How to Search Iowa Public Records

Iowa's court, criminal, vital, property, voter, and licensing records are maintained across state agencies and the 99 counties listed below. Use the tabs to filter by record type, or jump directly to any source.

  • Courts: The Iowa Supreme Court sits at the top of the system; trial-court business is handled by the District Court (8 districts). Most courts publish dockets and case lookups online.
  • Criminal history: The state's criminal-history repository handles official background checks. Fees and procedures are set by the state agency — see the linked official source.
  • Vital records: Birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates are issued by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Bureau of Vital Records) and may also be available locally.
  • Property & recorded documents: Maintained at the county level by the Assessor, Recorder, or Clerk's office.
  • Business filings: The Secretary of State (or equivalent) operates the official business-entity search.
Population
3,241,488
Households
1,310,300
Median Income
$71,433
Median Home Value
$181,600

Vital Records Databases

9 official Iowa vital records sources.

Court Records Criminal Records Wants & Warrants Vital Records Voter Records Licenses Recorded Documents Property Records

Vital Records

Iowa Courts Online Electronic Docket Record Search
Official Free
You cannot pay court costs and fees using Advanced Case Search. Click Here to make a payment · You must register and pay a fee to subscribe to Iowa Courts Online to have access to Advanced Case Search
🌐 www.iowacourts.state.ia.us
Guthrie County, Iowa - County Government and Services
Official Free
Assessor Attorney Auditor Conservation E911 Emergency Management Engineering & Secondary Roads Environmental Health General Assistance Human Resources Maintenance Passports Planning & Zoning Public Health Recorder Sheriff Transfer Station Treasurer Veterans Affairs ... Boards & Commissions County Ordinances Meetings & Minutes Contact Bid Notices Calendar Courts Employment FAQ · Attention Rural Residents: Dust Control Permits Are Now AvailableMore Information ... Established in 1851, Guthrie County is one of six central Iowa counties that are part of the Des Moines metropolitan area.
🌐 guthriecounty.gov
Interment Listing | Newton, IA - Official Website
Official Free
The City of Newton Union and Memorial Park Cemeteries interment listings are provided at no cost below. The City of Newton makes every attempt to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data contained in these documents. However, no guarantees are made to the accuracy of these records.
🌐 www.newtongov.org
Rolfe Cemetery | Rolfe
Official Free
Welcome to the cemeteries of Rolfe, Iowa · St. Margarets | Old Rolfe | Clinton - Garfield | Plover - Powhatan | City of Rolfe Home | Cemetery Home
🌐 rolfeareacemeteries.org
Birth Death & Marriage Certificates / Certified Copies | Story County, IA - Official Website
Official Free
In Iowa, official registration of births, deaths, and marriages began July 1, 1880 . Original records that were registered are on file with the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Vital Records. Statewide record searches are available from the state registrar.
🌐 www.storycountyiowa.gov
Find a Grave - Millions of Cemetery Records
Official Free
Search or browse cemeteries and grave records for every-day and famous people from around the world. ... Please select a location with GPS coordinates indicated by a map icon() to continue. Please select a cemetery indicated by a Find a Grave icon() to continue. ... When searching in a cemetery, use the ? or * wildcards in name fields. ? replaces one letter. * represents zero to many letters. E.g. Sorens?n or Wil* Search for an exact birth/death year or select a range, before or after.
🌐 www.findagrave.com
Resources | Davenport Public Library
Official Free
Our Online databases for obituaries, marriage announcements, or the Gazette and other Davenport newspapers. Newspaper Card File: Roughly 1950 to 1991, with gaps and some earlier dates.
🌐 www.davenportlibrary.com
Story County, Iowa Death Certificate Index
Official Free
Most deaths were not recorded in the county death registers, but rather were reported directly to the State of Iowa through the submission of death certificates. Of special interest to researchers is an state-wide index to the certificates issued from about mid-1904 through 1916.
🌐 iagenweb.org
Jasper Co., Iowa Births
Official Free
These birth records are transcribed from the original records prepared by township trustees. Spelling is often phonetic and often difficult to read. The documents are two formats for your convenience. For easier reading on the .html files use the "Text size" function in the View menu on the browser; it's located at the top of the screen. June 1904 - July 1906.html 1909.pdf | 1909.html 1910.pdf | 1910.html 1911.pdf | 1911.html 1912.pdf | 1912.html 1913...
🌐 iagenweb.org

Iowa Counties

99 Iowa counties are indexed on SearchSystems.net — top 28 counties shown below. Browse the full directory or click any county for local court, sheriff, recorder and assessor links.

Polk Linn Scott Johnson Black Hawk Woodbury Dubuque Story Dallas Adair Adams Allamakee Appanoose Audubon

Frequently Asked Questions

Iowa's official criminal-history repository is operated by the state law-enforcement agency. Free public access to a complete criminal history is generally not available; an official background check typically requires fingerprints and a fee. County-level court records can be searched at no cost through individual court websites.

Iowa's court system is headed by the Iowa Supreme Court. Trial-court business is handled by the District Court (8 districts). Many Iowa courts publish docket searches and case lookups online — see the Court Records tab above for direct links.

The Iowa Secretary of State (or equivalent agency) operates the official business-entity search. You can typically search corporations, LLCs, LPs, and other registered entities by name or registration number. See the Licenses or Business tab above.

The Assessor determines property values for tax purposes. The Recorder (or Clerk-Recorder) records deeds, mortgages, liens, and other property documents. Some county offices combine these roles, others keep them separate. Check the specific county page for details.

Iowa vital records (birth, death, marriage, divorce certificates) are issued by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Bureau of Vital Records) and, in many cases, by local county clerks. Fees and ID requirements are set by the issuing agency.

Most county-level property and recorded-document searches are free for basic information through the Assessor or Recorder website. Certified copies of deeds typically have a per-page fee. Direct links are in the Property Records tab above.

The Iowa sex offender registry is maintained by the state law-enforcement agency under the Sex Offender Registration and Community Notification Act. The registry is searchable by name, ZIP code, or address.

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