Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 24, 2026 and September 30, 2026.
Des Moines County, Iowa, has about 38,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). The divorce record of a couple from Des Moines County is a file of the District Court, kept by the Clerk of the District Court, not a vital record. This guide says where the file is, how a certified copy of the decree is had and what the state issues.
This guide covers the court, copies, related records, directory links and common questions.
Related guides: Des Moines County public records, Des Moines County arrest records, Des Moines County warrants, Des Moines County inmate search, Des Moines County criminal records, Iowa arrest records and Iowa inmate search.
Where a Divorce from Des Moines County Is Filed and Kept
A divorce in Iowa is a court case, so the file and the final judgment of a divorce from Des Moines County stay with the District Court. The Clerk of the District Court keeps it, and the case index tells whether a divorce was filed and when.
For Des Moines County the court records page SearchSystems verified is 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. Most of a divorce file is open to the public; the papers the law keeps confidential and anything the court has sealed are not.
Statewide, Iowa Courts Online is the Iowa Judicial Branch's free statewide case search.
Copies of a Divorce Decree from Des Moines County
A certified copy of the decree comes from the Clerk of the District Court, the office that keeps the file.
The County Recorder, whose page SearchSystems verified is at desmoinescounty.iowa.gov/recorder/real_estate_documents_recording_fees, records deeds and liens, not divorces.
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 get a copy of a divorce decree from Des Moines County?
From the District Court, through the Clerk of the District Court (iowacourts.gov). The County Recorder does not hold divorce records.
Are divorce records public in Iowa?
Mostly. The court file is open except for the papers the law makes confidential and anything the court seals.
Which court hears divorces from Des Moines County?
The District Court. The file is kept by the Clerk of the District Court.
Is this the official Des Moines County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.