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 October 4, 2026.
Washington County, Iowa, has about 23,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). The divorce record of a couple from Washington 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 and common questions.
Related guides: Washington County public records, Washington County arrest records, Washington County warrants, Washington County inmate search, Washington County criminal records, Iowa arrest records and Iowa inmate search.
Where a Divorce from Washington County Is Filed and Kept
Divorce records are not vital records in Iowa. The decree and the file of a divorce from Washington County are court records of the District Court, and certified copies come from the Clerk of the District Court.
For Washington County the court records page SearchSystems verified is at iowacourts.gov/iowa-courts/district-court/judicial-district-8/distr... (page title: Washington | Judicial District 8 | Iowa Judicial Branch), phone 319-653-7741, 224 West Main Street Washington, IA 52353, 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 Washington County
The copy another court or an agency asks for is a certified copy of the judgment, issued by the Clerk of the District Court, reached through the court at 319-653-7741.
The County Recorder, whose page SearchSystems verified is at washingtoncounty.iowa.gov/153/Recorder, records deeds and liens, not divorces.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a copy of a divorce decree from Washington 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 Washington County?
The District Court. The file is kept by the Clerk of the District Court.
Is this the official Washington 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.