Sac County Recorder: Deeds & Records

Sac County participates in Iowa Land Records, the statewide system for accessing recorded land documents from Iowa’s 99 counties.

Iowa Land Records uses account registration for access to its newer search application and document images.

1. Open the Iowa Land Records website.

   Use the official statewide land-records service supported by Iowa county recorders.

   Open Iowa Land Records
   After opening this link: Find the Search application. Sign in or follow the registration instructions for an individual citizen account.
2. Select Sac County, Iowa.

   Choose Sac County from the list of available Iowa counties before searching.

3. Search by the parties’ names.

   Enter the grantor, grantee or other party information available to you.

   If the spelling is uncertain, try the family name or a different name variation.

4. Review the matching recorded instruments.

   Compare document type, recording date, parties and the identifying reference.

5. Open the document image when available.

   Read the instrument and confirm that it concerns the property or transaction you are researching.

6. Save the reference for future use.

   Record the document identifier and request a certified copy from the Recorder if a bank, court or title professional requires one.

Property-assessment records and recorded deed documents serve different purposes.

The Assessor manages parcel valuation and assessment information. The Recorder maintains instruments affecting title and property interests.

Documents submitted for recording must meet Iowa formatting and execution requirements.

Property-transfer documents also require tax and ownership-transfer information, unless a statutory exemption applies.

Legal description and preparer information

Every recorded real estate document must include a complete legal description.

Deeds conveying property must also include the required tax-statement mailing information immediately below the preparer’s information.

Declaration of Value

Iowa generally requires a Declaration of Value with real-estate conveyances unless an applicable exemption applies.

Sac County provides the form and its instructions on the official Recorder Forms page.

Groundwater Hazard Statement

The county’s recording guidance also requires a Groundwater Hazard Statement with covered conveyances, including relevant leases, subject to applicable rules.

Complete the correct current form instead of relying on an outdated document from a previous transaction.

Iowa uses recording standards under Iowa Code sections 331.606A and 331.606B.

Sac County states that the first page of a document must contain three inches of blank space at the top.

If a document does not contain the required space, a separate Recorder cover page may be necessary.

Documents must also be legible, reproducible and properly executed.

The county publishes a page-based recording fee schedule plus additional charges for some transactions and ownership transfers.

The standard page-based fee is $7 for the first page and $5 for each additional page.

Auditor transfer fee on ownership changes

Deeds, title changes, surviving-spouse affidavits and other ownership-transfer instruments can require an additional Auditor transfer fee.

Sac County specifies $5 for each different block or township section described in the deed, up to $50 for one instrument.

Call the Recorder for a document-specific total when preparing a deed, multipart instrument or complex conveyance.

Iowa imposes real-estate transfer tax on many deeds conveying property for more than $500 in consideration.

The standard rate is $0.80 for each $500 of taxable consideration, with the first $500 exempt.

This equals $1.60 per $1,000 before applying the statutory exemption and rounding rules.

Certain deeds qualify for transfer-tax exemptions under Iowa Code chapter 428A.

When claiming an exemption, the applicable statutory exemption must be identified on the face of the instrument.

Recorded deed copies may be used for personal records, financial transactions and title research.

A certified copy carries the Recorder’s certification and is different from an ordinary printed copy.

1. Find the recorded instrument.

   Search Iowa Land Records for the parties and document information.

2. Write down the recording reference.

   Keep the document number, date and names of the parties.

3. Contact the Sac County Recorder.

   Call 712-662-7789 or email recorder@saccountyiowa.gov.

4. Specify whether certification is required.

   Ask about the number of pages, total charge, accepted payment and delivery options.

Related Sac County offices

The Sac County Recorder is located in the county courthouse at 100 NW State Street, Sac City, IA 50583.

Confirm your document preparation, payment method and any required forms before traveling to the office.

Visitors traveling from Lake View, Early, Wall Lake, Schaller, Odebolt or other Sac County communities should verify holiday closures and recording requirements before departure.

Iowa Land Records provides electronic document submission for county recording offices statewide.

The platform is used by law firms, title professionals and other approved submitters.

The county Recorder reviews submitted documents before accepting them for recording.

Sac County’s Recorder also handles certain services that are not part of the land-recording system.

Some historical Sac County records are preserved through the State Historical Society of Iowa.

Its county-records inventory lists early land-deed indexes, land-deed books, town-lot records, patent records and homestead records.

Some collections reach back to the 1850s. Availability varies by record type and date range.

For older family property research, it may help to check both the Recorder and the State Historical Society.

Use the following official resources to check the latest information before recording a document, ordering copies or paying fees.