Iowa, county records
Find the right office in Scott 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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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. Scott County Sheriff's Office is responsible for maintaining law and order in the unincorporated areas of Scott County.
Police Departments. Scott County is served by several law enforcement agencies, including Scott County Sheriff's Office and municipal police departments such as the Davenport Police Department, Bettendorf Police Department, and Eldridge Police Department. Each agency has jurisdiction over its respective city or area, with the Sheriff's Office covering unincorporated regions.
Law Enforcement & Arrests. Scott County Sheriff's Office, headquartered at 400 West 4th Street, Davenport, IA 52801, is the primary law enforcement agency for unincorporated areas of Scott County and provides countywide services including civil process, court security, and jail operations. Citizens can search for current inmates through Scott County Sheriff's website at www.scottcountyiowa.gov/sheriff or by calling. Arrest records in Scott County are public records under Iowa Code Chapter 22, Iowa's Open Records Law, which presumes government records are open unless specifically exempted.
Arrest Records. Arrest records in Scott County, Iowa, are maintained by Scott County Sheriff's Office. These records can be requested by residents and attorneys through the Sheriff's Office, either in person or via written request.
Mugshots & Booking Photos. Mugshots in Scott County are taken and retained by Scott 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 20 mine sites inside the county: 10 past producers, now closed, 7 sites producing when the record was made, 3 processing plants, which are not workings; the old survey maps add 20 holes drawn inside the county, 4 of them shafts or tunnels. The minerals the records name are crushed stone; 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.
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.
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.
The Recorder search FAQ explains that a document may receive an official number before it has completed indexing, verification and public release. Its absence from the released search results does not establish that it was never recorded. Keep the number, parties and transaction date when following up. The land-record services directory distinguishes free public searching from subscription and data-delivery services. Select the service according to the task, then compare the actual instrument with the parcel and parties. For an official copy or a question about the retained document, contact the Recorder rather than treating a search screenshot as the complete county record.
Scott's recording-fee schedule lists $7 for the first page and $5 for additional pages for ordinary deeds and several other instruments. Land-conveyance documents can also incur Auditor transfer charges. The copy entry lists $1 for up to four pages, with an additional $5 for certification; that copy product should not be represented as a universal per-page price. Describe the instrument, page count, parcels and requested copy format when asking for a total. A previously recorded document does not need to be recorded again merely to obtain a certified copy. Preserve the fee breakdown so the base recording charge is not confused with an added transfer or certification charge.
The certified-copy instructions list a $20 fee effective July 1, 2026, for birth, death or marriage certificates. They require the completed notarized application, current identification and evidence of entitlement. Personal checks are not accepted. The published processing window is Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; it is not a same-day completion guarantee. Decide which event record and certificate format are needed, and assemble the application materials before visiting or mailing. If a record needs additional review, keep the application reference and ask what information remains outstanding instead of submitting an unexplained duplicate request.
The Scott vital-record overview describes local holdings and exclusions, including older records that must be requested through the state. Its statewide birth-retrieval description differs from the Iowa HHS instructions, which say county recorders can certify statewide births from 1986 onward and statewide deaths and marriages from 1954 onward. Use the state description for that statewide access route and confirm any earlier event directly with the Recorder. Supply the event county and date as well as the names. A statewide retrieval capability and the county's own historic holdings are separate questions, so a missing local result should not end the inquiry.
The Scott assessment directory says the County Assessor serves the county outside Davenport, while Davenport has a separate City Assessor. Both offices are on the fifth floor of the Administrative Center at 600 West Fourth Street. The county contact is 563-326-8635; the city contact is 563-326-8659. Identify the parcel and municipality before directing a value or property-characteristic question. A mailing address can be less useful than the actual assessment jurisdiction. Save the parcel identifier from the search and keep the assessment question distinct from a deed-copy request, tax-payment inquiry or challenge to a recorded instrument.
The Clerk of District Court directory identifies the court office for case records. Use the case number, parties and document description for that request. The County's administrative open-records procedure recommends its request form but does not require the form, and describes a response within 10 business days. That county procedure should not be treated as a statewide production deadline for every record. For an administrative request, identify existing records, the relevant office, the period and the delivery format. Retain the confirmation and any clarification or fee estimate so the final response can be matched to the requested scope.
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.
Recorded land instruments and county vital records.
Office page: scottcountyiowa.gov
District court case documents.
Office page: scottcountyiowa.gov
Assessments outside the City of Davenport; Davenport City Assessor is a separate office.
Office page: scottcountyiowa.gov
Labor Department file
The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division closed 259 investigations in Scott County since fiscal 2005 and recorded $1,635,198 in back wages agreed for 2,055 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.
The 25 employers with the most back wages agreed, of 218 on the Scott County record; 54 employers have a page of their own and open from the table, the rest show their whole record here. The 193 more with smaller records are on the Iowa wage theft records page, whose search answers for every employer in the state.
Straight answers
Open only the answer you need.
Booking photos are kept by the agency that made the arrest, such as the Scott County Sheriff or a city police department in Scott 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 Scott County are kept by the Scott 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.
The Recorder explains that numbering can precede indexing, verification and release. Follow up with the reference under the search FAQ.
The published copy entry is $1 for up to four pages, with certification charged separately. Check the product in the fee schedule.
The county lists $20 effective July 1, 2026. Review the application and payment requirements in the certified-copy instructions.
The stated counter processing hours are not a same-day guarantee. Prepare the notarized application, identification and entitlement materials described in the instructions.
Iowa HHS states statewide county-recorder birth access begins in 1986. Ask about the event county's own holdings or the state route for an earlier event using the state instructions.
Davenport has its own City Assessor; the County Assessor serves the rest of Scott County. Use the correct contact from the assessment directory.
The County recommends the form but says it is not required. Identify the existing records clearly under the open-records procedure.
Start with the Clerk of District Court for the filed case and identify the order. The court directory provides that custodian's contact.
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.