Recorder

Recorder

Duties of the County Recorder

• Record and maintain documents affecting title to real estate
• Registrar of Vital Records (Birth, Death, and Marriage) and issue certified copies
• Issue marriage licenses
• Register and title boats, snowmobiles, ATVs, and ORVs
• Issue various types of hunting and fishing licenses
• Collects real estate transfer tax for the Iowa Department of Revenue
• Collects and reports the County Auditor's fee on transfer of property

When presenting documents to be recorded, please be sure they are the original - not a copy.

The County Recorder does not provide legal services or documents.

Payment Options

In addition to cash and check, the County Recorder accepts Visa and Mastercard payments. A convenience fee will be applied for all credit or debit payments.

About the County Recorder

The office of the County Recorder was created by the first Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Iowa in 1839. The basic duty of the County Recorder is to maintain official records of documents affecting title to real estate in order to preserve property rights and protect innocent third parties in real estate transactions.

Every parcel, building, and piece of property in the county is represented in a recorded document that our office has recorded; we protect and we preserve those documents for future generations. These documents are a visible sign of a massive behind-the-scenes process that is foundational to the rest of the economy. The County Recorder’s office is at the hub of the courthouse function to serve you. A significant portion of duties performed by other county officials is dependent on the work performed by your County Recorder.

The County Recorder is required to follow the Code of Iowa when recording documents.  We work with the Iowa Department of Revenue collecting Iowa Real Estate Transfer Tax and Sales/Use Tax;  the Iowa Department of Public Health collecting fees for processing marriage applications, and issuing certified copies for birth, death & marriage records; the Iowa Department of Natural Resources collecting fees for issuing hunting & fishing licenses; boat, snowmobile and ATV/ORV registrations and titles. In January, 2007 the Iowa County Recorders/Registrars Association launched the Iowa Land Records website and began filing documents electronically.

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