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Iowa court records

Who holds it: Unified statewide Iowa Judicial Branch; district court in every county, with case records kept by the Clerk of District Court in the county where the case is filed.1

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Fees
  2. What is public and what is sealed
  3. Related records in Iowa
  4. How Iowa handles it
  5. Court records in Iowa counties with a full guide
  6. Official warnings
  7. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  8. Sources

Fees

Copies $0.50 per page; certification and seal $50 per court document (Iowa Judicial Branch fee table, updated for 2026 legislative changes).2

Statewide case search

Iowa Courts Online Search (free): the trial-court Case Search (statewide; by name, case ID or citation number) is available to all users; the trial-court Advanced Case Search (by county, up-to-the-minute) and Schedule Search are for registered users only; registered users are limited to 1,000 searches per calendar day. Case documents are viewable at the public terminal in the courthouse.3

Free search

Fees

Filing fees
Civil petition $215; dissolution of marriage $285; small claims $115 (2026 court fee table).2

What is public and what is sealed

What is public
Judicial branch records are open for inspection and copying unless a court rule or statute makes them confidential; requests go to the county clerk for district court cases.1
Sealed and confidential records
Criminal cases ending in acquittal or dismissal of all charges are expunged on application after 180 days (costs paid) and become confidential. Deferred judgments are expunged at the court level once discharged. Most juvenile records are confidential.4
Criminal history checks: state repository
Iowa Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI).5
Criminal history checks: fee
$15 per last name (separate form and payment for each).5
Criminal history checks: who may order
Anyone; no release from the subject needed, but without a signed release completed deferred judgments and arrests over 18 months old without disposition are withheld. Name-based (first, last name and exact DOB).5
Divorce records: who holds it
Clerk of District Court in the county where the case was filed holds the decree/case file; Iowa HHS holds divorce vital statistics records under 75 years old (no certified divorce certificate service is described on HHS pages).6
Probate: who holds it
Iowa District Court sitting in probate; files kept by the Clerk of District Court in the county.7

How Iowa handles it

  • Lee County has two court record locations (Lee North and Lee South) in Iowa Courts Online.3

Court records in Iowa counties with a full guide

The local office, its official online search and its own fee, for each county with a full guide. Local fees can differ from the statewide figures above.

CountyOfficeSearch onlineFee
Black Hawk County—Iowa District Court for Black Hawk County8Copies $0.50 per page; certification and seal $50 per court document (statewide Judicial Branch fee table)9
Dallas County—Iowa District Court for Dallas County10—
Dubuque County—Iowa District Court for Dubuque County11Copies $0.50 per page; certification and seal $50 per court document (Iowa Judicial Branch statewide table)12
Johnson County——Copies $0.50 per page; certification and seal $50 per court document (Judicial Branch fee table)13
Linn County—Iowa District Court for Linn County14—
Polk County——Copies $0.50 per page; certification and seal $50 per court document (Iowa Judicial Branch fee table, updated for 2026 legislative changes).15
Pottawattamie County—Iowa District Court for Pottawattamie County16Statewide (Iowa Judicial Branch, 2026 table): certification and seal $50 per court document; copies $0.50 per page17
Story County—Iowa District Court for Story County18—
Woodbury County——Copies $0.50 per page; certification and seal $50 per court document (Iowa Judicial Branch fee table, updated for 2026 legislative changes).19

For any other county, see the county list on the Iowa guide.

Official warnings

  • Iowa Judicial Branch: texts about unpaid traffic tickets or fines are scams; courts do not send official communications or payment demands by text.20

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any Iowa office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Rules in other states: court records in every state. Everything else in Iowa: Iowa public records guide.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Public Records RequestsIowa Judicial Branchchecked November 4, 2026
  2. Civil Court FeesIowa Judicial Branchchecked November 4, 2026
  3. Iowa Courts Online Search - Search SelectionIowa Judicial Branchchecked November 4, 2026
  4. Iowa Code ch. 901C Expungement of Criminal RecordsIowa Legislaturechecked November 4, 2026
  5. Criminal History Record Check InformationIowa Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Investigationchecked November 4, 2026
  6. Vital RecordsState Historical Society of Iowachecked November 4, 2026
  7. Iowa Code ch. 633 Probate CodeIowa Legislaturechecked November 4, 2026
  8. Iowa Courts Online SearchIowa Judicial Branchchecked November 4, 2026
  9. Civil Court FeesIowa Judicial Branchchecked November 4, 2026
  10. Iowa Courts Online SearchIowa Judicial Branchchecked November 4, 2026
  11. Dubuque | Judicial District 1Iowa Judicial Branchchecked November 7, 2026
  12. Civil Court FeesIowa Judicial Branchchecked November 7, 2026
  13. Civil Court FeesIowa Judicial Branchchecked November 4, 2026
  14. Linn County (District 6) court pageIowa Judicial Branchchecked November 4, 2026
  15. Civil Court FeesIowa Judicial Branchchecked November 4, 2026
  16. Frequently Asked QuestionsPottawattamie Countychecked November 4, 2026
  17. Civil Court FeesIowa Judicial Branchchecked November 4, 2026
  18. Courts & Clerk CourtStory County, Iowachecked November 7, 2026
  19. Civil Court FeesIowa Judicial Branchchecked November 4, 2026
  20. Scam AlertIowa Judicial Branchchecked November 4, 2026