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 October 4, 2026.
Franklin County, Iowa, has about 10,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Iowa District Court for Franklin 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, cities and common questions.
Related guides: Franklin County public records, Franklin County arrest records, Franklin County warrants, Franklin County inmate search, Franklin County criminal records, Iowa arrest records and Iowa inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Franklin County
Court cases from Franklin County are filed in the Iowa District Court for Franklin 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 Franklin County
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at iowacourts.gov/iowa-courts/district-court/judicial-district-2/distr... (page title: Franklin | Judicial District 2 | Iowa Judicial Branch), phone 641-456-5626, 220 North Washington Avenue Mason City, IA 50401, 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 Franklin County
Together, the two agencies in Franklin County with all twelve months of 2024 on file reported 204 arrests to the FBI that year; the County Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Iowa District Court for Franklin County.
The County Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at franklincountyia.gov/government/attorney.php (page title: Franklin County, IA), phone 641-456-6027, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 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 Franklin County guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Franklin County criminal records, Franklin County divorce records, Franklin County traffic tickets, Franklin County DUI and Franklin County property records.
More Official Court Pages for Franklin County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for Franklin County and Iowa. These court pages from its Franklin County listing were opened again on October 2, 2026 and each one still answers:
- District 2, Judicial District 2 (iowacourts.gov)
Cities in Franklin County
Wherever in the county a case arises, it is filed in the Iowa District Court for Franklin County.
The cities and towns in the county are Hampton, Sheffield, Latimer, Coulter, Alexander, Geneva, Hansell and Popejoy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Franklin County?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at iowacourts.gov, phone 641-456-5626. Statewide, Iowa Courts Online is the Iowa Judicial Branch's free statewide case search.
Which court hears felonies in Franklin County?
The Iowa District Court for Franklin County, which hears every civil, criminal, family, probate and juvenile case.
Who keeps the court records in Franklin County?
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 Franklin 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.