Polk County Certificate of Trust Form (Iowa)

All Polk County specific forms and documents listed below are included in your immediate download package:

Certificate of Trust Form

Polk County Certificate of Trust Form

Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.
Included Polk County compliant document last validated/updated 6/5/2025

Certificate of Trust Guide

Polk County Certificate of Trust Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.
Included Polk County compliant document last validated/updated 5/27/2025

Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document

Polk County Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.
Included Polk County compliant document last validated/updated 6/3/2025

When using these Certificate of Trust forms, the subject real estate must be physically located in Polk County. The executed documents should then be recorded in the following office:

Polk County Recorder

Administrative Building - 111 Court Ave, Suite 250, Des Moines, Iowa 50309-2251

Hours: 7:30am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday

Phone: (515) 286-3160

Local jurisdictions located in Polk County include:

  • Alleman
  • Altoona
  • Ankeny
  • Berwick
  • Bondurant
  • Clive
  • Des Moines
  • Elkhart
  • Grimes
  • Johnston
  • Mitchellville
  • Polk City
  • Runnells
  • Sheldahl
  • Urbandale
  • West Des Moines

How long does it take to get my forms?

Forms are available immediately after submitting payment.

How do I get my forms, are they emailed?

Immediately after you submit payment, the Polk County forms you order will be available for download directly from your account. You can then download the forms to your computer. If you do not already have an account, one will be created for you as part of the order process, and your login details will be provided to you. If you encounter any issues accessing your forms, please reach out to our support team for assistance. Forms are NOT emailed to you.

What does "validated/updated" mean?

This indicates the most recent date when at least one of the following occurred:

  • Updated: The document was updated or changed to remain compliant.
  • Validated: The document was examined by an attorney or staff, or it was successfully recorded in Polk County using our eRecording service.
Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Polk County?

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed all formatting requirements set forth by Polk County including margin requirements, content requirements, font and font size requirements.

Can the Certificate of Trust forms be re-used?

Yes. You can re-use the forms for your personal use. For example, if you have more than one property in Polk County that you need to transfer you would only need to order our forms once for all of your properties in Polk County.

What are supplemental forms?

Often when a deed is recorded, additional documents are required by Iowa or Polk County. These could be tax related, informational, or even as simple as a coversheet. Supplemental forms are provided for free with your order where available.

What type of files are the forms?

All of our Polk County Certificate of Trust forms are PDFs. You will need to have or get Adobe Reader to use our forms. Adobe Reader is free software that most computers already have installed.

Do I need any special software to use these forms?

You will need to have Adobe Reader installed on your computer to use our forms. Adobe Reader is free software that most computers already have installed.

Do I have to enter all of my property information online?

No. The blank forms are downloaded to your computer and you fill them out there, at your convenience.

Can I save the completed form, email it to someone?

Yes, you can save your deed form at any point with your information in it. The forms can also be emailed, blank or complete, as attachments.

Are there any recurring fees involved?

No. Nothing to cancel, no memberships, no recurring fees.

Under Iowa Code 633A.4604, the certification of trust is an official document confirming the terms of a trust as they relate to a specific transaction. Trustees wishing to enter into a transaction in the trust's name may be asked to present a certification of trust to prove the trust's existence and the trustee's authority to enter into the transaction.

A certificate of trust presents the name and date of the trust under which the trustee is acting, as well as the identities of the trust's settlor and trustees. The document provides the name by which the trust will hold title to trust assets, and includes the trust's taxpayer identification number (TIN).

If there is more than one trustee, the certificate identifies who has authority to sign documents relating to the trust and how many co-trustees are required to sign. The document also enumerates the trustee's powers relative to the transaction at hand, and includes the name of any person able to revoke the trust, if applicable. Like other documents affecting real property, the certificate should include the legal description of the subject property.

Finally, the certificate requires statements that the trust has not been revoked, modified, or amended in any manner to cause the representations contained within to be incorrect; that the document is being signed by all acting trustees; and that the certificate is sworn and subscribed to under penalty of perjury before a notary public (Iowa Code 633A.4604(2)).

The statements contained within the certificate may be relied on as if they were fact, but recipients of a certification of trust may request copies of the sections of the trust instrument designating the trustee and conferring the trustee's powers pursuant to Iowa Code 633A.4604(4). A recipient requesting the entire trust document may be liable for damages if a court finds they acted unreasonably in their request (Iowa Code 633A.4604(6)).

Consult a lawyer with questions regarding trust law and certifications of trust, as each situation is unique.

(Iowa Certificate of Trust Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example)

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Polk County recording requirements for formatting. If there's an issue caused by our formatting, we'll make it right and refund your payment.

Save Time and Money

Get your Polk County Certificate of Trust form done right the first time with Deeds.com Uniform Conveyancing Blanks. At Deeds.com, we understand that your time and money are valuable resources, and we don't want you to face a penalty fee or rejection imposed by a county recorder for submitting nonstandard documents. We constantly review and update our forms to meet rapidly changing state and county recording requirements for roughly 3,500 counties and local jurisdictions.

4.8 out of 5 - ( 4557 Reviews )

Nigel S.

June 24th, 2025

Very simple to use. The 'completed examples' are very helpful.

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June 23rd, 2025

Great service, easy way to get accurate documents

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June 19th, 2025

World class forms, great for someone like me that has no clue what I'm doing! Always better to let the pros do it than think one knows it all and gets themselves in trouble!

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JANET D.

October 19th, 2019

was good choice for me but did not realize notary had to witness all 3 signatures at the same luckily had extra copy to be signed in her presence

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Tiffani D.

February 25th, 2020

The website was very user-friendly. I am glad it was available!

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Steve B.

February 6th, 2020

Good format. Timely response. Adding a photo of the property would be a good improvement.

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April 18th, 2019

An excellent service that I would be happy to use again.

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January 20th, 2023

Service was fast and easy to use. But let documents appear clearer next time.

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October 23rd, 2021

Excellent! I will be back!

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February 17th, 2021

EXCELLENT service! Deed came back within minutes!

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June 10th, 2022

appreciate the ease of finding a group of forms without the need for a lawyer--the time and expense--for a basic transfer of joint tenancy following a death.

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Laura L.

July 22nd, 2023

The website looks good and probably like it is easy to use, but I needed a deed in lieu and couldn't fine one.

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September 16th, 2021

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May 21st, 2025

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February 25th, 2020

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