Johnson County, Iowa public records

In Johnson County, deeds are recorded by the Johnson County Recorder; property values come from the Johnson County Assessor; court files are kept by the Clerk of District Court, Johnson County.

Last checked against official sources on November 4, 2026.

On this page

1. Where to get each record
2. Deeds and land records
3. Property values, owners and tax bills
4. Court records: which clerk keeps which case
5. Marriage records
6. Divorce records
7. Birth certificates
8. Death certificates
9. Probate records and wills
10. Business names (DBA)
11. Voter records
12. Historical records
13. Good to know about Johnson County records
14. Office addresses, phones and hours
15. Records that are not online: public records requests
16. Questions people ask
17. Official copies vs look-alike sites
18. Sources

Where to get each record

Deeds and land records

Deeds, mortgages and other land documents for property in Johnson County are recorded by the Johnson County Recorder.³

Online search

recorder.johnsoncountyiowa.gov/…²

Years online

Images begin January 1840; indexing begins November 1983²

Holder

Johnson County Recorder⁸

Recording fee

County page: deeds and most documents $7 first page, $5 each additional page, plus $5 auditor fee per parcel conveyed (max $50); itemized as $1 document management (331.604(2)), $3 e-recording (331.604(3)), $5 per page (331.604(1))¹⁰

Transfer tax

Real estate transfer tax $1.60 per $1,000, first $500 exempt¹⁰

Fraud alerts

Free Property Check alerts when documents are recorded on your property⁸

How to order

Search online, or contact the Recorder's office (913 S Dubuque St; 319-356-6093)⁵

How deeds work in Iowa

Property values, owners and tax bills

The Johnson County Assessor sets property values³; the Johnson County Treasurer bills and collects the tax³.

Property search

Beacon (Schneider) Property & Tax Info for Johnson County (outside Iowa City): beacon.schneidercorp.com/Application.aspx; Iowa City properties: iowacity.iowaassessors.com⁴

Tax bill search

County parcel lookup for tax statements and payment history: ww1.johnsoncountyiowa.gov/…; pay online via Iowa Tax and Tags (pay.iowataxandtags.org/Taxes/Step2)⁵

Tax due

First half due September 1 (delinquent after September 30); second half due March 1 (delinquent after March 31); tax sale in June¹¹

Parcel map (GIS)

Property Information Viewer (PIV): gis.johnsoncountyiowa.gov/piv¹²

Appealing a value

Board of Review (County Assessor and Iowa City Assessor each list a Board of Review page)⁴

Revaluation

Real property revalued every two years⁴

Plat books

Auditor sells road maps and plat books¹³

How property tax works in Iowa

Court records: which clerk keeps which case

Fees

Copies $0.50 per page; certification and seal $50 per court document (Judicial Branch fee table)⁷

Juvenile

Juvenile Court Office, 855 S. Dubuque Street #126, Iowa City; 319-356-6076¹⁴

Criminal records and background checks

Sheriff

Sheriff Records Division keeps booking records, investigative and accident reports and the Sex Offender Registry¹⁶

Inmates

Inmate Roster and Daily Arrest Reports¹⁶

How Iowa courts keep their files

Marriage records

Kept by the Johnson County Recorder.³

Years

Marriage records from 1839; certified copies $20, entitled parties only; 1954-present issuable in any county; 1839-1953 only from the county of license¹⁷

How to order

By mail with notarized application and photo ID copy, or by phone 1-866-809-0290; public access to vital records only in the office¹⁷

Gap

Marriage records 1921-1941 must be requested from the state¹⁷

Marriage license

Recorder issues marriage licenses (Apply For Marriage page)⁸

Iowa marriage records, statewide

Divorce records

Kept by the Clerk of District Court, Johnson County (civil, family, probate).⁶

Holder

Clerk of District Court; county links the Johnson County court page for certified divorce decree copies⁶

Copy fee

$50 certification and seal per court document (state fee table)⁷

Iowa divorce records: decree or state record

Birth certificates

Kept by the Johnson County Recorder - Vital Records (county registrar).⁸

Years

Birth records from 1880; certified copies $20, entitled parties only; 1985-present issuable in any county, 1880-1984 only from the county of birth⁹

Fee change

Vital records fee increased to $20 on July 1, 2026⁹

Gap

Births 1921-1941 must be requested from the state⁹

How to order

By mail (notarized application, photo ID copy, $20) to Johnson County Recorder, Attn: Vital Records; by phone 1-866-809-0290; in person⁹

Ordering an Iowa birth certificate

Death certificates

Kept by the Johnson County Recorder - Vital Records (county registrar).⁸

Years

Death records from 1880; 1954-present issuable in any county, 1880-1953 only from the county where the death occurred¹⁸

Fee

$20 per certified copy from July 1, 2026⁹

Ordering an Iowa death certificate

Probate records and wills

Kept by the Clerk of District Court, Johnson County (civil, family, probate).⁶

Holder

Iowa District Court sitting in probate; files kept by the Clerk of District Court¹⁹

Finding a will or probate case in Iowa

Business names (DBA)

Trade name filed with the Recorder: $7, notarized¹⁰

Voter records

Auditor's Office administers elections and keeps voter registration records¹³

Historical records

Recorded real estate images back to January 1840; marriage records back to 1839²

Good to know about Johnson County records

• Two assessors: the Iowa City Assessor values property inside Iowa City; the County Assessor values the rest of the county.⁴
• Recorded real estate images reach back to January 1840; marriage records to 1839.²
• Vital records 1921-1941 (births and marriages) are not issued by the county; they must come from the state.¹⁷
• Free Property Check fraud alert service from the Recorder.⁸

Office addresses, phones and hours

Records that are not online: public records requests

Request page

johnsoncountyiowa.gov/… (policy and request form PDF)²³

Where to send it

Requests under Iowa Code Chapter 22; requesters may be asked to pay the reasonable cost of production²³

How to write a public records request

Questions people ask

Other counties in Iowa with a full guide: Black Hawk County, Dallas County, Dubuque County, Linn County, Polk County, Pottawattamie County, Story County, Woodbury County. Every county in the state: Iowa county list. Looking for another Johnson County? Johnson County, Indiana; Johnson County, Kansas; Johnson County, Texas.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 24 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

1. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau
2. Real Estate SearchJohnson County Recorder
3. Department Directory & ResourcesJohnson County, Iowa
4. County AssessorJohnson County Assessor
5. Real Estate Property Information, Taxes, and DocumentsJohnson County, Iowa
6. Johnson County, Iowa (home)Johnson County, Iowa
7. Civil Court FeesIowa Judicial Branch
8. Recorder's OfficeJohnson County Recorder
9. Birth RecordsJohnson County Recorder
10. Forms and FeesJohnson County Recorder
11. Treasurer's OfficeJohnson County Treasurer
12. Interactive MapsJohnson County GIS
13. AuditorJohnson County Auditor
14. Johnson County (District Court, Judicial District 6)Iowa Judicial Branch
15. Iowa Courts Online Search - Search SelectionIowa Judicial Branch
16. Sheriff's OfficeJohnson County Sheriff
17. Marriage RecordsJohnson County Recorder
18. Death RecordsJohnson County Recorder
19. Iowa Code ch. 633 Probate CodeIowa Legislature
20. County Contact InformationJohnson County, Iowa
21. Iowa City Assessor
22. County Auditors directory (Find My County Auditor)Iowa Secretary of State
23. Requests for public recordsJohnson County, Iowa
24. County population totals: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)US Census Bureau