is provided by the Albia Police Department, serving Monroe County seat, with offices located at 6 Benton Avenue West, Albia, Iowa 52531 Smaller municipalities may contract with the Sheriff's Office or rely on state patrol services. Iowa Code Section 22.7 establishes specific exemptions for certain law enforcement records, including ongoing investigations and confidential informant information.

Arrest Records. Arrest records in Monroe County are maintained by Monroe County Sheriff's Office. Residents and attorneys can request access to these records by contacting the Sheriff's Office directly.

Jail & Inmate Records. In Iowa, the bond or bail process allows arrested individuals to be released from custody while awaiting trial, and information on posting bail can be obtained through the jail or the Sheriff's Office.

Mugshots & Booking Photos. Mugshots in Monroe County are taken and retained by Monroe 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 website or by request.

To search for someone recently arrested in Monroe County, Iowa, you can contact the Monroe County Jail located at 103 2nd Avenue West, Albia, IA. The Monroe County Sheriff's Office provides an inmate lookup service that can be accessed by visiting their office or calling them directly at (641) 932-7815.

Abandoned mine records

Old mine workings in Monroe County

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

From the old mine records

What is on record in Monroe County

Old mine sites
2
Past producers, now closed
2
Producing when recorded
1
Processing plants, not workings
1
Main minerals
Zinc; construction sand and gravel
Holes drawn on the old survey maps
2
Shafts and tunnels
0
What they are
quarry
Maps surveyed
1968

Is an old working under a property here?

The mine records hold 4 mine sites inside the county: 2 past producers, now closed, 1 site producing when the record was made, 1 processing plant, which is not a working; the old survey maps add 2 holes drawn inside the county, 0 of them shafts or tunnels. The minerals the records name are Zinc; 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.

Albia Melrose Lovilia N 10 miles
Monroe 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 Monroe County (4 shown, 2 unnamed on the map)

Monroe County sits over the Western Region coal field and the coal there is medium and high volatile bituminous, worked underground in many places. The two federal files record a shaft, an adit or a deposit where one was drawn on a survey sheet or catalogued as a site; neither file carries the outline of the workings, so the counts above are not the measure of what was mined under this county. The record that shows it is the mine map, held by Iowa DNR Iowa Coal Mines map and linked below.

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 Monroe County

The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division closed 9 investigations in Monroe County since fiscal 2005 and recorded $20,139 in back wages agreed for 36 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
9
Back wages agreed
$20,139
Workers due back wages
36
Civil money penalties
$12,565
Employers on the record
9
EmployerCityCasesBack wagesWorkers
Garver's Animal Health Center IncorporatedAlbia1$8,28014
Casa Agave, LLCAlbia1$6,06710
REO EnterprisesAlbia1$4,0328
Relco Locomotives, Inc.Albia1$1,7614
REO Enterprise IncorporatedAlbia1$00
Namanny's, LLCAlbia1$00
Duea Motor CompanyAlbia1$00
Brees Rest HomeAlbia1$00
Monroe County Professional ManagementAlbia1$00

Every employer on the Monroe 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

Monroe County public-records FAQs

Open only the answer you need.

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

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

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

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