Johnson County Recorder: Deeds & Records

The Recorder handles land-document recording and access to recorded instruments. The same office also provides marriage, vital-record and recreational-vehicle services.

For real estate, the most important services are deed searches, mortgage searches, document recording, copies and the free PropertyCheck notification service.

Johnson County uses a Cott Systems eSearch portal. Its indexed records include deeds, mortgages, contracts, easements, releases, liens and plats.

The county’s Real Estate Search page states that document images begin in January 1840 and electronic indexing begins in November 1983. Older documents may require additional historical research.

Search by grantor or grantee name

1. Open the county Name Search.

   Start with the official Johnson County Recorder eSearch portal.

   Open Name Search
2. Enter the last name or business name.

   The portal includes a Last/Firm Name field and separate first-name options. You can choose Begins With, Contains or other match settings.

3. Choose the relevant document group.

   For a deed, use the DEEDS group. Other groups include MORTGAGES, RELEASES, EASEMENTS and CONTRACTS & LEASES.

4. Review recording dates and parties.

   Compare the grantor, grantee, filing date, instrument type and available document references.

5. Open the correct record.

   Review the available details or image. Save its file number, book/page reference or other identifying information.

Search by parcel ID

The Recorder portal also provides parcel-based searches. This can be useful after finding the parcel identifier through the county’s property assessment records.

Search for subdivision covenants and restrictions

Johnson County provides an unusually helpful search method for subdivision restrictions. These documents may be recorded with subdivision proceedings or as separate instruments.

Enter the subdivision name under Last/Firm Name. Do not include words such as “Subdivision” or “Addition” unless they are necessary to identify the record.

Select SEARCH — Show Names List, choose the relevant name matches, and return the selected names to the search.

Searching by section, township and range

For rural property research, the county supplies a section-township-range search convention.

Use a zero as a placeholder for single-digit numbers. The county’s example is 01-77-06.

Checking old mortgage releases

A release or assignment recorded before May 5, 2003 may not be electronically linked to its original mortgage.

If a mortgage appears unpaid in your search, examine the original document image for marginal notations and search the parties’ names separately for a later release.

A deed is a legal instrument used to transfer or document an interest in real estate. Recording preserves the deed in the county’s public land-record system.

Iowa has specific document-formatting and transfer-document requirements. These should be reviewed before submitting an original instrument.

1. Prepare the correct deed.

   Confirm the parties, legal description, signatures, acknowledgement and intended ownership arrangement.

2. Check the first-page requirements.

   Iowa generally requires a three-inch top margin reserved for recording and specific identifying information on the first page.

3. Determine required transfer forms.

   A Declaration of Value is generally required for applicable nonexempt conveyances. Review groundwater hazard rules before submitting a deed.

4. Calculate fees and transfer tax.

   Include recording fees, any applicable Auditor transfer fee and Iowa real estate transfer tax.

5. Submit the instrument.

   Follow the Recorder’s current submission instructions. For mailed documents, verify payment and return requirements with the office.

6. Retain recording information.

   Save the returned recording reference and document copy. Check the public index after the recording has been processed.

Iowa Code sections 331.606A and 331.606B establish recording format standards for most instruments.

A document that fails to satisfy certain formatting requirements may incur an additional $10 fee. Some defects cannot be cured simply by paying that charge.

Special documents, including certain plats, surveys, older instruments, certified government records and military separation records, may be exempt from particular formatting requirements.

Johnson County’s published recording schedule lists $7 for the first page and $5 for each additional page for many ordinary real-estate instruments.

Certain ownership-transfer documents also require an Auditor fee. More complex recordings can involve additional charges.

Example recording fee

Iowa real estate transfer tax is generally calculated at $1.60 per $1,000 of consideration, with the first $500 exempt.

Some transfers are exempt by law. Transfers involving gifts, family relationships, estates or business restructuring require careful review of the applicable exemption.

Declaration of Value — Form 57-006

Iowa generally requires a Declaration of Value for certain nonexempt transfers of real estate.

The form records the consideration paid and supports property assessment administration. The requirement is separate from the deed’s recording fee.

Groundwater Hazard Statement

Iowa groundwater hazard rules require disclosure or qualifying statutory exemption language in applicable real-estate transfers.

Under Iowa’s post-July 2022 procedure, a deed may use prescribed exemption language when the conditions for exemption are met.

The seller is responsible for the accuracy of that statement. Consult a real-estate professional if you are unsure whether the property qualifies.

A copy of a recorded deed may be useful when refinancing, selling property, administering an estate or reviewing recorded ownership history.

Start by finding the instrument in the county’s eSearch system. Note its parties, date and identifying reference.

The Johnson County Recorder offers PropertyCheck, a free notification service that can alert users to recordings associated with selected names or records.

It is designed to help property owners identify potentially unexpected activity in county recording records.

The Recorder cannot answer every question about ownership, assessed value, tax bills or title defects. Sending the question to the correct office saves time.