Iowa · Document Recording
Recording a Deed or Document in Cedar County, IA
Cedar County (population 18,505) records real-property documents through the Cedar County Recorder (Melissa Bahnsen). Below is what it costs and how to submit. Filing a memorandum of contract? We record it with the county for $199, notary included — no trip to the courthouse.
Cedar County recorder — contact
- Recording office
- Cedar County Recorder (Melissa Bahnsen)
- Mailing address
- Cedar County Recorder, Cedar County Courthouse, 400 Cedar St, Suite 105, Tipton, IA 52772
- Phone
- (563) 886-2230
- Checks payable to
- Cedar County Recorder
- Electronic recording
- Available via Simplifile, CSC
Cedar County recording fees
- First page / base fee
- $7.00 for the 1st page
- Additional pages
- $5.00 for each additional page
- Other fees
- $5.00 transfer/auditor's fee for each separate parcel of real estate on conveyance documents (capped at $50.00 max); $10.00 non-standard/non-conforming document fee
Counties change fees without notice. Check with the Cedar County Recorder (Melissa Bahnsen) before you mail a check.
What Cedar County requires
- Page formatting
- Confirmed on county site: pages not larger than 8.5in wide x 14in long; top margin of at least 3 inches reserved for Recorder; other margins min 0.75in; min 10-point font for typed names; signatures in black or dark blue ink; white paper, not less than 20-lb weight
- Cover sheet
- Per statewide Iowa Code 331.606A/331.606B: cover sheet needed if first page lacks the required 3-inch top margin
Can you e-record in Cedar County?
Yes. Cedar County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile, CSC, so a properly formatted document can be recorded the same or next business day without mailing paper.
How to record a document in Cedar County, Iowa
- Prepare the document so it meets Cedar County's formatting rules (above): legal description, grantee address, signature block, and the blank space the recorder reserves for its stamp.
- Notarize it if the instrument requires acknowledgment. Most deeds and affidavits do.
- Submit electronically through Simplifile, CSC, or by mail to Cedar County Recorder (Melissa Bahnsen).
- Pay the recording fee, payable to Cedar County Recorder.
- Receive the recorded instrument back with its book/page or instrument number as proof of record.
Looking up a Cedar County property
Owner names, parcel numbers and legal descriptions for Cedar County property are searchable at Cedar County Assessor. A deed or memorandum needs the exact legal description, so pull it from there or from the last recorded deed.
How Jurably helps in Cedar County
Jurably isn’t a deed-filing desk. It’s how real-estate investors get the important paperwork done. If you’re under contract on a Cedar County property, we file a memorandum of contract to put your equitable interest on the public record, where every title search will find it. The online notary session is included: you sign it alone, and the seller is notified by certified mail. Then we record it (electronically through the county’s approved network) and return the recorded instrument. It’s a self-help filing service, not legal advice.
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Under contract in Cedar County? Secure it.
Jurably files a memorandum to protect your deal, notarizes what you need, and records it — no courthouse trip.