SearchSystems Editorial

Reviewed and updated October 11, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link on this page was opened and checked against the office's own website at review time.

About this guide

Tama County is a county in Iowa with about 17,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its public records are not in one place: court cases, jail bookings, deeds, property values, vital records and records requests each belong to a different office. This guide names the office that holds each kind of record, links to its own website and gives the phone number and address where the office publishes them. SearchSystems verified 8 county office pages for Tama County, every one opened and checked.

In this guide: Where the records live, Jail and arrests, Court records, County Clerk, Deeds and property, Vital records, County Attorney, Records requests, Statewide sources, More directory links, Cities and towns, Other counties and Questions.

Where Tama County public records live

Each kind of Tama County record is kept by a different office. The list below names the office SearchSystems verified for each one; the sections that follow give its phone, address and hours where the office publishes them.

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Arrests, jail and inmate lookups in Tama County

A person arrested in Tama County is booked into the jail, and the booking record (name, charges, bond and the next court date) is public in most cases. The office below is the one SearchSystems verified for jail and inmate information in Tama County.

Jail rosters usually show the people in custody now. Once a person is released, the case continues in the court records below.

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Court records and case lookups in Tama County

Civil, criminal, family, probate and traffic cases filed in Tama County are kept by the clerk of the court that heard them. Many courts offer an online case search; the page below is the one SearchSystems verified for Tama County.

  • Website: tamacounty.iowa.gov (page title: Tama County, Iowa | County Government and Services)
  • Checked: October 1, 2026, the page answered.

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County Clerk of Tama County

The county clerk is the county's record keeper. What the office holds differs by state: in some states it files marriage licenses and vital records, in others deeds, court papers or the meeting records of the governing board. Its own website below says what it holds in Tama County.

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Deeds, land records and property values in Tama County

Two offices share property records. The recording office files deeds, mortgages, liens and the other documents that affect title to land in Tama County. The assessment office sets the taxable value of each parcel and usually offers a free parcel search by address or owner name.

Recorded documents: County Recorder

  • Website: tamacounty.iowa.gov/recorder (page title: Recorder's Office | Departments | Tama County, Iowa)
  • Phone: 641-484-3320
  • Address: 104 W. State St. Toledo, IA 52342
  • Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
  • Checked: September 30, 2026, the page answered.

Property values: County Assessor

  • Website: tamacounty.iowa.gov/assessor (page title: Assessor's Office | Departments | Tama County, Iowa)
  • Phone: 641-484-3545
  • Address: 104 W. State St. Toledo, IA 52342
  • Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
  • Checked: September 30, 2026, the page answered.

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Birth, death and marriage records in Tama County

Certified copies of birth and death certificates for events in Tama County are issued by the office below. The Iowa state vital records office also issues certified copies for any event in the state.

  • Website: tamacounty.iowa.gov/recorder/birth_records (page title: Birth Records | Recorder’s Office | Tama County, Iowa)
  • Address: 104 West State St. Toledo, IA 52342
  • Checked: September 24, 2026, the page answered.

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County Attorney for Tama County

The County Attorney is the office that prosecutes criminal cases in Tama County. The case files themselves are court records (above); the prosecutor's office handles victim services and questions about pending prosecutions.

  • Website: tamacounty.iowa.gov/attorney (page title: Attorney's Office | Departments | Tama County, Iowa)
  • Phone: 641-484-3020
  • Address: 100 W. High St. Toledo, IA 52342
  • Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
  • Checked: September 30, 2026, the page answered.

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Public records requests to Tama County

Every state has a public records law that applies to county offices. A record that is not posted online is requested from the office that holds it. Many counties run one request page for every department; it is listed below when SearchSystems verified one for Tama County.

  • Website: tamacounty.iowa.gov/recorder (page title: Recorder's Office | Departments | Tama County, Iowa)
  • Phone: 641-484-3320
  • Address: 104 W. State St. Toledo, IA 52342
  • Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
  • Checked: September 30, 2026, the page answered.

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Statewide Iowa sources

Some records are kept by the state rather than the county. These are the Iowa state offices SearchSystems verified; each link opens the state office's own page.

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These links come from the SearchSystems directory for Tama County and were opened again on October 2, 2026. Each one still answers.

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Cities and towns in Tama County

Tama County has 12 incorporated cities and towns (2024 Census Bureau count, population in parentheses). City records such as council minutes, permits, business licenses and police reports are kept by each city; the records on this page are county records whatever the city.

  • Tama (2,997)
  • Toledo (2,372)
  • Traer (1,547)
  • Dysart (1,266)
  • Gladbrook (775)
  • Garwin (469)
  • Clutier (209)
  • Chelsea (207)
  • Montour (199)
  • Elberon (178)
  • Lincoln (119)
  • Vining (53)

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Tama County Arrest Records

The Tama County arrest records guide names the four agencies that report arrests to the FBI here and the 195 arrests the two agencies with every month of 2025 on file reported that year. It also says where a person arrested here is held, how to find out about an arrest and how to get a copy of the report.

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Tama County Records Guides

SearchSystems has four more guides to Tama County, each written from the county's own offices and figures: Tama County warrants (who issues and serves them, where a person arrested on one is held, how to check for one), Tama County inmate search (the jail page of the Tama County Sheriff's Office, the jail numbers and who books people), Tama County police reports (which agency holds a report and what the Iowa Open Records Law (Chapter 22) requires) and Tama County property records (deeds, assessed values, permits and evictions).

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the official Tama County website?

No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records directory, online since 1997. It links to the official offices listed above; SearchSystems does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.

How do I find out if someone is in jail in Tama County?

Use the jail or inmate page SearchSystems verified for Tama County at tamacountysheriff.org/jail/inmates, or call 641-484-4111. Rosters usually show the people in custody now; after release, the case continues in the court records.

Where do I look up a court case in Tama County?

The court records page SearchSystems verified for Tama County is at tamacounty.iowa.gov. A case number finds a case fastest; a name search returns every case with that name.

Who records deeds in Tama County?

The County Recorder, at tamacounty.iowa.gov/recorder. Deeds, mortgages and liens on land in Tama County are filed there.

How do I get a birth or death certificate for Tama County?

From the office SearchSystems verified for Tama County vital records at tamacounty.iowa.gov/recorder/birth_records, or from the Iowa state vital records office.

How do I request a public record from Tama County?

Through the records request page at tamacounty.iowa.gov/recorder. A record that is not covered there is requested from the office that holds it.