Official
State records
Iowa Business & Corporation Search
Find active and inactive corporations by name from the Iowa Secretary of State.
Open official site Iowa Business & Corporation SearchStart here
Most requested Portsmouth records
As a small town, Portsmouth relies on Shelby 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.
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.
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.
Open official site Iowa Federal Cases
Official
Vital records
Iowa Marriage Search
Request a copy of a marriage certificates from the Iowa Bureau of Health Statistics.
Open official site Iowa Marriage Search
Official
State records
Iowa Unclaimed Property
Search property and claim status by individual name or business thru the state treasurer.
Open official site Iowa Unclaimed Property
Official
Police & jail
Shelby County Sheriff's Office
The Sheriff and the Deputies are the law enforcement for the residents of Shelby County, plus provide contract law enforcement for the Cities of.
Open official site Shelby County Sheriff's Office
Official
Court records
Iowa Courts Online Search
View the public docket of Iowa district court and appellate cases by name or case number, free and without registration, and pay court fines and fees online. Case documents are not shown.
Open official site Iowa Courts Online SearchNothing in this category on this page.
Everything else, organized
More official Portsmouth record sources
Local record guide
About public records in Portsmouth
What we hold on Portsmouth, and who keeps its records.
Local profile
Portsmouth at a glance
- County
- Shelby County
- County seat
- Harlan
- Population
- 182
- Shelby County population
- 11,746
- Local records
- Shelby County offices
- ZIP codes
- 51565
About Portsmouth public records
Portsmouth is an incorporated place in Shelby County, a place of 182 people, and keeps its own council and town business records. Harlan, the county seat, is where the county offices are. Our Shelby County page lists each county office.
Abandoned mine records
Coal ground under Portsmouth
What the records show here, and the office that holds the mine maps.
Portsmouth sits over the Western Region and the coal there is medium and high volatile bituminous, worked underground in many places. The USGS coal fields map is drawn at a small scale, so it shows the ground, not a parcel.
Nothing at all is on record inside the town limits: no mine, no shaft, no adit and no pit. That is what the files say, and it is not a clearance. Those files record a working only where one was catalogued or drawn on a survey sheet, and on coal ground the sheets are thin: the maps that show the rooms and the pillars are held by Iowa DNR Iowa Coal Mines map and that office is where to ask for them.
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 Portsmouth, Iowa
The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division closed 1 investigation with a Portsmouth address since fiscal 2005 and recorded $0 in back wages agreed for 0 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
- 1
- Back wages agreed
- $0
- Workers due back wages
- 0
- Civil money penalties
- $0
- Employers on the record
- 1
| Employer | Cases | Back wages | Workers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Club 191 INC | 1 | $0 | 0 |
Every employer whose address on the record is in Portsmouth, by back wages agreed; 0 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
Portsmouth public-records FAQs
Open only the answer you need.
How do I register to vote in Portsmouth, Iowa?
Voter registration in Iowa is run by the Iowa Secretary of State, and the county auditor keeps the roll for Portsmouth. 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 Portsmouth, 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 Portsmouth, Iowa?
Deeds for property in Portsmouth are recorded by the county recorder, the local assessor sets the assessed value, and the county treasurer sends the tax bill. Our Shelby County page lists those offices.
How do I request a Portsmouth police report?
Incident and crash reports for Portsmouth come from the Shelby 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 Portsmouth, Iowa?
Businesses that operate in Portsmouth 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 Shelby County cities
Other places in Shelby County. A town page lists that town's own offices where it has them; Shelby County records are on the county page.