Iowa · Document Recording
Recording a Deed or Document in Dubuque County, IA
Dubuque County (population 99,266) records real-property documents through the Dubuque 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.
Dubuque County recorder — contact
- Recording office
- Dubuque County Recorder
- Mailing address
- Dubuque County Recorder, 720 Central Ave, Dubuque, IA 52001
- Phone
- (563) 589-4434
- Checks payable to
- Dubuque County Recorder
- Electronic recording
- Available via Simplifile
Dubuque County recording fees
- First page / base fee
- $7.00
- Additional pages
- $5.00 per additional page
- Other fees
- $5.00 per section/block transferred (auditor's fee); multiple-transaction documents $7 per transaction plus $5/additional page; $10 non-conforming document surcharge; copies $1/page, certifications $2/document
Counties change fees without notice. Check with the Dubuque County Recorder before you mail a check.
What Dubuque County requires
- Cover sheet
- See Recording Requirement page for specifics (https://www.dubuquecountyiowa.gov/217/Recording-Requirement); Iowa standard margin/font formatting rules apply
- Submission & return
- Mail return after recording; e-recording available
- Hours & turnaround
- Standard business-day processing
Can you e-record in Dubuque County?
Yes. Dubuque County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile, so a properly formatted document can be recorded the same or next business day without mailing paper.
How to record a document in Dubuque County, Iowa
- Prepare the document so it meets Dubuque 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, or by mail to Dubuque County Recorder.
- Pay the recording fee, payable to Dubuque County Recorder.
- Receive the recorded instrument back with its book/page or instrument number as proof of record.
Looking up a Dubuque County property
Owner names, parcel numbers and legal descriptions for Dubuque County property are searchable at Dubuque County Assessor / City of Dubuque Assessor (properties within Dubuque city limits use the City Assessor instead). A deed or memorandum needs the exact legal description, so pull it from there or from the last recorded deed.
How Jurably helps in Dubuque 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 Dubuque 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 Dubuque County? Secure it.
Jurably files a memorandum to protect your deal, notarizes what you need, and records it — no courthouse trip.