Iowa, Clay County
Where Spencer's records are kept. Spencer has its own city government, clerk's office and police department; county and state offices keep its other public records.
Start here
The cards below include Spencer's own offices, along with State of Iowa offices; the Clay County offices are on our Clay County page. Use the category buttons to narrow the list.
State records
The State Historical Society of Iowa opens its collection of more than 209 million items, with a catalog of government records, manuscripts, newspapers and photographs, research centers, reference requests and copy orders.
Open official site State Historical Society of Iowa ResearchCounty court
Serving northern Iowa from Cedar Rapids and Sioux City, the court posts its hearing and 341 meeting calendar and decisions and offers electronic claim filing, payment through pay.gov and case information by phone.
Open official site United States Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of IowaCounty court
Iowa's state court system online: find any county courthouse, search court records, fill in interactive court forms, eFile documents and follow Supreme Court opinions and oral arguments.
Open official site Iowa Judicial BranchVital records
Iowa's Department of Health and Human Services runs Medicaid, food and cash assistance and public health programs, and supplies certified copies of birth, death and marriage records.
Open official site Iowa Department of Health and Human ServicesPolice & jail
The Iowa Department of Corrections explains visiting, phone calls, messaging, mail, money deposits, care packages and voting rights restoration for families of people in prison, and links to its offender search.
Open official site Iowa Department of Corrections Inmate and Family ServicesPolice & jail
Clearinghouse set up in 1985 within the Iowa Department of Public Safety, listing missing persons with age, last contact date and the reporting agency; search by name, gender, race or physical traits.
Open official site Iowa DCI Missing Person Information ClearinghousePolice & jail
Kept by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation since July 1995: search registrants by name, alias or ZIP code, view a county map, and set free email watches sent within an hour of changes.
Open official site Iowa Sex Offender RegistryPolice & jail
Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation record checks, on yourself or someone else, cost $15 per last name and need first name, last name and exact birth date; send online, by mail, fax or email.
Open official site Iowa DCI Criminal History Record CheckFederal
Spencer city, Iowa at a glance from the Census Bureau: 2025 population estimate 11,218, adults holding a bachelor's degree 29.8%, median gross rent $805, and more on income, jobs and housing.
Open official site U.S. Census Bureau QuickFactsState records
Spencer City Hall at 101 West 5th Street offers a citizen portal and document center, council agendas and minutes, building permits, zoning rules, bill payment and police and fire department pages.
Open official site City of SpencerState records
Spencer City Clerk, the office that keeps county filings and public records, with the copies and searches it publishes.
Open official site Spencer City ClerkPolice & jail
Law enforcement services 405 1st Ave West Spencer IA 51301 Phone: (712) 262-2151 Fax: (712) 262-8115
Open official site Spencer Police DepartmentEverything else, organized
12 more Spencer sources not listed above.
Local record guide
Local profile
Spencer, a place of 11,325 people, is the seat of Clay County. Court and property records sit with Clay County, and birth and death certificates come from the State of Iowa. Spencer's own offices are in the cards above, and our Clay County page lists each county 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 7 mine sites inside the city or town limits: 6 past producers, now closed, 1 site producing when the record was made; the old survey maps add 14 holes drawn inside the city or town limits, 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.
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.
Straight answers
Open only the answer you need.
Voter registration in Iowa is run by the Iowa Secretary of State and local election officials. Its site lists the registration deadline, online voter registration, polling places and the local election office for Spencer.
Deeds for property in Spencer are recorded by the Clay County Recorder, and the county office that assesses property keeps the tax values. Our Clay County page lists the county offices.
Certified birth and death certificates for events in Iowa come from the state vital records office, Iowa HHS Vital Records. Its site lists who may order a copy, the fee and how to order.
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.