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Iowa 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).1

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Older records and indexes
  2. More details
  3. Related records in Iowa
  4. How Iowa handles it
  5. Divorce records in Iowa counties with a full guide
  6. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  7. Sources

Copy fee

Court copies $0.50/page; certified (certificate and seal) $50 per document per the Judicial Branch 2026 fee table.2

Older records and indexes

Older records
Divorce records 75+ years old in the State Archives are open; State Historical Society holds state-level divorce records (RG 48).3

More details

Final decree
Divorce is final when the judge signs and files the decree; parties receive it via Iowa eFile.4
Courts: court system
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.5
Courts: 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.6
Courts: fees
Copies $0.50 per page; certification and seal $50 per court document (Iowa Judicial Branch fee table, updated for 2026 legislative changes).2
Marriage records: who holds it
County Recorder (as county registrar) issues marriage licenses and holds local marriage records; Iowa HHS Bureau of Health Statistics holds the statewide file.7

How Iowa handles it

  • County-level birth, marriage, divorce and (non-fetal) death records are open to inspection as of right under ch. 22, while the state file is closed; certified copies still require entitlement.3

Divorce 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 CountyClerk of District Court, Black Hawk County8——
Dallas CountyDallas County Clerk of District Court9——
Dubuque CountyClerk of Court10—Copies $0.50 per page (statewide table)11
Johnson CountyClerk of District Court, Johnson County12—$50 certification and seal per court document (state fee table)13
Linn CountyLinn County Clerk of District Court, Civil Division14——
Polk CountyClerk of District Court, Polk County15——
Pottawattamie CountyClerk of Court, Iowa District Court for Pottawattamie County16——
Story CountyClerk of District Court, Story County17——
Woodbury CountyClerk of Court18—Court copies $0.50/page; certified (certificate and seal) $50 per document per the Judicial Branch 2026 fee table.19

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

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: divorce 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. Vital RecordsState Historical Society of Iowachecked November 4, 2026
  2. Civil Court FeesIowa Judicial Branchchecked November 4, 2026
  3. Iowa Code ch. 144 Vital StatisticsIowa Legislaturechecked November 4, 2026
  4. Divorce (Representing Yourself)Iowa Judicial Branchchecked November 4, 2026
  5. Public Records RequestsIowa Judicial Branchchecked November 4, 2026
  6. Iowa Courts Online Search - Search SelectionIowa Judicial Branchchecked November 4, 2026
  7. Iowa Code ch. 595 MarriageIowa Legislaturechecked November 4, 2026
  8. Black Hawk County (District Court)Iowa Judicial Branchchecked November 4, 2026
  9. Dallas | Judicial District 5 (via county 'Clerk of Court (State)' link)Iowa Judicial Branchchecked November 4, 2026
  10. Dubuque | Judicial District 1Iowa Judicial Branchchecked November 7, 2026
  11. Civil Court FeesIowa Judicial Branchchecked November 7, 2026
  12. Johnson County, Iowa (home)Johnson County, Iowachecked November 4, 2026
  13. Civil Court FeesIowa Judicial Branchchecked November 4, 2026
  14. Clerk of CourtLinn County, Iowachecked November 4, 2026
  15. Polk County (Fifth Judicial District)Iowa Judicial Branchchecked November 4, 2026
  16. Pottawattamie | Judicial District 4Iowa Judicial Branchchecked November 4, 2026
  17. Site MapStory County, Iowachecked November 7, 2026
  18. Woodbury County homeWoodbury County, Iowachecked November 4, 2026
  19. Civil Court FeesIowa Judicial Branchchecked November 4, 2026