Iowa · Document Recording
Recording a Deed or Document in Plymouth County, IA
Plymouth County (population 25,698) records real-property documents through the Plymouth 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.
Plymouth County recorder — contact
- Recording office
- Plymouth County Recorder
- Mailing address
- Plymouth County Recorder, Plymouth County Courthouse, 215 4th Ave SE, LeMars, IA 51031
- Phone
- 712-546-4020
- Checks payable to
- Plymouth County Recorder
- Electronic recording
- Available via Simplifile
Plymouth County recording fees
- First page / base fee
- $7.00 standard documents (mortgages/amendments/assignments/releases/satisfactions); $12.00 for deeds/contracts (includes $5.00 auditor's transfer fee)
- Additional pages
- $5.00 per additional page
- Other fees
- $5.00 auditor's transfer fee per parcel (bundled into deed/contract first-page fee); $7.00 per additional reference for multiple assignments/releases on one document; $1.00 e-commerce fee included in first-page fee; Real Estate Transfer Tax $0.80 per $500 (first $500 exempt)
Counties change fees without notice. Check with the Plymouth County Recorder before you mail a check.
What Plymouth County requires
- Page formatting
- Iowa statewide standard formatting (8.5x14in max, 3in top margin, 0.75in other margins, 8-10pt min fonts, black/dark blue ink signatures); copy fee $0.50/page, certification $5.00/document
- Cover sheet
- Iowa statewide standard: cover page required if 3in top margin not present on first page
- Submission & return
- Mail or in person; e-recording returns electronically
- Hours & turnaround
- E-recording typically same day/24 hours
Can you e-record in Plymouth County?
Yes. Plymouth 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 Plymouth County, Iowa
- Prepare the document so it meets Plymouth 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 Plymouth County Recorder.
- Pay the recording fee, payable to Plymouth County Recorder.
- Receive the recorded instrument back with its book/page or instrument number as proof of record.
Looking up a Plymouth County property
Owner names, parcel numbers and legal descriptions for Plymouth County property are searchable at Plymouth County Assessor (Iowa Assessors property search). A deed or memorandum needs the exact legal description, so pull it from there or from the last recorded deed.
How Jurably helps in Plymouth 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 Plymouth 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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Jurably in Plymouth
Under contract in Plymouth County? Secure it.
Jurably files a memorandum to protect your deal, notarizes what you need, and records it — no courthouse trip.