Polk County Recorder: Search Deeds, Mortgages, Land Records and Property Documents
The Polk County Recorder records, preserves and retrieves permanent documents connected with commercial and residential real estate in Des Moines, West Des Moines, Ankeny, Urbandale, Johnston, Altoona, Pleasant Hill, Clive, Grimes, Bondurant and other communities in Polk County, Iowa.
Recorded documents can include warranty deeds, quit claim deeds, mortgages, releases, assignments, contracts, easements, plats, liens, groundwater statements and other instruments affecting real estate.
What Do You Need From the Polk County Recorder?
Polk County Deed and Property Record Websites
How to Search Polk County Iowa Deeds Online
Polk County launched a new real-estate search in June 2026. The Recorder states that the public can search, view and print real-estate index records from January 1, 1992 to present.
What Information Can You See in a Polk County Search Result?
Polk County’s indexed land-record system can display several fields that are useful when verifying a deed or mortgage.
How to Find a Polk County Deed From an Address
Use the Assessor or county tax-property system to identify the parcel and owner first. Then use the Recorder for the actual deed.
Polk County Auditor Transfer Index
The County Auditor separately tracks real-estate ownership transfers that affect taxation, including deeds, contracts and certain right-of-way easements.
The Auditor’s Real Estate Atlas and Transfer Index can be useful when you know a parcel but are trying to identify the ownership-transfer trail before searching the Recorder’s document images.
How to Get an Older Polk County Deed
Polk County’s free online real-estate image range begins January 1, 1992.
If the deed or other real-estate document was recorded before that date, the Recorder directs users to its Imaging / Microfilm Department.
- Imaging / Microfilm
- 515-286-3175
- recorder@polkcountyiowa.gov
Polk County Deed Copy and Certified Copy Options
Polk County provides several different copy routes depending on the age of the document and how you want it delivered.
Paid Off Your Mortgage? Search for the Release
Paying off a mortgage normally does not cause a new ownership deed to be recorded. Instead, research the later mortgage-release or satisfaction document.
How to Search Liens in Polk County
Polk County Recorder states that its office maintains and retrieves UCC liens for real estate.
Other UCC filings are handled by the Iowa Secretary of State.
Does the Polk County Recorder Keep Your Property Abstract?
No. The Polk County Recorder’s FAQ specifically states that property abstracts are not filed in the Recorder’s office.
An Iowa abstract is different from the recorded deed/index maintained by the county Recorder.
How Do You Add or Remove Someone From a Polk County Property Title?
Polk County’s FAQ explains that a new Quit Claim Deed can be used for certain title changes.
However, the Recorder also states that its office does not provide Quit Claim Deed or Warranty Deed forms. Legal forms normally originate with attorneys and real-estate professionals.
How to Record a Deed in Polk County, Iowa
Polk County Document Formatting Checklist
What Information Belongs on the First Page?
Polk County’s current formatting page lists the following first-page information:
- name, address and phone number of the preparer;
- name of taxpayer and complete address;
- return address;
- title of the document;
- grantor name;
- grantee name; and
- legal description, or a reference to the page where the legal description appears if it will not fit on the first page.
Does a Polk County Deed Need a Declaration of Value?
Polk County states that deeds and other conveyance documents generally require an Iowa Declaration of Value unless the transaction qualifies for an applicable statutory exception.
The Recorder currently links the Declaration of Value / Sales Condition Reporting Form 57-019 and instructions on its Forms page.
Groundwater Hazard Statement
Polk County’s current recording guidance says that when a Declaration of Value is submitted to the Recorder, a Groundwater Hazard Statement must also be submitted, subject to the applicable Iowa statutory exemptions.
The Recorder’s Forms page currently provides the Groundwater Hazard Statement form effective February 15, 2023, instructions and Attachment #1.
How Much Is Polk County Iowa Transfer Tax?
Polk County’s current tax calculator states that Iowa Real Estate Transfer Tax is calculated at:
Polk County Recorder Recording Fees
Electronic Recording Through Iowa Land Records
Polk County accepts electronic submission of qualifying real-estate documents through Iowa Land Records.
As of the Recorder’s May 2026 update, 75% of Polk County real-estate filings were being submitted electronically.
- Iowa Land Records Support
- 1-888-790-2246
- support@clris.com
Polk County PropertyCheck Fraud Alerts
PropertyCheck is Polk County Recorder’s free 24/7 notification service. It sends email alerts when a newly recorded document matches a name/notification you activated.
Polk County moved PropertyCheck to its newer RECORDhub-based account system.
Where Do You Search Polk County Property Taxes?
The Recorder records real-estate instruments. Current property-tax information and payments are handled through the Polk County Treasurer.
Recorder vs Assessor vs Auditor vs Treasurer
Polk County Recorder Address, Phone and Hours
Recorder’s Office
- Recorder
- Julie M. Haggerty
- Address
-
Polk County Administration Building
111 Court Avenue
Suite 250
Des Moines, IA 50309 - Real Estate
- 515-286-3160
- Imaging / Microfilm
- 515-286-3175
- recorder@polkcountyiowa.gov
Hours & Cutoffs
- General Office
-
Monday-Friday
8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. - Same-Day Real Estate Recording
- Present by 4:00 p.m.
- Plat Presentation
- Present by 2:30 p.m.
- Imaging / Microfilm
- 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Before Calling the Recorder, Have These Details Ready
- current owner’s full name;
- former owner/seller name;
- property address;
- District/Parcel or Geoparcel number;
- legal description;
- approximate recording date;
- document type;
- File Number;
- Book and Page;
- whether the document is before or after January 1, 1992;
- whether you need a plain, emailed, mailed or certified copy.
Local Tips That Make Polk County Deed Research Easier
Buying Polk County Property? Research in This Order
Common Polk County Recorder Search Mistakes
County-CAD.us Research Standards
Review how official Recorder, Assessor, Auditor, Treasurer and state sources are checked.
Read Sources & MethodologySee update, correction and verification standards.
Read Editorial PolicyTell County-CAD.us if a Recorder search, fee, form or office detail changes.
Contact County-CAD.usReview the limits of independent public-record guidance.
Read DisclaimerOfficial Sources Used for This Polk County Iowa Recorder Guide
Used for current Recorder services, news, office hours and contact information.
Open RecorderUsed to verify Julie M. Haggerty as Polk County Recorder.
Open Recorder ProfileUsed for new 2026 search availability, 1992-present online coverage, older-copy routing and statewide Iowa Land Records access.
Open Search RecordsUsed for same-day recording cutoff, plat cutoff and Recorder real-estate functions.
Open Real Estate DepartmentUsed for free online images, in-office, mailed, emailed and certified-copy fees.
Open Copy InformationUsed for deed parcel-transfer fees, additional parcels and multiple-transaction charges.
Open Recording FeesUsed for paper, margins, text, signatures, first-page information, Declaration of Value and Groundwater Hazard rules.
Open Formatting StandardsUsed for Declaration of Value, Groundwater Hazard Statement, coversheet and other current Recorder forms.
Open FormsUsed for current $1.60-per-$1,000 rate and $500 exemption.
Open Tax CalculatorUsed for Iowa Land Records filing, current processing hours, 75% electronic filing share and one-business-day processing guidance.
Open E-SubmissionUsed for RECORDhub account transition and free email recording notifications.
Open PropertyCheckUsed to verify Iowa Real Estate Transfer Tax and current Declaration of Value law.
Open Iowa Code Chapter 428AUsed for county Recorder fee and document-formatting statutory framework.
Open Iowa Code Chapter 331Used for address, owner, legal and District/Parcel search workflow.
Open Assessor SearchUsed for ownership-transfer tracking, Transfer Index and tax-purpose land records.
Open Auditor RecordsUsed to route tax-bill and payment questions away from the Recorder.
Open Tax SearchPolk County Recorder FAQs
1. How do I search Polk County Iowa deeds online?
Open the Polk County Recorder Search Records page and select the county’s current real-estate search. Search the current owner, former owner, trust or business name, narrow the results by date or document type when useful, and open the matching document. Verify the parties, legal-description information, File Number and Book/Page before relying on the deed.
2. How far back can I search Polk County deeds online?
Polk County’s public online real-estate search, view and print coverage begins January 1, 1992 and continues to the present. For a deed or other real-estate document recorded before January 1, 1992, contact the Recorder’s Imaging/Microfilm Department at 515-286-3175.
3. Are Polk County deed copies free online?
Yes. Polk County states that real-estate documents from January 1, 1992 to the present can be viewed and printed online free of charge. Older documents can be copied through Imaging/Microfilm. Current in-office copies are $0.50 per page, mailed copies start at $1 for the first page, and certified mailed copies add a $5 certification charge.
4. How do I find a Polk County deed if I only know the property address?
Start with the Polk County Assessor property search and enter the street address without adding the city, state or ZIP code. Open the correct parcel and save the owner’s legal name, District/Parcel or Geoparcel number and legal-description information. Then search that owner in the Polk County Recorder system and compare the deed’s legal-description details with the property record.
5. How much does it cost to record a deed in Polk County Iowa?
Iowa’s ordinary base recording fee is $7 for the first page and $5 for each additional page. Polk County’s current deed fee is shown as $12 because it includes a $5 auditor transfer fee for the first separate parcel. Additional parcels currently add $5 each, subject to the county’s stated $50 maximum for additional parcels. Transfer tax and other applicable charges are separate.
6. What is the Iowa real estate transfer tax rate in Polk County?
Polk County’s current official calculator uses $1.60 per $1,000 of taxable consideration, with the first $500 exempt from the calculation. Some transactions qualify for statutory exemptions under Iowa Code Chapter 428A. Use the county calculator and current Iowa law rather than assuming a nominal-price or family transfer is automatically exempt.
7. Do Polk County deeds need a Declaration of Value and Groundwater Hazard Statement?
Deeds and other qualifying conveyances generally require an Iowa Declaration of Value unless a statutory exception applies. Polk County also states that a Groundwater Hazard Statement must accompany each submitted Declaration of Value, subject to the applicable exemptions. Use the current forms and instructions on the Recorder’s Forms page.
8. What should I search after paying off a Polk County mortgage?
Search for a later mortgage release or satisfaction instead of a new ownership deed. Locate the original mortgage first and save its File Number or Book/Page. Then search later records under the borrower and lender names and compare any release or satisfaction reference with the original mortgage.
9. What is Polk County PropertyCheck?
PropertyCheck is a free 24/7 Polk County Recorder service that sends email alerts when a newly recorded document matches a notification configured in your account. The current service uses a RECORDhub-based account system. PropertyCheck is a monitoring tool and does not itself prove that an unfamiliar document is fraudulent.
10. Where is the Polk County Iowa Recorder office?
The Polk County Recorder is in the Polk County Administration Building at 111 Court Avenue, Suite 250, Des Moines, Iowa 50309. Julie M. Haggerty is the current Recorder. The Real Estate phone number is 515-286-3160 and the office is generally open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Real-estate documents must be presented by 4:00 p.m. for same-day recording.
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