Iowa property deeds
Deed rules are state law, and Iowa's differ from its neighbours in ways that decide whether your document records or comes back. Here is the whole picture: which deeds exist here, how they have to be signed, what the recorder wants on the page, and what it costs.
- Recording office
- County Recorder
- Witnesses
- Notary only
- Transfer tax
- $1.60 per $1
- First-page margin
- 3″ top
- Recording fee
- ~$7 first page
- E-recording
- Generally available
Deeds Iowa recognizes
| Deed | What it does | Available? |
|---|---|---|
| Quitclaim deed | Transfers whatever interest you have in a property, with no promises about the title. | Yes |
| General warranty deed | Transfers ownership with the strongest title guarantees the law allows. | Yes |
| Special warranty deed | Transfers ownership, but only guarantees the title for the period you owned it. | Yes |
| Transfer-on-death deed | Names who inherits your property, skips probate, and changes nothing while you're alive. | No |
| Lady bird deed | An enhanced life estate deed: you keep total control for life, and the property passes automatically at death. | No |
| Life estate deed | You keep the right to live in the property for life; named remaindermen own it after you. | Yes, less common |
| Gift deed | Transfers property to someone as an outright gift, for no payment. | Yes, less common |
Iowa does not recognize transfer-on-death deeds and lady bird deeds. Recording one here wouldn't achieve what you want.
How a deed has to be signed in Iowa
Iowa requires the grantor's signature to be acknowledged before a notary public. No witnesses are required.
| Requirement | Rule |
|---|---|
| Notarization | Required for every signature |
| Witnesses | None |
| Preparer statement | Customary, not required |
| Grantee address on the deed | Required |
| Prior deed reference | Optional |
| Spousal joinder | Both spouses must join in a conveyance of homestead property (Iowa Code § 561.13). |
Iowa document formatting rules
County recorders in Iowa expect 8.5 × 11 inch paper with a 3-inch top margin on the first page and 0.75-inch margins elsewhere. Type must be at least 10 point. That top margin is the recorder's stamp area. Writing into it is the most common formatting rejection there is.
- Iowa requires a 3-inch top margin on the first page and 0.75-inch margins elsewhere (Iowa Code § 331.606B).
Iowa transfer tax and recording fees
Iowa charges Real estate transfer tax at $1.60 per $1,000 of consideration above the first $500. Customarily paid by the grantor.
Common exemptions: transfers between spouses, gifts with no consideration, and transfers to or from a revocable trust.
A form has to travel with the deed
Iowa requires Declaration of Value (unless exempt) and Groundwater Hazard Statement with most recorded deeds, including gifts and other exempt transfers. Recorders reject packages that are missing it.
Recording fees run about $7 for the first page plus roughly $7 per additional page. Iowa charges $7 per page, plus a $5 auditor transfer fee.
How to hold title in Iowa
- Sole ownership. One person owns everything.
- Tenancy in common. Separate, divisible shares with no survivorship. A deceased owner's share goes to their heirs.
- Joint tenancy with right of survivorship. Equal shares; the survivor takes the whole property automatically.
Where to record a deed in Iowa
Deeds are recorded with the County Recorder in the county where the property is located. Iowa has 99 counties. Most offices accept e-recording through a submitting service, which is usually same-day.
Polk · Linn · Scott · Johnson · Black Hawk · Woodbury · Dubuque · Story. all Iowa recording offices
Why deeds get rejected in Iowa
- Every Iowa deed needs a Groundwater Hazard Statement, even for a simple family transfer. Recorders reject deeds without it.
- A Declaration of Value is required unless the transfer is exempt; exempt deeds must cite the exemption.
- The county auditor must stamp the deed for transfer before the recorder will record it.
- Iowa abolished tenancy by the entirety and dower/curtesy, but both spouses must still join to convey a homestead.
- Iowa does not recognize transfer-on-death deeds.
From $39. Every Iowa rule above is applied automatically, and you read the finished document before you pay.
Common questions
You sign a deed, have it notarized, and record it with the County Recorder in the county where the property sits. Which deed depends on what you're doing: a quitclaim for family transfers and adding or removing a name, a warranty deed for a sale, and a living trust for probate avoidance.
No. Iowa does not require an attorney to prepare or record a deed. Use one when ownership is disputed, when the owner has died and the estate has not been probated, when the estate is large enough to owe tax, or when Medicaid planning is involved.
About $7 for the first page plus roughly $7 per additional page. Iowa also charges real estate transfer tax at $1.60 per $1,000 of consideration above the first $500.
No. Iowa is not among the 32 states plus DC that authorise a transfer-on-death deed. The usual alternatives here are a revocable living trust or survivorship titling.
Keep reading
- Iowa quitclaim deedTransfers whatever interest you have in a property, with no promises about the title.
- Iowa general warranty deedTransfers ownership with the strongest title guarantees the law allows.
- Iowa special warranty deedTransfers ownership, but only guarantees the title for the period you owned it.
- Iowa life estate deedYou keep the right to live in the property for life; named remaindermen own it after you.
- Iowa recording officesWhere to file in each county, with fees and contact details.
- Compare all 51 jurisdictionsWitness rules, transfer taxes, and recording fees side by side.
Deedly is not a law firm
We provide self-help software and state-specific statutory forms; you make your own decisions about your property. Using Deedly does not create an attorney-client relationship, and nothing here is legal advice. If your situation is complex or contested, talk to a licensed attorney in your state.