Iowa, county records
Find the right office in Polk County. Court cases, deeds and parcels, sheriff and jail records, vital records and county filings, each linked to the office that keeps them.
Start here
Every card below goes to the government office responsible for that record. Use the category buttons to narrow the list.
County court
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.
Open official site Iowa Federal CasesState records
Search property and claim status by individual name or business thru the state treasurer.
Open official site Iowa Unclaimed PropertyVital 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.
Open official site Iowa Death and Vital RecordsState records
Find active and inactive corporations by name from the Iowa Secretary of State.
Open official site Iowa Business & Corporation SearchVital records
Request a copy of a marriage certificates from the Iowa Bureau of Health Statistics.
Open official site Iowa Marriage SearchLocal record guide
County profile
Sheriff & Law Enforcement. Polk County Sheriff's Office is responsible for maintaining law and order in the unincorporated areas of Polk County.
Police Departments. Polk County is served by multiple law enforcement agencies, including Polk County Sheriff's Office and municipal police departments.
Law Enforcement & Arrests. Polk County Sheriff's Office, located at 1985 NE 51st Place, Des Moines, IA 50313, provides law enforcement services to unincorporated areas of Polk County and operates Polk County Jail.
Arrest Records. Arrest records in Polk County are maintained by Polk County Sheriff's Office. Residents and attorneys can request arrest records by contacting the Sheriff's Office directly or through their official website.
Mugshots & Booking Photos. Mugshots in Polk County are taken and retained by Polk 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 submitting a request to the office.
Abandoned mine records
Where the workings are, and the office that holds the mine maps.
From the old mine records
The mine records hold 35 named mine sites inside the county, 25 of them worked out or abandoned; the old survey maps add 70 holes drawn inside the county, 0 of them shafts or tunnels. The minerals the records name are construction sand and gravel; Clay; Zinc.
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.
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.
Know before you ask
Each figure below was read on the official source linked beside it, October to November 2026. A fee or rule the source does not state is left out rather than guessed, and offices can change their schedules, so confirm on the source before you pay or travel.
Polk Recorder search instructions describe a newer account-based application alongside the current search, with county records remaining free on the website. They identify real-estate index access from 1992 forward and exclude vital and military information from the public online service. Use the office landing page to reach the active application when an older saved login or search URL fails.
A search result should be retained with its instrument reference, recording date and parties. If the needed transaction predates the online boundary, contact Imaging/Microfilm instead of interpreting the absent result as proof that no instrument was filed.
The county vital-record notice sets the certified birth, death and marriage search fee at $20 from July 1, 2026, including a copy if found. An additional copy of the same record is also $20. A failed search does not produce a refund. The office requires a written application, proof of entitlement and identification; mail applicants must sign before a notary. Same-day vital service ends at 3:30 p.m. even though other Recorder functions continue later.
Iowa HHS county-record guidance lists physical-custody exclusions including adoptions, delayed registrations, sealed records and county vital records for 1921 to 1941. It also distinguishes county holdings from state access procedures. Before ordering a historical certificate, identify both the event date and the record category. A county custody limitation is not the same as a statewide declaration that the event was never registered.
The Recorder FAQ accepts real-estate copy requests by email with contact details and says an invoice accompanies the response. Its wording lists $2 for the first page and $1 for each additional copy; ask the office to price a multi-page request rather than silently converting that last phrase into a different unit. The office also directs divorce records to the Clerk of Court. A Recorder marriage certificate will not replace the divorce decree from a court case.
The department descriptions say documents filed after 4:30 p.m. go to the next business day. Passport service uses appointments and a different schedule from recordings or certificates. The recording-fee notes also identify parcel and multiple-transaction additions, so a single headline filing price may not be the full amount for a compound instrument. Supply the instrument type and parcel count when seeking an estimate.
The Recorder contact directory locates the office at 111 Court Avenue, Suite 250, Des Moines, IA 50309. Vital Records uses 515-286-3781; Imaging/Microfilm uses 515-286-3175. Those service lines address different collections. The Iowa records hub provides the court and statewide repository routes for inquiries outside the Recorder archive.
Where to go
Each office below was read on its own site. A field the office does not publish is left out rather than filled in from a directory.
Land, vital and military record services through separate departments.
Office page: polkcountyiowa.gov
Straight answers
Open only the answer you need.
Booking photos are kept by the agency that made the arrest, such as the Polk County Sheriff or a city police department in Polk County. Ask that agency for its record.
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.
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.
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.
Deeds and other recorded land documents in Polk County are kept by the Polk County recorder. Property values are set by the local assessor, and tax bills come from the county treasurer. Source: official state page.
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.
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.
Yes. The county notice puts the $20 certified-copy search fee into effect July 1, 2026.
The office retains the search fee and issues a notification when it cannot locate the record.
No. The Recorder excludes those categories from its online public records search.
Contact Imaging/Microfilm for a copy rather than relying only on the online index.
The Vital Records Department ends same-day service at 3:30 p.m.
No. Its FAQ directs divorce-record requests to the Clerk of Court.
The office describes the account transition while expressly keeping county records free on the website.
The department says documents arriving after 4:30 p.m. go on the next business day.
Same county
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.