Dubuque County Recorder: Deeds & Records

Dubuque County provides an online Recorder’s Index for researching recorded land documents.

The county links directly to a Cott Systems records portal. That is the appropriate starting point when you already know a party’s name or need to identify a recorded instrument.

Search using a grantor or grantee name

1. Open the official Recorder search.

   Visit the Dubuque County Recorder homepage and select Search the Recorder’s Index.

2. Enter the name connected to the transaction.

   Start with the buyer, seller, borrower, lender or business name as appropriate.

3. Narrow the search results.

   Use date ranges or other available fields when several records share similar names.

4. Open a matching document record.

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

5. Check the property information.

   Confirm the legal description or other identifiers before assuming the document relates to your property.

6. Save the reference.

   Keep the instrument number or book/page details to simplify any later copy request.

Search by property address or parcel number

If you only have an address, the Recorder’s index may not be the easiest starting point.

Dubuque County links to Beacon / qPublic.net, a property search with GIS, ownership, parcel and assessment information.

Beacon is useful for identifying property and assessment information. A property map or assessor record is not a substitute for an actual recorded deed or a professional title examination.

The Recorder maintains several kinds of documents that can affect property ownership, financing and land use.

What if the deed is very old?

Dubuque County preserves historical property documents, but the online coverage for every record type and recording year is not identical.

Do not assume a missing online image means a document was never recorded.

When researching an older deed, save the owner’s name and approximate recording year. Contact the Recorder for the availability of historical indexes, images or office-held records.

Recording a new deed is different from searching an existing one.

Iowa real estate transfers can require a properly executed deed, recording payment, a Declaration of Value and groundwater-hazard information.

Step 1: Prepare the deed

The deed must correctly identify the parties, describe the property and satisfy applicable Iowa signing, acknowledgment and formatting requirements.

Iowa requires certain information on conveyance instruments, including the taxpayer’s name and complete mailing address.

A document with an incomplete legal description or improper execution may need correction before recording.

Step 2: Review the Declaration of Value requirement

Iowa commonly requires a Declaration of Value when real property is transferred.

This form gives the state and local assessment authorities important transaction information.

Some transfers are exempt. The exemption rules for the Declaration of Value and real estate transfer tax are not always identical.

Step 3: Check the groundwater-hazard requirements

Iowa has a specific rule for reporting certain known environmental conditions when real estate is transferred.

The Groundwater Hazard Statement addresses matters such as wells, underground storage tanks, private sewage systems and certain other land conditions.

Not every conveyance requires a separate completed groundwater form. Current Iowa rules provide different procedures depending on whether a Declaration of Value is required and whether specified conditions are present.

Step 4: Pay the applicable charges

Recording fees are separate from real estate transfer tax and the Auditor’s property-transfer fee.

The total amount can depend on page count, document type, number of transferred parcels and whether a statutory transfer-tax exemption applies.

Step 5: Submit to the Recorder

Deliver the document and required supporting material using a submission method currently accepted by the Dubuque County Recorder.

Documents may also be submitted electronically through the Iowa Land Records system by eligible users.

Dubuque County publishes a recording fee of $7 for the first page and $5 for each additional page for most standard documents.

Other charges can apply to conveyances, mortgage notations, copies, certification and documents that do not meet Iowa formatting standards.

Simple recording-fee examples

These examples exclude transfer fees, transfer taxes, nonconforming charges and other document-specific costs.

Iowa real estate transfer tax

Iowa real estate transfer tax is a separate charge that may apply to taxable real estate conveyances.

The general statutory rate is $0.80 for each $500, or fraction of $500, of taxable consideration above the first $500.

This example assumes the stated consideration is fully taxable and no special exemption applies.

Some transactions are exempt under Iowa Code Chapter 428A. Verify the applicable tax treatment before submitting a deed.

The Recorder provides copies of recorded documents.

Online search access can help you locate the instrument before asking the office for a regular or certified copy.

Information to prepare before requesting a copy

Iowa also operates a statewide land-record system supported by county recorders.

Iowa Land Records allows users to search recorded real estate documents across participating county records.

A free user account may be required for certain searches or documents.

Can a deed be electronically recorded?

Iowa’s statewide electronic recording infrastructure allows eligible documents to be submitted to county recorders.

This is useful for law offices, lenders, title companies and other regular submitters.

Electronic recording does not remove the legal requirements for document execution, supporting forms or payment.

Dubuque County property information is spread across several government offices.

Choosing the correct office saves time, especially when a records question is actually about taxes or ownership assessment.

These official resources support the main search, recording, fee and office instructions in this guide.