Iowa · Document Recording
Recording a Deed or Document in Madison County, IA
Madison County (population 16,548) records real-property documents through the Madison 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.
Madison County recorder — contact
- Recording office
- Madison County Recorder
- Mailing address
- Madison County Recorder, 112 N John Wayne Dr / PO Box 152, Winterset, IA 50273
- Phone
- (515) 462-3771
- Checks payable to
- Madison County Recorder
- Electronic recording
- Available via Simplifile
Madison County recording fees
- First page / base fee
- $7.00 (deeds/conveyances add $5.00 auditor transfer fee per section/block, plats $7.00)
- Additional pages
- $5.00 per additional page
- Other fees
- $10.00 non-standard document fee if formatting noncompliant; copies $0.50/page + $5 certification for certified copies
Counties change fees without notice. Check with the Madison County Recorder before you mail a check.
What Madison County requires
- Page formatting
- Iowa statutory formatting standard: 3-inch top margin reserved for recorder, other margins min 3/4 inch, white paper min 20-lb weight, letter/legal size, preprinted text min 8-pt (≤20 char/in), other text min 10-pt (≤16 char/in), black/dark blue ink signatures
- Submission & return
- Self-addressed stamped envelope required with filings
- Hours & turnaround
- Approximately 4-5 days for mailed documents
Can you e-record in Madison County?
Yes. Madison 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 Madison County, Iowa
- Prepare the document so it meets Madison 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 Madison County Recorder.
- Pay the recording fee, payable to Madison County Recorder.
- Receive the recorded instrument back with its book/page or instrument number as proof of record.
Looking up a Madison County property
Owner names, parcel numbers and legal descriptions for Madison County property are searchable at Madison County Assessor (Iowa Assessors / Beacon). A deed or memorandum needs the exact legal description, so pull it from there or from the last recorded deed.
How Jurably helps in Madison 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 Madison 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 Madison
More Iowa counties
Under contract in Madison County? Secure it.
Jurably files a memorandum to protect your deal, notarizes what you need, and records it — no courthouse trip.