Iowa · Document Recording
Recording a Deed or Document in Shelby County, IA
Shelby County (population 11,746) records real-property documents through the Shelby 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.
Shelby County recorder — contact
- Recording office
- Shelby County Recorder
- Mailing address
- Shelby County Recorder (Geralyn Greer), 612 Court St, Room 201, Harlan, IA 51537
- Phone
- 712-755-5640
- Checks payable to
- Shelby County Recorder
- Electronic recording
- Available via Simplifile
Shelby County recording fees
- First page / base fee
- $7 first page
- Additional pages
- $5 per additional page
- Other fees
- $5 auditor's transfer fee per block/section/addition/subdivision referenced (capped at $50 per instrument); certification fee $6 + $1/page copy fee
Counties change fees without notice. Check with the Shelby County Recorder before you mail a check.
What Shelby County requires
- Page formatting
- Standard Iowa statutory formatting per county's Document Formatting Standards: 3-inch top margin, 3/4-inch other margins, white 20 lb paper, max 8.5x14, min 8/10-pt fonts, black/dark blue ink signatures
- Submission & return
- Mail to submitter's return address; e-recording returns electronically
- Hours & turnaround
- E-recording ~1 business day; mail-in varies; office hours 8am-4:30pm
Can you e-record in Shelby County?
Yes. Shelby 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 Shelby County, Iowa
- Prepare the document so it meets Shelby 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 Shelby County Recorder.
- Pay the recording fee, payable to Shelby County Recorder.
- Receive the recorded instrument back with its book/page or instrument number as proof of record.
Looking up a Shelby County property
Owner names, parcel numbers and legal descriptions for Shelby County property are searchable at Shelby 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 Shelby 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 Shelby 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 Shelby
More Iowa counties
Under contract in Shelby County? Secure it.
Jurably files a memorandum to protect your deal, notarizes what you need, and records it — no courthouse trip.