Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 24, 2026 and September 30, 2026.
Burlington, Iowa, in Des Moines County, has about 24,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Iowa District Court for Des Moines County, and the file of each case, kept by the Clerk of the District Court, is the public record of it. This guide says which court hears what, where to look a case up and who keeps the files.
This guide covers the courts, the records page, criminal cases, kinds of files, directory links and common questions.
Related guides: Burlington public records, Des Moines County court records, Burlington arrest records, Burlington warrants, Burlington inmate search, Burlington criminal records, Iowa arrest records and Iowa inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Burlington
Court cases from Burlington are filed in the Iowa District Court for Des Moines County, which hears every civil, criminal, family, probate and juvenile case.
Divorces go to the District Court, and the file stays with the Clerk of the District Court.
The Clerk of the District Court keeps the files, and a copy of anything in a file comes from that office, under the court's own rules rather than the Iowa Open Records Law (Chapter 22).
Looking Up a Case from Burlington
For Des Moines County, SearchSystems opened and checked the court records page for the county at iowacourts.gov/for-the-public/public-records-requests (page title: Public Records Requests | Iowa Judicial Branch), 1111 East Court Ave. Des Moines, IA 50319, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.
Statewide, Iowa Courts Online is the Iowa Judicial Branch's free statewide case search.
The Iowa court page SearchSystems verified is at iowacourts.gov/iowa-courts.
What Reaches the Court from Burlington
Together, the three agencies in Des Moines County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 1,722 arrests to the FBI that year; the County Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Iowa District Court for Des Moines County.
The County Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at desmoinescounty.iowa.gov/attorney (page title: Attorney’s Office- Des Moines County Government- Iowa), phone 319-753-8209, 100 Valley St. Burlington, IA 52601, Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 30, 2026.
The Kinds of Court Files
The court file is one record with several readers: a criminal case from the arrest to the sentence, a divorce from the petition to the judgment, a traffic ticket from the citation to the conviction the court reports to the Iowa Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division, and an eviction or a lien on land.
The other Burlington guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Burlington criminal records, Burlington divorce records, Burlington traffic tickets, Burlington DUI and Burlington property records.
More Official Court Pages for Des Moines County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for Des Moines County and Iowa. These court pages from its Des Moines County listing were opened again on October 2, 2026 and each one still answers:
- Judicial Branch Building and Courthouse Tours (iowacourts.gov)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Burlington?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at iowacourts.gov. Statewide, Iowa Courts Online is the Iowa Judicial Branch's free statewide case search.
Which court hears felonies in Burlington?
The Iowa District Court for Des Moines County, which hears every civil, criminal, family, probate and juvenile case.
Who keeps the court records in Burlington?
The Clerk of the District Court. Copies come from that office under the court's own rules.
Is there a statewide court case search in Iowa?
Yes: Iowa Courts Online, the Iowa Judicial Branch's free statewide case search.
Is this the official Burlington website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.