Iowa · Document Recording
Recording a Deed or Document in Polk County, IA
Polk County (population 492,401) records real-property documents through the Polk 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.
Polk County recorder — contact
- Recording office
- Polk County Recorder
- Mailing address
- Polk County Recorder, 111 Court Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50309
- Phone
- 515-286-3160
- Checks payable to
- Polk County Recorder
- Electronic recording
- Available via Simplifile
Polk County recording fees
- First page / base fee
- $12 first page (deeds/contracts/changes of title); $7 first page (mortgages/releases); plus $5 auditor's transfer fee per parcel on deeds
- Additional pages
- $5 per additional page (all document types)
- Other fees
- $5 auditor's transfer fee per separate parcel conveyed; standard IA $1 records management + $1 e-commerce fee per transaction typically included
Counties change fees without notice. Check with the Polk County Recorder before you mail a check.
What Polk County requires
- Page formatting
- 3-inch top margin (recorder use), 3/4-inch other margins, white paper 20 lb min, max size 8.5x14, min 8-point preprinted/10-point other text, black or dark blue ink signatures with typed names beneath
- Cover sheet
- No separate cover sheet form mandated, but first page must reserve a 3-inch top margin for recorder use and contain preparer/return-address/grantor-grantee info per Iowa Code 331.606A/558.55 statutory formatting
- Submission & return
- Recorded original returned by mail to submitter/return address on document, or electronically via Iowa Land Records for e-recorded submissions
- Hours & turnaround
- E-recording via Iowa Land Records typically processed within 1 business day; mail-in recording turnaround varies (several business days)
Can you e-record in Polk County?
Yes. Polk 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 Polk County, Iowa
- Prepare the document so it meets Polk 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 Polk County Recorder.
- Pay the recording fee, payable to Polk County Recorder.
- Receive the recorded instrument back with its book/page or instrument number as proof of record.
Looking up a Polk County property
Owner names, parcel numbers and legal descriptions for Polk County property are searchable at Polk 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 Polk 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 Polk 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
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Under contract in Polk County? Secure it.
Jurably files a memorandum to protect your deal, notarizes what you need, and records it — no courthouse trip.