Iowa · Document Recording
Recording a Deed or Document in Lee County, IA
Lee County (population 33,555) records real-property documents through the Lee 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.
Lee County recorder — contact
- Recording office
- Lee County Recorder
- Mailing address
- Lee County Recorder, 933 Avenue H, P.O. Box 190, Fort Madison, IA 52627 (Keokuk auxiliary office also available)
- Phone
- (319) 376-1070
- Checks payable to
- Lee County Recorder
- Electronic recording
- Available via Simplifile
Lee County recording fees
- First page / base fee
- $7.00 standard instruments; $12.00 for deeds/contracts/assignments (incl. $5 transfer/declaration-of-value fee) per Iowa Code 331.604
- Additional pages
- $5.00 per additional page
- Other fees
- Transfer/conveyance fee $5/parcel (max $50); local surcharges may apply — see county Recording Fees page
Counties change fees without notice. Check with the Lee County Recorder before you mail a check.
What Lee County requires
- Page formatting
- Standard Iowa formatting: legible copy, 8.5x14 max, top margin for recorder's stamp, first page must include title/grantor-grantee/legal description/preparer-return info
- Submission & return
- Mail to return address on document, or e-recording confirmation
Can you e-record in Lee County?
Yes. Lee 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 Lee County, Iowa
- Prepare the document so it meets Lee 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 Lee County Recorder.
- Pay the recording fee, payable to Lee County Recorder.
- Receive the recorded instrument back with its book/page or instrument number as proof of record.
Looking up a Lee County property
Owner names, parcel numbers and legal descriptions for Lee County property are searchable at Lee 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 Lee 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 Lee 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 Lee
More Iowa counties
Under contract in Lee County? Secure it.
Jurably files a memorandum to protect your deal, notarizes what you need, and records it — no courthouse trip.