Iowa · Document Recording
Recording a Deed or Document in Clarke County, IA
Clarke County (population 9,748) records real-property documents through the Clarke County Recorder. 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.
Clarke County recorder — contact
- Recording office
- Clarke County Recorder
- Mailing address
- Clarke County Recorder, 100 South Main Street, Osceola, IA 50213
- Phone
- (641) 342-3313 (fax 641-342-1124)
- Electronic recording
- Available via Iowa Land Records
Clarke County recording fees
- First page / base fee
- $7.00 for the first page ($5.00 per page plus $1.00 records management and $1.00 e-commerce fee per transaction)
- Additional pages
- $5.00 per additional page
- Other fees
- $5.00 auditor's transfer fee per block or section (max $50.00); $10.00 nonconforming-format fee; certification $5.00 plus $0.50/page
- Transfer tax on deeds
- $0.80 per $500 of consideration over the first $500, paid to the County Recorder at recording
Counties change fees without notice. Check with the Clarke County Recorder before you mail a check.
What Clarke County requires
- Page formatting
- Page 1 needs a 3 in blank top margin; all other margins at least 0.75 in; white paper, 20 lb or heavier; typed text 10 pt or larger (preprinted 8 pt); signatures in black or dark blue ink with names typed or printed beneath; page 1 lists preparer name, address and phone, taxpayer name and address, return address, title, grantors, grantees and legal description
- Cover sheet
- Not required. Taxable deeds need a Declaration of Value and a Groundwater Hazard Statement
Checked against official Clarke County and Iowa sources on October 6, 2026: clarkecounty.iowa.gov, legis.iowa.gov, iowalandrecords.org. Part of Jurably’s open recording-fee dataset.
Can you e-record in Clarke County?
Yes. Clarke County accepts electronic recording through Iowa Land Records, so a properly formatted document can be recorded the same or next business day without mailing paper.
How to record a document in Clarke County, Iowa
- Prepare the document so it meets Clarke 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 Iowa Land Records, or by mail to Clarke County Recorder.
- Pay the recording fee.
- Receive the recorded instrument back with its book/page or instrument number as proof of record.
Looking up a Clarke County property
Owner names, parcel numbers and legal descriptions for Clarke County property are searchable at Clarke 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 Clarke 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 Clarke 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.
Guides for investors
Counties bordering Clarke
More Iowa counties
Under contract in Clarke County? Secure it.
Jurably files a memorandum to protect your deal, notarizes what you need, and records it — no courthouse trip.