Linn County, Iowa • deed and real-estate record guide
Linn County Recorder: Search Deeds, Mortgages, Liens and Real Estate Records
The Linn County Recorder records and maintains deeds,
mortgages, assignments, releases, easements, contracts, plats, surveys,
powers of attorney, state and federal tax liens and other documents
affecting real estate in Linn County, Iowa.
The county’s current land-record system is
Fidlar AVA. Linn County moved recording and public
searching to the Fidlar platform in September 2024, replacing the former
land-record software.
Fastest beginner route:
open Linn County’s official AVA search → search the current owner’s
name → narrow the results by document type or approximate recording date
when possible → open the correct deed → compare the legal description
and parties → save the instrument/document reference before moving on
to mortgages, releases, liens or older deeds.
Recorder
Carolyn Siebrecht
Physical Office
935 2nd Street SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
Mail
P.O. Box 1406, Cedar Rapids, IA 52406-1406
Regular Hours
Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
2nd Wednesday
Office opens at 10:00 a.m.
Same-day service tip:
Linn County asks real-estate customers who need same-day office service
to arrive by approximately 4:00 p.m.. The public counter
remains open later, but a last-minute complex recording can require
additional review.
Independent informational website:
County-CAD.us is not Linn County Recorder, Linn County Assessor,
Cedar Rapids City Assessor, Iowa Land Records, Iowa Department of Revenue
or another government agency. Use the official government systems linked
below for final searches, recordings, taxes and certified copies.
Choose your exact property-record task
What Are You Trying to Find?
Practical deed-search workflow
Address → Parcel → Owner → AVA → Document → Verify
1
Address
Start with property.
2
Parcel
Confirm account.
3
Owner
Save party names.
4
AVA
Search Recorder.
5
Document
Open deed/image.
6
Verify
Match legal data.
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Official government and county-linked tools
Linn County Deed, Property and Recording Websites
REC
Linn County Recorder
Office, current fees, recorded document types and contact information.
Open Recorder Website
PROP
Linn County Assessor Property Search
Owner, parcel, assessment and property information outside Cedar Rapids city-assessor jurisdiction.
Search Linn County Property
FORM
Real Estate Forms & Revenue Taxes
DOV, Groundwater Hazard Statement, fees and revenue-tax information.
Open Forms & Fees
Current Linn County land-record platform
How to Search Linn County Deeds Online
Linn County directs residents to Fidlar’s AVA system
for the county’s current online real-estate record search.
Open the county-linked AVA portal.
Confirm the system identifies Linn County, Iowa before searching.
Start with the current owner’s name.
Use the person’s recorded legal name rather than a nickname when possible.
Try a business, trust or estate name separately.
Property can be recorded to an entity instead of an individual.
Narrow by document type when the interface allows it.
For ownership, focus on deed/conveyance records rather than every
mortgage, release and lien filed under the name.
Add an approximate recording date.
Purchase year, refinance year, inheritance date or another known event
can reduce unrelated results.
Open the likely record.
Compare the grantor and grantee.
The grantor generally conveys the interest; the grantee generally receives it.
Read the legal description.
Do not rely on a matching surname alone.
Save the document/instrument reference.
Use it for future retrieval or an official-copy request.
Useful 2024 system change:
Linn County’s Fidlar conversion allows newly recorded land documents
to become available/viewable through the new recording system much more
quickly than under the former paper-heavy workflow.
If the street address is all you know
How to Find a Linn County Deed From an Address
The easiest beginner workflow is to identify the parcel and owner in
an assessment database first and then take those details to the Recorder.
Determine whether the property is inside Cedar Rapids.
Linn County and the City of Cedar Rapids maintain separate assessor
jurisdictions for many property-assessment functions.
For a county-assessed parcel, open Linn County Assessor Real Estate Search.
Search the property address.
Save the parcel number and current owner.
Save the legal description and subdivision/lot information.
Open Linn County AVA.
Search the current owner’s name.
Search the prior owner too when the transfer is recent.
Assessment and Recorder systems do not always update at exactly
the same stage of a transaction.
Compare the legal description in the deed.
ASSR
Linn County Assessor Search
Best first stop for parcel identity outside Cedar Rapids city-assessor jurisdiction.
Open Property Search
Important local distinction
Cedar Rapids Property? Check Which Assessor You Need
Linn County contains a separate Cedar Rapids City Assessor
jurisdiction. That means a Cedar Rapids property owner can encounter
one government system for assessment data while still using the
Linn County Recorder for the recorded deed.
Linn County Recorder
Recorded deeds, mortgages, releases, easements, liens and other land records.
Linn County Assessor
Assessment/property records for parcels within the county assessor’s jurisdiction.
Cedar Rapids City Assessor
Assessment records and applicable property programs for parcels within
the city assessor’s jurisdiction.
Why this matters
A deed search and a property-value search are different tasks and can
legitimately use different public offices.
Local shortcut:
if a Linn County Assessor search does not return an obvious Cedar Rapids
parcel, check the Cedar Rapids City Assessor rather than assuming the
property record is missing.
What the Recorder actually keeps
Which Real Estate Documents Are Recorded in Linn County?
Deeds
Ownership conveyances and title changes.
Mortgages
Real-estate financing/security instruments.
Assignments & Releases
Transfers or releases of recorded interests.
Contracts
Certain real-estate contracts and conveyance-related filings.
Easements
Recorded access, utility and other easement rights.
Leases
Recordable lease-related documents.
Plats & Surveys
Recorded subdivision, survey and mapping documents.
Tax Liens
State and federal tax-lien records filed with the Recorder.
Powers of Attorney
Recordable authority documents affecting real estate.
Affidavits
Recordable statements affecting property or title.
Drainage Agreements
Agreements concerning drainage interests.
Section Corner Certificates
Survey-related corner documentation.
Mortgage document research
How to Find a Linn County Mortgage
Search the property owner/borrower’s name in AVA.
Narrow the date to the purchase or refinance year.
Look for a mortgage document type.
Compare borrower and lender names.
Compare the legal description with the property.
Save the recording reference.
This makes searching for a later release easier.
A mortgage is not the ownership deed. A person can remain the owner on
the deed while mortgages are recorded, assigned or released over time.
After a loan payoff
Paid Off the Loan? Search for a Release
After a mortgage is paid, the useful follow-up Recorder record is
generally a release or satisfaction-related document,
not a new deed transferring ownership back to the homeowner.
Find the original mortgage in AVA.
Save the lender, borrower and recording reference.
Search later records under the same borrower.
Look for Release or related satisfaction/release terminology.
Open the release document.
Confirm it references the correct mortgage.
The current Linn County basic recording fee for a Release is listed as
$7 for the first page and
$5 for each additional page.
Recorded lien research
How to Search Linn County Liens
Linn County records state and federal tax liens and other documents that
can affect real estate. However, a single Recorder search should not be
treated as a complete legal title examination.
Search the current property owner’s full name.
Search former owner names when researching title history.
Look for tax liens and other lien-related recordings.
Search later releases.
Do not assume an older lien remains active simply because the original
lien document is still in the historical index.
Verify the legal description or property connection.
Use a title professional for a complete title conclusion.
One name search is not a title report.
Judgments, estates, taxes, easements, marital interests and other issues
can require research beyond one Recorder result.
Regular and certified recorded-document copies
Linn County Deed Copy Fees
$1
Copy
Current Recorder charge per page.
$5
Certification
Certification charge per copied document.
$1/page
Certified Copy Pages
Page-copy charges still apply in addition to certification.
Search AVA first.
Identify the exact deed or other document.
Save its document reference and page count.
Decide whether an ordinary image/printout is enough.
If certification is required, contact the Recorder.
Tell staff you need a certified recorded-document copy rather than
merely an informational printout.
Call prepared:
Recorder real-estate questions can be directed to
319-892-5420.
Have the owner name, document type and recording reference ready.
Common Iowa property question
Does the Linn County Recorder Keep Your Property Abstract?
No. Linn County’s Recorder FAQ explains that property
abstracts are not kept in the Recorder’s Office.
An abstract may instead be held by the property owner or stored with an
abstract/title company.
Recorder keeps
Recorded deeds, mortgages, releases, liens, plats, easements and other
public-record instruments.
Recorder does not keep
Your privately maintained property abstract as the property’s personal file.
Iowa-specific tip:
do not confuse an abstract of title with the Recorder’s land-record
index. They are related to title research but are not the same thing.
Before presenting a deed for recording
How to Record a Deed in Linn County, Iowa
Make sure Linn County is the correct recording county.
Record the document where the affected real estate is located.
Prepare the correct legal instrument.
Recorder staff cannot decide which deed you should use or prepare a
transfer document for you.
Include the correct legal description.
Complete signatures and acknowledgment/notarization when required.
Check the first-page formatting requirements.
Iowa recording standards require space for the Recorder’s stamp.
Complete the Declaration of Value when required.
Determine whether a Groundwater Hazard Statement is required.
Calculate Iowa Real Estate Revenue Tax.
Count every parcel being transferred.
Linn County’s Auditor transfer fee is parcel-based.
Calculate all Recorder fees.
Submit in person, through an authorized electronic-recording route,
by mail or another county-supported method.
Save the final recording reference.
Adding or removing an owner requires a legal document.
Linn County states that Recorder staff cannot prepare documents for
property owners. Consider an Iowa attorney when changing ownership,
handling an estate, transferring property into a trust or correcting title.
Current Linn County Recorder charges
Linn County Recording Fees
Linn County’s basic recording structure is
$5 per page plus a $2 transaction surcharge.
Conveyance documents add an Auditor transfer fee.
$12
Deed — First Page
Includes one parcel’s transfer fee.
$5
Additional Page
Each additional page.
$5
Additional Parcel
Auditor transfer fee per additional parcel, subject to the current cap.
$7
Mortgage — First Page
Current basic first-page charge.
$7
Release — First Page
Current basic first-page charge.
$7
Affidavit — First Page
Current basic first-page charge.
$7
Tax Lien — First Page
Current basic first-page charge.
$1
Copy
Per recorded-document page.
$5
Certification
Added per certified copied document.
The Auditor transfer charge is currently capped at
$50 for qualifying conveyance documents.
Iowa Real Estate Revenue Tax
How Linn County Real Estate Transfer Tax Is Calculated
Linn County currently states that Iowa real-estate revenue tax is
calculated at:
$1.60
Per $1,000
with the first $500 exempt, subject to Iowa’s applicable transfer-tax rules.
The county’s practical calculation guidance says to round the taxable
consideration down to the nearest $500 and multiply the applicable amount
by .0016.
Example:
if the taxable consideration is $250,000, do not simply assume every
transaction is taxed identically. First determine whether the conveyance
is taxable or exempt and apply Iowa’s current revenue-tax rules.
CALC
Iowa Land Records Revenue Tax Calculator
Use the current statewide calculator for the filing.
Open Iowa Land Records
Do not guess whether a deed is tax-exempt.
Gifts, family transactions, trusts, estates and other transfers may
require specific Iowa statutory treatment.
Declaration of Value
Does a Linn County Deed Need a Declaration of Value?
Iowa requires a Declaration of Value (DOV) with certain
non-exempt real-estate conveyances when the deed or other transfer
instrument is presented for recording.
Use DOV when required
It reports consideration and other transaction information used in
Iowa’s transfer/assessment process.
Exempt transaction
Follow Iowa’s current exemption statement requirements instead of
submitting an incomplete form or guessing.
Iowa conveyance paperwork
When Is a Groundwater Hazard Statement Needed?
Iowa changed the Groundwater Hazard Statement process so the form is no
longer automatically required with every ordinary transfer when there
are no reportable groundwater-related conditions.
When a reportable condition exists, however, the applicable Groundwater
Hazard Statement requirements still matter.
Do not automatically attach an old form from a previous closing.
Use the current Iowa requirements and current form linked by Linn County.
Free Recorder monitoring service
How to Sign Up for Linn County Property Fraud Alert
Linn County’s Property Fraud Alert monitors names in
Recorder records and can send a notification if a document is recorded
containing the registered name.
The service is free and can deliver alerts by
email, text or phone.
Open Linn County’s Property Fraud Alert page.
Select the official signup option.
Register the name you want monitored.
Select your notification method.
Current service can notify by email, text or phone.
When an alert arrives, open AVA and search your name.
Open the newly recorded document.
Compare the legal description.
A matching name can belong to another person.
Property owners can also call the fraud-alert service line at
800-728-3858 for enrollment assistance.
An alert does not automatically mean fraud.
Refinancing, a legitimate lien, a sale or another person with the same
name can trigger a notification.
What to Do If a Fraud Alert Shows an Unknown Deed
Open AVA.
Search your exact name.
Open the recent recording.
Read the legal description.
Determine whether the document actually affects your property.
If the legal description is yours and you did not sign the document,
contact local law enforcement.
Contact an attorney about recovery/title protection.
Recorder staff can help you locate and review the document and explain
the general purpose of the document type, but they cannot provide legal
advice or determine the document’s legal effect for you.
Search across Iowa counties
When Should You Use Iowa Land Records Instead of Linn County AVA?
Use Linn County AVA when your task is specifically about a Linn County
recording. Use Iowa Land Records when you need a broader
statewide search or are checking whether the same person has recorded
property documents in another Iowa county.
What you know
Best source
Why
Linn County property
Linn AVA
Direct county land-record search.
Person owns property somewhere in Iowa
Iowa Land Records
Broader multi-county land-record searching.
Street address only
Assessor first
Identify owner/parcel before Recorder research.
Exact deed reference
Linn AVA / Recorder
Retrieve the specific recorded document.
Does the Linn County Recorder Keep Your Original Deed?
The Recorder creates the official recorded land record but does not keep
your original document as your personal property file.
Linn County’s newer land-record workflow allows customers who record at
the office to receive the original deed back without the older delay that
came from mailing every completed original after recording.
Keep your returned original deed and closing documents in a secure place,
even though the Recorder preserves the official recorded image/index.
In Person, Mail, Drop Box or Online?
Online
Search Linn County recorded documents through AVA and use Iowa Land
Records for eligible statewide/e-recording functions.
In Person
Visit the Recorder at the Jean Oxley Linn County Public Service Center.
Mail
Send qualifying Recorder transactions to P.O. Box 1406,
Cedar Rapids, IA 52406-1406.
Drop Box
The county provides a depository box at the entrance of the Public
Service Center.
Using the drop box?
Put documents inside an envelope marked
Recorder’s Office and include your contact information.
Electronic recording
Can Linn County Real Estate Documents Be Recorded Electronically?
Yes. Linn County identifies Iowa Land Records as an
online channel for recording and searching documents.
Iowa Land Records provides electronic-submission services primarily used
by authorized professionals such as attorneys, lenders, financial
institutions, title professionals and other real-estate filers.
E-REC
Iowa Land Records Electronic Recording
Statewide county-recorder electronic document infrastructure.
Open Iowa Land Records
For a homeowner recording an unusual deed or ownership-change document,
call Linn County Recorder at
319-892-5420
before assuming electronic submission is the easiest route.
Recorder vs Assessor vs Treasurer: Which Office Do You Need?
Your task
Correct office
Best next step
Deed / mortgage / release
Linn County Recorder
Search AVA or request a recorded copy.
Property value / parcel details
Assessor
Use Linn County or Cedar Rapids City Assessor based on jurisdiction.
Property-tax payment
Treasurer
Search the current tax account and payment history.
Change owner name/title
Attorney + Recorder
Prepare the correct deed/instrument and then record it.
Property abstract
Owner / abstract company
Recorder does not store your private abstract.
Clear title / lien priority
Title professional / attorney
Obtain a complete title examination.
Practical Linn County shortcuts
Local Tips That Make Deed Research Easier
Use AVA, not an old Cott search link.
Linn County changed land-record software in September 2024.
Address only? Start with the Assessor.
Get the owner and parcel number before struggling with Recorder indexing.
Cedar Rapids can use a separate city assessor.
Check jurisdiction when a county-assessor search does not return the parcel.
Save the exact document reference.
Stop repeating broad name searches once the correct deed is identified.
Search prior owner names.
Older easements, mortgages and other documents may be indexed under former owners.
Paid off a loan? Search Release.
Do not look for a replacement ownership deed.
Your abstract is not stored at the Recorder.
Check your files or contact an abstract/title company.
Three-inch top margin matters.
Missing it can add a $10 non-standard fee.
Count parcels before calculating a deed fee.
Conveyances have a parcel-based Auditor transfer charge.
Check DOV requirements before recording.
Do not arrive with only the deed and assume no transfer form is needed.
Do not use an outdated Groundwater Hazard Statement automatically.
Iowa changed when the form is required.
Register for Property Fraud Alert.
The service is free and can notify you by email, text or phone.
Same-day office task? Arrive before 4 p.m.
This gives staff time to review the transaction.
Need another Iowa county?
Move from AVA to Iowa Land Records for statewide research.
Buying Linn County Property? Research in This Order
1. Identify the parcel
Confirm the property address, assessor jurisdiction and parcel number.
2. Find the current deed
Search AVA and verify the grantor, grantee and legal description.
3. Trace prior deeds
Follow prior owner names and recording references.
4. Search mortgages
Find recorded mortgage/security instruments.
5. Search releases
Determine whether old mortgages were later released.
6. Review easements
Check access, utility and other recorded easement rights.
7. Check tax records separately
Recorder search is not a property-tax payment receipt.
8. Use professional title review
Obtain title/legal assistance before relying on your own search for a purchase.
Can’t Find the Linn County Deed? Try This
Problem
Likely reason
What to try next
Address search gives nothing
Recorder indexing is not primarily an address database.
Find owner/parcel through Assessor first.
Cedar Rapids parcel missing
Property may be in Cedar Rapids City Assessor jurisdiction.
Check the City Assessor system.
Current owner has no obvious deed
Spelling/entity name or very recent transfer may differ.
Search prior owner, trust/business name and date range.
Old mortgage still appears
Historical records remain visible after payoff.
Search for a later release/satisfaction.
Need records from another Iowa county
Linn AVA is county-specific.
Use Iowa Land Records statewide search.
Need legal ownership certainty
Public search is not a title opinion.
Use an Iowa title professional or attorney.
County-CAD.us Research Standards
Report an Outdated Link
Tell County-CAD.us if AVA, Recorder fees or county procedures change.
Contact County-CAD.us
Independent Website Disclaimer
Review the limits of independent public-record guidance.
Read Disclaimer
Primary government and official land-record sources
Official Sources Used for This Linn County Recorder Guide
Linn County Recorder
Used for current Recorder, office location, document types,
recording fees, copy fees and contact information.
Open Recorder
Linn County Real Estate
Used for AVA search, statewide records, fraud alerts,
Recorder hours and real-estate service routing.
Open Real Estate Resources
Fidlar AVA
Current county-linked Linn County land-record search.
Open AVA
Real Estate Forms & Revenue Taxes
Used for DOV, Groundwater Hazard Statement, copies,
certification, recording charges and revenue-tax calculation.
Open Forms & Fees
Property Fraud Alert
Used for monitoring, alert conditions and the recommended response
to an unfamiliar recorded document.
Open Fraud Alert
Linn County Assessor
Used for parcel, owner and property-assessment routing.
Open Assessor
Iowa Land Records
Used for statewide search, electronic recording,
DOV resources and recording best practices.
Open Iowa Land Records
Iowa Legislature
Used for current county-recorder filing and formatting law,
including Iowa Code Chapter 331.
Open Current Iowa Code
Editorial verification: August 2026.
Recorder interfaces, office hours, fees, transfer-tax rules,
forms and electronic-recording procedures can change.
Verify the final transaction through Linn County or the applicable
Iowa government source before recording, paying or traveling.
10 Linn County Recorder questions
Linn County Recorder FAQs
1. How do I search Linn County Iowa deeds online?
Use Linn County’s official Fidlar AVA land-record search. Start with
the current owner’s name and narrow the results by document type or
recording date when useful. Open the likely deed, compare the grantor,
grantee and legal description, and save the document reference for
future searches or copy requests.
2. What is the official Linn County Recorder search website?
Linn County currently links to Fidlar AVA at
ava.fidlar.com/IALinn/AvaWeb/ for its county real-estate record search.
The Recorder moved recording and searching to Fidlar Technologies in
September 2024, so older instructions pointing to the former land-record
platform may no longer match the current interface.
3. How do I find a Linn County deed if I only know the property address?
Search the appropriate Assessor system first to identify the current
owner and parcel number. Linn County also has a separate Cedar Rapids
City Assessor jurisdiction, so check the correct assessor when the
property is inside Cedar Rapids. After identifying the owner, search
that name in the Recorder’s AVA system and compare the deed’s legal
description with the parcel.
4. How much does it cost to record a deed in Linn County Iowa?
Linn County’s current standard fee for the first page of a deed is
$12 and each additional page is $5. The deed amount includes one
parcel’s transfer fee. Additional parcels cost $5 each, with the
current Auditor transfer fee capped at $50. Revenue tax and any
non-standard document charges are separate when applicable.
5. How much is Iowa real estate transfer tax in Linn County?
Linn County currently states that Iowa Real Estate Revenue Tax is
$1.60 per $1,000 of taxable consideration, with the first $500 exempt.
The county instructs users to round down to the nearest $500 and apply
the .0016 calculation. Statutory exemptions can change the amount, so
confirm whether the particular conveyance is taxable before calculating it.
6. How much does a Linn County deed copy cost?
Linn County currently charges $1 per page for copies of recorded
documents. Certification costs an additional $5 per document copied,
plus the applicable page-copy charges. Search AVA first and save the
exact recording reference before requesting an official copy.
7. What should I search after paying off my Linn County mortgage?
Search for a later release or satisfaction-related recording rather
than expecting a new ownership deed. First find the original mortgage,
save its recording reference, then search later records under the
borrower’s name and confirm that the release refers to the correct mortgage.
8. Does Linn County Recorder keep my property abstract?
No. Linn County’s Recorder FAQ states that abstracts are not kept in
the Recorder’s Office. An abstract may be retained by the property
owner or by an abstract/title company. The Recorder instead maintains
the official recorded deeds, mortgages, releases, easements, liens,
plats and other public land records.
9. What is Linn County Property Fraud Alert?
Property Fraud Alert is a free Recorder service that monitors a
registered name and can notify the subscriber by email, text or phone
when a document is recorded using that name. The alert does not prevent
a fraudulent filing and does not prove that an unfamiliar document is
fraudulent. Open the document in AVA and compare the legal description
before taking further action.
10. Where is the Linn County Recorder’s Office?
The Linn County Recorder is located in the Jean Oxley Linn County
Public Service Center at 935 2nd Street SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404.
The real-estate phone number is 319-892-5420. Current regular hours
are Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; on the second
Wednesday of each month the office opens at 10:00 a.m. Linn County
recommends arriving by about 4:00 p.m. for same-day real-estate service.