Union, Iowa Public Records

Small claims matters involving disputes up to $6,500 are also heard in District Court through a simplified process. Iowa does not have municipal courts; all court matters from Union proceed through the county-level District Court system. Court records can be searched online through Iowa Courts Online at www.iowacourts.state.ia.us, which provides free public access to case information including party names, case numbers, filing dates, charges or claims, and case status for most civil and criminal matters. Some records, particularly juvenile cases and certain family law matters, are sealed or restricted. To obtain certified copies of court documents, requesters must contact the Hardin County Clerk of Court office in person, by mail, or by phone. Certified copy fees are $10.00 for the first page and $2.00 for each additional page, plus postage if mailed. Non-certified copies are generally $0.50 per page. Case filing fees vary by case type: small claims filing is $95.00, general civil actions begin at $185.00, and criminal case fees are set by statute. The Clerk's office accepts payment by cash, check, or money order, with credit card payments available online for certain services. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, excluding court holidays.

Available information includes current assessed values (for land and buildings separately), property characteristics (square footage, year built, lot size), aerial photos, and assessment history. Iowa conducts property reassessments on a rolling basis, with most properties reassessed every two years to maintain equitable valuations. For recorded documents including deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, and other instruments affecting real property, the Hardin County Recorder's Office maintains official land records at the same address (1215 Edgington Avenue, Eldora, IA 50627), phone (641) 939-8214. The Recorder's office website provides free online access to recorded documents dating back to the 1850s through a web-based search system at www.hardincountyrecorder.us. Users can search by name (grantor/grantee), document type, date range, or parcel number to view digitized images of recorded instruments at no charge. Recording fees for new documents are $30.00 for the first page and $5.00 for each additional page. Hardin County also maintains a GIS mapping system accessible through the county website at www.hardincountyia.gov/gis, providing interactive parcel maps with layers for property boundaries, roads, zoning, flood zones, and other geographic data useful for property research in the Union area.

Agricultural support businesses serving Union-area farmers include farm equipment dealers, grain elevators and cooperatives such as Heartland Co-op with facilities in nearby communities, seed and fertilizer suppliers, and veterinary services. Many Union residents also commute to employment in Eldora (12 miles southwest) where the Iowa Veterans Home is a major employer with over 400 staff, or to larger communities including Grundy Center, Waterloo, and Marshalltown where manufacturing, healthcare, and retail employers provide jobs. Hardin County's median household income is approximately $58,000, with Union's rural agricultural character resulting in household incomes varying significantly based on farm profitability and off-farm employment. Recent economic developments affecting Union include ongoing consolidation in agriculture with larger farm operations, precision agriculture technology adoption, and renewable energy projects including wind turbine installations on agricultural land providing lease income to landowners. The community retains its agricultural character with minimal residential development, and economic activity remains closely tied to commodity prices, weather patterns, and federal agricultural policy.

Union, Iowa, as an unincorporated community, does not maintain its own police department. Law enforcement services for Union and the surrounding township are provided by the Hardin County Sheriff's Office, located at 1215 Edgington Avenue, Eldora, IA 50627. The Sheriff's Office can be reached at (641) 939-8112, and maintains a website at www.hardincosheriff.com where residents can find information about services and contact deputies. The Sheriff's Office handles patrol duties, criminal investigations, traffic enforcement, and emergency response throughout unincorporated areas of Hardin County including Union. Residents requesting police reports, accident reports, or incident records should contact the Sheriff's Office directly during business hours, Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, or submit written requests to the address above. For arrest records and jail bookings, the Hardin County Jail maintains an online inmate roster accessible through the Sheriff's Office website and through the Iowa Vine system at www.vinelink.com, where users can search by inmate name to view current custody status, charges, bond amounts, and booking dates. Historical arrest records and case dispositions are available through formal public records requests. Iowa public records law is governed by Iowa Code Chapter 22, which establishes that most government records are public unless specifically exempted by law. Requests must be made in writing, and agencies have a reasonable time to respond, though they must promptly respond regarding whether records exist. There are no standardized fees for searches, but agencies may charge actual costs for copying and staff time for extensive requests. Some law enforcement records, including ongoing investigation files and certain intelligence records, may be exempt from disclosure under Iowa Code §22.7.

Applications can be submitted by mail, in person at the state office, or online through VitalChek at www.vitalchek.com (with additional processing fees). Processing time is approximately 3-4 weeks by mail, or 3-5 business days for online orders with expedited shipping available. Birth records less than 100 years old and death records less than 80 years old are restricted to immediate family members, legal representatives, or those with a direct tangible interest, requiring government-issued photo identification. The Hardin County Recorder's Office also maintains historical vital records for events occurring in Hardin County, though certified copies for legal purposes must come from the state office. Marriage licenses are issued by the Hardin County Recorder's Office at 1215 Edgington Avenue, Eldora, IA 50627, phone (641) 939-8214. The marriage license fee is $35.00, with no waiting period or blood test required. Both parties must appear in person with valid photo identification and their Social Security numbers. The license is valid for six months from issuance. Marriage records dating back to the establishment of Hardin County in 1851 are on file with the Recorder and many are searchable online. Divorce records are court records maintained by the Hardin County Clerk of Court at the courthouse; certified copies of divorce decrees cost $10.00 for the first page plus $2.00 per additional page. Iowa allows same-sex marriages and requires only that applicants be 18 years or older (or 16-17 with parental consent and court approval).

For businesses operating under a name other than the owner's legal name, a Fictitious Business Name (doing-business-as or DBA) should be filed with the Hardin County Recorder's Office at 1215 Edgington Avenue, Eldora, IA 50627. The filing fee is typically $30.00 for the first page, and the filing creates a public record searchable through the Recorder's online system. For formal business entity formation, the Iowa Secretary of State Business Services Division maintains the official registry of corporations, LLCs, partnerships, and nonprofit organizations. The free online business entity search is available at sos.iowa.gov/search/business, where users can search by business name, registered agent, or filing number to view entity status, formation date, principal office address, registered agent information, and officers or managers of record. New business entity filings are submitted online or by mail to the Secretary of State, Lucas Building, 1st Floor, 321 East 12th Street, Des Moines, IA 50319. LLC formation fees are $50.00 online or $100.00 by paper filing; corporations pay $50.00 online or $100.00 by paper. Annual reports are required, with a $60.00 biennial filing fee for LLCs and $60.00 biennial fee for corporations. UCC (Uniform Commercial Code) financing statement searches for secured transactions and liens on business assets are also conducted through the Iowa Secretary of State's UCC search system available at sos.iowa.gov/search/ucc. Commercial property tax assessments for businesses in Union can be researched through the Hardin County Assessor's online database, with business personal property (equipment, inventory, fixtures) assessed separately and reported annually.

Union, Iowa voters are served by the Hardin County Auditor's Office, which administers elections for the county. The office is located at 1215 Edgington Avenue, Eldora, IA 50627, phone (641) 939-8105, with election information available at www.hardincountyia.gov. Union residents register to vote through the Iowa Secretary of State's online voter registration system at https://mymvd.iowadot.gov/Account/Login?ReturnUrl=%2fVoterRegistration, which requires an Iowa driver's license or non-operator ID. Registration must be completed at least 10 days before an election, though Iowa offers same-day registration at the polls on Election Day with proof of identity and residency. Acceptable identification includes an Iowa driver's license, non-operator ID, passport, military ID, tribal ID, or voter identification card issued by the county. As an unincorporated community, Union has no municipal government and therefore no city council or mayoral elections. Union residents vote in federal elections (U.S. President, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives for Iowa's 3rd Congressional District), state elections (Iowa Governor, state legislature, statewide offices), and Hardin County elections (Board of Supervisors, County Auditor, County Recorder, County Treasurer, County Attorney, County Sheriff). Union is part of Union Township for some local offices. To find their assigned polling place, Union residents can use the polling place lookup tool at https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/voterreg/pollingplace/search.aspx by entering their address. Union Township residents typically vote at Union Community Center or at consolidated polling locations in nearby Eldora. In the November 2024 presidential election, Hardin County recorded approximately 68% voter turnout with roughly 6,800 ballots cast from about 10,000 registered voters, with the county favoring Republican candidates consistent with rural Iowa voting patterns. For the November 3, 2026 general election, Union and Hardin County voters will decide Iowa's gubernatorial race (Governor Kim Reynolds' term expires January 2027), all four U.S. House seats including Iowa's 3rd District, all Iowa House of Representatives seats (2-year terms), half of the Iowa Senate (4-year staggered terms), and various county offices including County Attorney, County Recorder, County Treasurer, and County Sheriff, all of which have terms expiring in 2026. Iowa permits no-excuse absentee voting, with applications available through the county auditor's office or online at the Iowa Secretary of State website. Absentee ballot requests must be received by 5:00 PM the Saturday before Election Day, with completed ballots due by 8:00 PM on Election Day. Iowa election records that are public include voter registration lists (available for purchase for political purposes under Iowa Code §48A.38), campaign finance disclosure reports filed with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board (searchable at https://webapp.ethics.iowa.gov/), candidate filings and statements, and detailed precinct-level election results published by the Secretary of State and county auditor. Individual voter history (which elections a person voted in, but not how they voted) is also public record. Iowa uses paper ballots counted by optical scanners, with postelection audits to verify accuracy.