| Clerk of District Court | Polk County Clerk of the District Court |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | 500 Mulberry St, Room 212, Des Moines, IA 50309 |
| Phone | 515-561-5718 |
| Hours | Confirm current hours with the clerk before visiting |
| Earliest records noted | Varies by court — older files may be on paper or microfilm |
| 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) |
Polk County, home to Des Moines and Iowa's fifth judicial district, is the state's largest and busiest trial court. The Polk County Clerk of the District Court — a state Judicial Branch office, not a county department — keeps every case filed there: felonies, civil suits, divorces, probate, and juvenile matters all pass through the same clerk's office at the Polk County Courthouse.
Because of its size, the clerk's office splits work among case coordinators for civil, family law, felony, misdemeanor, and juvenile dockets, so a phone call about a specific case type reaches a different person than a general docket question. Case information for anyone searching remotely goes through the statewide Iowa Courts Online portal rather than a separate county system; Polk County does not run its own case-search website.
Iowa abolished municipal courts in 1973 under the Unified Trial Court Act, so there is no separate "Des Moines Municipal Court." City ordinance violations and traffic tickets written by Des Moines, West Des Moines, Ankeny, or Urbandale police are filed with this same Clerk of the District Court as simple misdemeanors and appear in the statewide docket search alongside every other Polk County case.
Search Polk County court records online
Clerk of District Court
Polk County Clerk of the District Court
- Cost
- Free docket search on Iowa Courts Online; fees apply for certified copies
- Coverage
- All district court case types filed in Polk County — felony and misdemeanor criminal, civil, family, probate, traffic, and juvenile
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate, Traffic
Search case information through the statewide Iowa Courts Online portal, not a Polk County-specific site. Contact the case coordinator listed for the relevant docket for questions about a specific type of case.
What is available online
Case dockets, party names, and status for Polk County cases are searchable for free on the statewide Iowa Courts Online system. Confidential case types (juvenile, mental health, some family matters) are excluded from public search. Filed documents are not published online; view them at the courthouse public-access terminal or request copies from the clerk's office.
Which clerk has your record
In Iowa, the clerk who keeps a file depends on which court heard the case. Check the court name on the case notice, citation, or order, then use the office and coverage details above to identify the record holder. Court names and responsibilities differ by state; a county clerk may not keep court case files. For federal cases, see the PACER guide. The full court structure is on the Iowa page.
| Court | Typical cases | Records kept by |
|---|---|---|
| Iowa District Court | Felony and misdemeanor criminal cases; Divorce, custody, and other family cases; Civil suits of any amount, including small claims | Clerk of the District Court for the county |
Request records in person or by mail
Polk County clerk offices
500 Mulberry St, Room 212, Des Moines, IA 50309
Phone: 515-561-5718
Contact details were taken from the office's website and are re-checked on a schedule; confirm hours before visiting.
In person or by mail. Contact the Polk County Clerk of the District Court at 500 Mulberry St, Room 212, Des Moines, IA 50309 (phone 515-561-5718, fax 515-323-5250, email countyclerk.polk@iowacourts.gov). Provide the case number if you have it, or the party names and approximate filing date, along with whether you need plain or certified copies.
By case type. Polk County assigns coordinators by docket: civil, family law, felony, misdemeanor, and juvenile. If your question is about a pending case rather than a records request, ask the clerk's office to route you to the coordinator for that case type.
City citations and fines. Iowa has no municipal courts, so tickets and ordinance violations issued by Des Moines or suburban police are filed with the Polk County Clerk of the District Court like any other simple misdemeanor. Fines and court debt on those cases can be paid online through the Iowa Judicial Branch payment portal or at the clerk's counter; ask the clerk's office for the case number if you only have the citation.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost in Iowa |
|---|---|
| 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 and restricted records
Iowa's default is that court records are public, but several categories are removed from public view:
The Iowa guide lists every category of sealed and restricted record, and our guide to expunging or sealing a criminal record explains how to remove one from public view.
Frequently asked questions
How do I search for a court case in Polk County, Iowa?
Use the statewide Iowa Courts Online portal and search by party name or case number; Polk County does not run a separate case-search website. Basic docket search is free.
Who keeps Polk County's district court records?
The Polk County Clerk of the District Court, a state Judicial Branch office at 500 Mulberry St in Des Moines. It keeps criminal, civil, family, probate, and juvenile case files for the county.
Are Des Moines traffic tickets in the Polk County court records?
Yes. Iowa has no municipal courts, so citations written by Des Moines police, suburban police departments, the county sheriff, or the State Patrol are all filed with the Polk County Clerk of the District Court and appear in Iowa Courts Online.
How do I get a certified copy of a Polk County court document?
Request it from the Clerk of the District Court in person or by mail, with the case number and the documents you need. The Iowa Judicial Branch fee schedule lists copies at $0.50 per page and $50 for certification and seal of a document; confirm the total with the clerk before sending payment.
Sources
- Iowa Judicial Branch — court history and the 1973 unified trial court — https://www.iowacourts.gov/for-the-public/educational-resources-and-services/iowa-courts-history
- Polk County | Iowa Judicial Branch — https://www.iowacourts.gov/iowa-courts/district-court/judicial-district-5/district/5/county/polk
- Polk County Clerk of Court (Polk County, Iowa) — https://www.polkia.org/Clerk_of_Court.html
- Iowa Courts Online Search — https://www.iowacourts.state.ia.us/ESAWebApp/SelectFrame
- Civil Court Fees | Iowa Judicial Branch — https://www.iowacourts.gov/for-the-public/representing-yourself/civil-court-fees
- 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 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
- 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/
See also: all Iowa counties.