Recording a deed in Polk County, Iowa

Recording a deed in Polk County

Deeds affecting property in Polk County, Iowa are recorded with the County Recorder. Recording is what puts the world on notice of your ownership and fixes the priority date. An unrecorded deed can still transfer title between the parties, but it leaves you exposed to anyone who records first.

The recording rules the office applies come from Iowa Code §§ 558.41, 558.42 and 331.606B. Deeds themselves are governed by Iowa Code § 558.19.

What to bring

• The original signed and notarized deed. Recorders do not record photocopies handed over the counter.
• A completed notarial acknowledgment, with the date, the place where you signed, and the commission expiry all filled in.
• For a sale, the Real Estate Transfer - Declaration of Value (Iowa Department of Revenue form 57-006), and a Groundwater Hazard Statement (Iowa DNR Form 542-0960) only if the property has a well, septic system or another listed condition. A deed that states its exemption on its face, such as a gift, needs neither (Iowa Code §§ 428A.1(2), 428A.4(1), 558.69).
• Payment for the recording fee, $7 for the first page and $5 per additional page. Many offices do not take personal checks.

Formatting

• Iowa requires a 3-inch top margin on the first page and 0.75-inch margins elsewhere (Iowa Code § 331.606B).
• Print on white paper of at least 20-pound weight with no watermark, and sign in black or dark blue ink (Iowa Code § 331.606B(1)).
• Below the 3-inch margin, page one must show the name, address and telephone number of the person who prepared the deed, the taxpayer's name and complete mailing address, a return address, the title, and every grantor's and grantee's name (Iowa Code § 331.606B(2)). A recorder will not accept a deed that lacks the taxpayer's information, or whose signatures are not in black or dark blue ink with each name printed beneath. Other format defects cost $10 more to record (§ 331.606B(7)).
• Deedly's layout, which suits this office: 8.5 × 11 inch paper, a 3-inch clear space at the top of page one for the recording stamp, 0.75-inch margins on the other edges, and type no smaller than 10 point. Deedly formats every document this way automatically.
• A legal description. A street address alone is not enough.
• A 'when recorded, return to' block so the stamped original comes back to you.

How to file

1. 1In personTake the original to the County Recorder in Des Moines. This is the fastest route. You usually walk out with the recording information the same day.
2. 2By mailSend the original with a check or money order for the fee and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Allow one to three weeks for the stamped original to come back.
3. 3E-recordingAll 99 Iowa county recorders accept electronic submission through Iowa Land Records, the counties' statewide system. It is used mainly by abstractors, lenders, title companies and attorneys; if you prepared the deed yourself, record in person or by mail.