Iowa · Document Recording
Recording a Deed or Document in Clay County, IA
Clay County (population 16,384) records real-property documents through the Clay 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.
Clay County recorder — contact
- Recording office
- Clay County Recorder
- Mailing address
- Clay County Recorder, 300 West 4th St, Suite #3, Spencer, IA 51301
- Phone
- (712) 262-1081
- Website
- claycounty.iowa.gov/recorder
- Checks payable to
- Clay County Recorder
- Electronic recording
- Available via Simplifile, CSC
Clay 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 for each section or block being transferred (auditor's fee); $10 non-compliant document fee (non-exempt documents)
Counties change fees without notice. Check with the Clay County Recorder before you mail a check.
What Clay County requires
- Page formatting
- Statewide Iowa standard (Iowa Code 331.606A/331.606B): 8.5x14in max, 3in top margin/0.75in other margins, min 10pt font, black/dark blue ink
- Cover sheet
- Per statewide Iowa Code 331.606A/331.606B: cover sheet required if first page lacks 3-inch top margin
Can you e-record in Clay County?
Yes. Clay 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 Clay County, Iowa
- Prepare the document so it meets Clay 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 Clay County Recorder.
- Pay the recording fee, payable to Clay County Recorder.
- Receive the recorded instrument back with its book/page or instrument number as proof of record.
Looking up a Clay County property
Owner names, parcel numbers and legal descriptions for Clay County property are searchable at Clay 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 Clay 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 Clay 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 Clay
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Under contract in Clay County? Secure it.
Jurably files a memorandum to protect your deal, notarizes what you need, and records it — no courthouse trip.