How to search Iowa court records

Iowa runs a single statewide case-lookup system, so one search — with the name spelled correctly — reaches courts across the entire state. There's no charge and no account required — results are visible to anyone who searches.

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Open the official Iowa portal →

What's actually there

Iowa Courts Online provides free statewide trial-court case search.

Other official lookups for Iowa

IDOC offender search

How Iowa's courts are organized

Nearly every Iowa case starts in district court, the state's general trial court. There is one district court in every county, and it has general jurisdiction over civil, criminal, juvenile and probate matters. For administration the state is split into eight judicial districts, each led by a chief judge chosen by the Iowa Supreme Court. Each county has a clerk of district court who keeps that county's records.

Above the district courts are the Iowa Court of Appeals and the Iowa Supreme Court. The Judicial Branch also lists a juvenile court and an Iowa Business Court as parts of the system.

Iowa Courts Online is the statewide electronic docket. The Judicial Branch describes it as an index of filings and proceedings kept by every clerk of court office in Iowa, so it covers trial courts in all counties plus appellate cases.

Searching Iowa Courts Online

The basic search is free and needs no registration or subscription. It shows the public docket: case events, parties and status. It does not show court documents, and neither does the paid tier.

A paid Online Search subscription costs $25 per month. Subscribers, called registered users, get Schedule Search and Trial Court Advanced Case Search. You do not need an account to pay a fine or court debt online, and city parking tickets cannot be paid there at all.

To read the documents themselves, go to a public access terminal at the courthouse in the county where the case was filed. Viewing is free and needs no registration, but a terminal only shows that county's filings. For example, a terminal in the Polk County Courthouse shows documents filed in Polk County. Parties to a case can see their own documents by logging into the eFile system.

Expunged cases become confidential records and drop out of public view.
Online payments may take time to show up on the docket.
Questions about a specific case go to that county's clerk of court, listed in the Judicial Branch court directory.

Getting copies and certified copies

Copies and certified copies come from the clerk of district court in the county where the case was filed. The Judicial Branch court directory lists every clerk's office. You can view the public file free at the courthouse terminal and then ask the clerk for printed or certified copies, or contact the clerk if you cannot travel.

The Judicial Branch pages read for this guide do not post a statewide per-page or certification fee, so ask the clerk for the current charge before ordering.

Expunged records

Iowa Code chapter 901C covers expungement. Under section 901C.2, a criminal case where every charge ended in acquittal or dismissal can be expunged once all court costs and fees are paid and at least 180 days have passed, unless the court waives the wait for reasons such as identity theft or mistaken identity. It does not apply to dismissals after a deferred judgment, or to cases ending in insanity or incompetency findings. The expunged file becomes confidential under Iowa Code section 22.7.

Under section 901C.3, a misdemeanor conviction can be expunged in the county of conviction if more than eight years have passed, no charges are pending, the person has not had two prior deferred judgments, and all fines, costs and restitution are paid. The statute lists many excluded misdemeanors, including OWI, sex offenses, domestic abuse assault, harassment and stalking. This relief is granted once in a person's lifetime, though one application can cover misdemeanors from the same incident. The Judicial Branch publishes court forms for both kinds of application. Talk to a lawyer or start with the Judicial Branch's Representing Yourself page.

Tip: dockets online, documents at the courthouse

Iowa splits access in an unusual way. The docket is online statewide for free, but the documents are not online for the public at all, even with the $25 subscription. Use Iowa Courts Online to find the case number and county. Then go to that county's courthouse terminal or call its clerk for the actual filings, so you are not paying for a subscription expecting it to show documents.

Sources

Checked against the official sources above in October 2026. Court rules and fees change; the court's own site is the final word. This is general information, not legal advice.

Federal cases filed in Iowa

State portals don't cover federal court. If the case you're looking for might be a federal criminal prosecution, civil suit, or bankruptcy, use CourtRecordsFree's live federal search — it queries CourtListener/RECAP directly and isn't limited to any one state.

Search tips

Try both "Last, First" and "First Last" — courts index names inconsistently.
Middle initials and suffixes (Jr., III) often matter for common names.
A date of birth or case number is the only reliable way to confirm you found the right person.
An arrest or charge shown in a docket is not a conviction — read the disposition.

Frequently asked questions

Is it free to search Iowa court records online?

Yes. Iowa's statewide search is free to use, with no account or subscription required.

Does this include criminal records?

Yes. Iowa's portal includes criminal case records alongside civil cases, though sealed and expunged cases are not shown.

Does one search cover the whole state?

Iowa runs one statewide system, so a single search covers the whole state.

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