| Statewide case search | Iowa Courts Online Search |
|---|---|
| Criminal history check | Iowa DCI Criminal History Record Check |
| Appellate opinions | Iowa Courts Online — Appellate Court Case Search |
| Federal cases | PACER (2 districts) |
| Plain copy fee | $0.50 per page (Iowa Judicial Branch fee schedule) |
| Certified copy fee | $50 for certification and seal of a court document (Iowa Code section 602.8105(2)(b), per the Iowa Judicial Branch fee schedule) |
| Who keeps trial records | Clerk of the Supreme Court; Clerk of the Supreme Court (serves both appellate courts) |
Iowa runs a single, unified trial court instead of separate civil, criminal, and probate courts. The district court sits in all 99 counties, grouped into eight judicial districts, and hears everything from felonies to divorces to small claims. In every county, the Clerk of the District Court — a state Judicial Branch employee, not a county officer — keeps the file for every case filed there, so there is no separate "county clerk" of court to check as in many other states.
Iowa has one statewide portal for case information, Iowa Courts Online, run by the Judicial Branch. Basic search (party name or case number, case type, and the docket) is free to anyone. A paid subscription unlocks Advanced Case Search with more filters. Neither view shows filed documents themselves; images are only available at courthouse public-access terminals or by request to the clerk. For a name-based criminal history, the Department of Public Safety's Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) runs a separate $15-per-name database that only covers Iowa arrests and convictions.
The most common mistake is treating Iowa Courts Online as a full record: some case types (juvenile, mental health, confidential family matters) are excluded by rule, and "no waiver" searches at DCI omit old undisposed arrests and completed deferred judgments. If a search comes back empty, contact the county clerk of the district court directly before assuming no case exists.
How Iowa courts are organized
Which court heard a case decides who keeps the file. Use this table to pick the right clerk before you search, and see the guides to criminal, civil, family, and probate records for what each court's file contains.
| Court | Handles | Who holds the records |
|---|---|---|
| Iowa Supreme Court |
| Clerk of the Supreme Court Iowa has no death penalty, so the court's docket is almost entirely discretionary review and original proceedings. |
| Iowa Court of Appeals |
| Clerk of the Supreme Court (serves both appellate courts) A nine-judge intermediate court; its decisions are final unless the Supreme Court grants further review. |
| Iowa District Court |
| Clerk of the District Court for the county Iowa has one trial court, not separate district/county courts; district associate judges, associate juvenile judges, and magistrates all sit within it, but the clerk of the district court keeps every file. |
Search Iowa court records online
Statewide case search
Iowa Courts Online Search
- Cost
- Free for basic search; paid subscription required for Advanced Case Search
- Coverage
- Case number, party names, docket entries, and case type/status for district court cases statewide (basic search), plus appellate case dockets; confidential case types (juvenile, mental health, some family matters) are excluded
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate, Traffic, Appeals
Built on the Judicial Branch's Odyssey-based case management system. Filed documents are not shown online; view them at a courthouse public-access terminal or request copies from the county clerk of the district court.
Criminal history (convictions)
Iowa DCI Criminal History Record Check
- Cost
- $15 per last name searched
- Coverage
- Iowa arrest and conviction data for serious misdemeanors and felonies reported to the Division of Criminal Investigation; excludes most simple misdemeanors, out-of-state and federal records, and (without a signed waiver) arrests over 18 months old with no disposition and completed deferred judgments
- Records
- Criminal
Search requires an exact first name, last name, and date of birth. Run by the Iowa Department of Public Safety, separate from the court system.
Appellate courts
Iowa Courts Online — Appellate Court Case Search
- Cost
- Free
- Coverage
- Appellate docket entries and case status for the Iowa Supreme Court and Iowa Court of Appeals, searchable by appellate docket number or party name
- Records
- Appeals
Choose "Appellate Court Case Search" from the site's main menu. Opinions are published separately on iowacourts.gov.
Federal court records in Iowa
Federal cases (bankruptcy, federal crimes, lawsuits under federal law) are not in state portals. They live in PACER, organized by district. Iowa has 2 federal judicial districts.
| District | Main courthouse | Court website |
|---|---|---|
| Northern District of Iowa | Cedar Rapids | www.iand.uscourts.gov |
| Southern District of Iowa | Des Moines | www.iasd.uscourts.gov |
Read our PACER guide for registration, the per-page fee, and the quarterly fee waiver.
Iowa county court records
Trial-court records are kept by the clerk in the county where the case was filed. These are the largest counties in Iowa; each guide covers the clerk of district court and other court offices, their addresses, and what is searchable online.
- Polk County court records County seat: Des Moines Online search Free Verifying
- Linn County court records County seat: Cedar Rapids Online search Free
- Scott County court records County seat: Davenport Online search Free
- Johnson County court records County seat: Iowa City Online search Free
- Black Hawk County court records County seat: Waterloo Online search Free
- Dallas County court records County seat: Adel Online search Free
- Woodbury County court records County seat: Sioux City Online search Free Verifying
- Story County court records County seat: Nevada Online search Free
- Dubuque County court records County seat: Dubuque Online search Free Verifying
- Pottawattamie County court records County seat: Council Bluffs Online search Free Verifying
Request records in person or by mail
In person. Go to the Clerk of the District Court in the county where the case was filed. Public-access terminals at the courthouse let you search the index and, for non-confidential cases, view filed documents at no charge. Printed copies are paid at the counter.
By mail. Write to the clerk with:
- the case number, or the full names of the parties and the approximate year;
- exactly which documents you need;
- whether you need plain or certified copies; and
- a check or money order for the fee (call first to confirm the amount), or a request for a fee quote.
Online. Iowa Courts Online shows case dockets and status for free; a paid Advanced Case Search subscription adds more search filters but still does not display document images. EDMS, the court's e-filing system, is for filing and for attorneys of record, not general public document access.
Criminal history. Submit a name and date of birth to the DCI's online criminal history search, or use the mailed request form (DCI-77) if you need a "with waiver" search that includes old undisposed arrests and completed deferred judgments.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Plain copy | $0.50 per page (Iowa Judicial Branch fee schedule) |
| Certified copy | $50 for certification and seal of a court document (Iowa Code section 602.8105(2)(b), per the Iowa Judicial Branch fee schedule) |
The Iowa Judicial Branch's Civil Court Fees page lists copies at $0.50 per page and $50 for certification and seal of a court document under Iowa Code section 602.8105(2)(b), and notes that its figures reflect 2026 legislative changes. The codified text of section 602.8105 published in the 2026 Iowa Code still shows the earlier $30 certificate-and-seal fee, so confirm the current amount with the county clerk before sending payment. Every county clerk of the district court charges the same statewide schedule.
Need a copy an agency will accept? See how to get certified copies of court records.
Sealed, expunged, and restricted records
Iowa's default is that court records are public, but several categories are removed from public view:
- Expunged records. Under Iowa Code chapter 901C, a court can expunge criminal cases that ended in acquittal, dismissal, or (for many misdemeanors and some felonies) after a waiting period with no further offenses. Expunged records become confidential and exempt from public access under Iowa Code section 22.7, though the clerk must still make them available to the defendant or to agencies authorized under section 907.4.
- Confidential case types. Juvenile delinquency and child-in-need-of-assistance cases, mental health and substance-abuse commitments, and adoption records are confidential by statute and do not appear in Iowa Courts Online searches.
- Deferred judgments. A completed deferred judgment does not count as a conviction and is withheld from "no waiver" DCI searches; it only appears if the subject signs a release.
- Sealed or redacted filings. Iowa Court Rules chapter 16 (Rules of Electronic Procedure) lets a judge restrict access to specific filings and requires certain identifying information (Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, minors' names) to be redacted from public filings.
Access to non-confidential case records is governed by Iowa Court Rules chapter 16, not by Iowa's general open-records law (Iowa Code chapter 22), which does not apply to the judicial branch's case files in the same way it applies to executive-branch agencies.
To remove your own record from public view, read how to expunge or seal a criminal record.
Frequently asked questions
Are Iowa court records public?
Yes, most district and appellate court records in Iowa are public. Exceptions include expunged records, juvenile and mental-health cases, adoptions, and specific filings a judge has restricted under the Iowa Rules of Electronic Procedure.
Is there a free statewide search for Iowa court records?
Iowa Courts Online offers a free basic search of case dockets by party name or case number statewide. A paid subscription adds Advanced Case Search filters, but neither view shows document images.
How do I find out if someone has a criminal record in Iowa?
Use the Iowa DCI's online criminal history search for $15 per last name, which covers Iowa arrests and convictions for serious misdemeanors and felonies. For pending cases or records DCI excludes, check Iowa Courts Online or the county clerk of the district court.
Who is the clerk of court in an Iowa county?
The Clerk of the District Court, a Judicial Branch office in each of Iowa's 99 counties. Iowa does not have a separate county clerk of court for lower-level cases; the district clerk keeps every case type filed in that county.
How do I get a certified copy of an Iowa court record?
Request it from the clerk of the district court in the county where the case was filed, in person or by mail. The Iowa Judicial Branch fee schedule lists certification and seal at $50 and copies at $0.50 per page; confirm the total with that county's clerk.
Can I view Iowa court documents online for free?
Not usually. Iowa Courts Online shows the docket and case status for free, but filed documents are generally only viewable at a courthouse public-access terminal or by request to the clerk, not through the website itself.
Sources
- Iowa Judicial Branch — District Court — https://www.iowacourts.gov/iowa-courts/district-court
- Iowa Judicial Branch — Court of Appeals — https://www.iowacourts.gov/iowa-courts/court-of-appeals
- Iowa Judicial Branch — Supreme Court — https://www.iowacourts.gov/iowa-courts/supreme-court
- Iowa Courts Online Search — https://www.iowacourts.state.ia.us/ESAWebApp/SelectFrame
- Iowa DCI Criminal History Record Check Information — https://dps.iowa.gov/divisions-iowa-department-public-safety/iowa-division-criminal-investigation/criminal-history-record-check-information
- Iowa Code Chapter 901C — Expungement of Criminal Records — https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/901C.pdf
- Iowa Code Section 602.8105 — Clerk Fees for Civil Cases — https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/602.8105.pdf
- Civil Court Fees | Iowa Judicial Branch — https://www.iowacourts.gov/for-the-public/representing-yourself/civil-court-fees
- Iowa Code Section 22.7 — Confidential Records — https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/22.7.pdf
- Iowa Court Rules Chapter 16 — Rules of Electronic Procedure — https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/ACO/CourtRulesChapter/16.pdf
- United States District Court, Southern District of Iowa — https://www.iasd.uscourts.gov/
- United States District Court, Northern District of Iowa — https://www.iand.uscourts.gov/